Heavy Duty Trucking, February 2018
While most trucking companies have directors of recruiting very few have directors of retention Lana Batts co president of Driver iQ which provides employment screening sagely points out in a recent report on recruiting and retaining truckload drivers When it comes to who actually owns retention she notes that a recent Driver iQ survey determined fleet operations to be primarily responsible Underscoring that it also found that the drivers direct supervisor whose actions or inaction are probably the underlying cause of most turnover was held responsible less than 1 of the time Old pro vs newbie Wading a bit deeper into this discussion of how fleets can best interact with their drivers is a new Stay Metrics white paper on the expectations of experienced drivers Primary author Tim Judge director of research for the firm which provides driver feedback to carriers advises that approaching experienced drivers differently than those newly hired can help keep them and their influence working for a fleet Experienced drivers tend to be the best drivers and tend to have the lowest turnover rates he writes Second experienced drivers are often thought leaders among their peers the opinions of an experienced driver are generally going to carry more weight with fellow drivers With that in mind Judge suggests several ways to key in on your veteran drivers For starters dont treat them like newbies Consider creating specific communications that reflect their level of experience focusing on topics such as bidding preferences and the value of employment benefits There should also be incentives and awards tailored to recognize them such as million miler programs Superior Wisconsin based Halvor Lines which runs over 430 tractors and a mixed trailer fleet of vans reefers and flatbeds boasts a driver turnover rate of 385 and low CSA scores Adam Lang the truckload carriers chief risk officer credits those high marks of success to Halvors late model equipment driver wellness program and the commitment of management to fostering a culture of safety Lang says Halvor has evolved its training approach by going beyond hands on instruction to incorporate online learning FEBRUARY 2018 HDT 65 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM PHOTO PIT GROUP Studies by PIT Group show that providing refresher training and coaching via invehicle technology is needed to maintain and improve driver performance over time
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
