When Trucking Freight, What Do Drivers Really Want?

With all the chatter about the pending truck driver shortage as CSA 2010 is implemented, some experts believe as many as 7 percent of current truckers will not be driving a commercial vehicle for a living within one year. For the small motor carrier, especially those with 10 or fewer trucks, finding qualified truckers could become a challenge. For example, insurance carriers dictate a lot of the criteria used to find drivers. Drivers need to have at least 2 years of OTR experience. Add on the potential damage a driver with less than a quality driving record can do to your Safety Rating, and selecting the best candidate becomes very important. Unfortunately small carriers may be at a distinct disadvantage in attracting drivers because they don�t have multiple sources of revenue to cover the cost of driver turnover. As safety regulations tighten and potential driver shortages begin, some companies could face a nightmare scenario where they struggle to find qualified truckers who are a match for their operation.  And if a trucker quits, finding a replacement could take several months � damaging the carrier�s ability to serve their clients, creating lost revenue and adding the cost of hiring a new driver.

The largest incidence of driver turnover is in the first year from the point of hire. A company may have an overall turnover rate of 60 percent, but the �newbie flight� (those first-year hires) can be three or four times that amount � or higher.

Anyone who has been trucking freight for long probably knows the drill.

A driver is hired on, offered a bit of training and then let loose on his own. Within the next few months the driver is complaining about not being paid for the real miles he�s driving, having to wait too long to be loaded or unloaded without pay, not getting home when he needs to, not making the money he was told he�d make � and so. Soon a call comes in and the driver wants his employer to come pick up their truck and the pattern starts again. Driver churn is a damaging cycle to get in, to say the least.

But, there is a better way.

As with most problems, the explanation is fairly easy to find when you look closely, and believe it or not, money isn�t the only cause. In fact, there are several factors contributing to driver churn, but its root is immortalized in the 1967 movie �Cool Hand Luke�: �What we have here is a failure to communicate.� 

Communication must begin during the recruiting process and continue through the entire time the driver is a part of your company. The biggest complaint drivers have about the recruiting process is they aren�t told the truth about what they�re getting themselves into with a particular carrier � or they only heard what they wanted to hear. In either situation, good communication is the key to overcome driver gripes.

Ultimately, most drivers share three key needs, which must be fulfilled by a trucking company:

• Reasonable compensation for all hours required to perform the duties of driving, loading and unloading a truck;
• Consistency in pay from week to week; and
• Scheduled time home.

But the most important task you can perform in finding the right driver is to listen carefully for information:

• What are this driver�s needs and wants?
• What is his family going to expect and need?
• What are his expectations in terms of money, time at home, type of equipment and amenities?
• What are his career goals in the next year, three years, five years and beyond?
• What are his personal financial requirements such as house payments, car payments, other debt and personal financial goals? Are there any other income sources to cover these personal expenses besides the trucking position?

In the next post I�ll cover ways to ensure both you and the potential hire are on the same page. I�ll explain the techniques and methods on completely understanding what the driver expects, how to determine if he�s the driver for your operation, and if your company matches his wants and needs.

Until next time, good loads and good roads, everyone.

Timothy Brady � 2010
www.timothybrady.com
731.749.8567