Money. It’s either the root of all evil, the thing that makes the world go ’round or, somehow, both.
In either case, it’s the top factor that truck drivers said would lure them away from their current job and to another fleet. CCJ’s What Drivers Want survey, conducted this spring in partnership with Lytx, revealed – even if unsurprisingly – that 35% of drivers claim being offered more money would be the main reason they would consider changing jobs and driving for another fleet.
In second place, with 23%, was being shown the fleet appreciates the work a driver does and having a team atmosphere. For some drivers, pay and disrespect can go hand-in-hand, even if that is unintentional at the management level.
“They hire people fresh off the street and pay them the same pay that you’re at, and have been at, but you’ve been with the company for 10 or 15 years. It makes you feel unappreciated,” said 20-year veteran company driver Tim Hay.
A lack of empathy by office staff toward drivers, often rearing its head as the perception of disrespect, according to leased owner operator Myron Lind, stems from personnel that’s never seen their workplace through a windshield and “really has no understanding of the trucking industry.”
Nearly half of queried drivers said, if they were in charge of a fleet and could do one thing to attract and retain drivers, they would first look at driver pay: 23% said they would raise pay and 21% said they would guarantee a minimum pay or mileage/loads.
Craig Cornett, an OTR company driver, said he would first change to a more regional haul model to get people home more often, but close behind was “pay more per mile and pay for all wait time no matter the reason.” Changing to a regional model for more home time was No. 3 on the list overall (16%).
“Have to have a balance of life and career,” noted leased OTR hauler Bob Whennen. “What other job requires a 70 hour work week?”
“Make your senior drivers feel like you recognize the work they’ve put in, and the time,” added Hay. “Offer them something thats not offered to every Joe that comes through the door.”
To attract loyalty, company driver Fred Ahlberg said, “drivers should be rewarded with more things for tenure.”
Among the things not likely to sway a driver from one fleet to a new one is a new truck. Only 1% of drivers said they would leave for a new truck, dead last on the list of options. Second from the bottom was a sign-on bonus.
A new truck wasn’t high on current drivers’ wish lists but old school and cool does get some consideration from LTL company driver Mike Shipley, who declared his preference for “an older truck with a manual transmission.” In fact, company driver Billy Dudley said offering a standard transmission would be one of the things he would implement if he was placed in charge of a fleet and could do one thing to attract and retain drivers.
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