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As a trucking company, finding and keeping truck drivers can be a challenge.
This is especially true now that we are experiencing one of the biggest truck driver shortages in history. According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), the industry is short 80,000 drivers and could be short double that by 2030!
If you’re struggling to hire and retain drivers, this article is for you. In it, we’ll go over specific tactics you can follow to recruit more truck drivers and keep them longer.
Let’s get started!
Tips for Recruiting Truck Drivers
Attracting new driver talent is all about your value proposition. What does your company have to offer?
After all, truck drivers usually have many options of who to work for since they are in such high demand. If you want them to choose you, you need to stand out. Here are some tips that can help:
1. Leverage social media to find leads
In an age when so much business is done online, social media is your friend. It allows you to connect and engage with potential recruits much faster and at a larger scale.
For example, you can use social media platforms like LinkedIn to find potential new hires from around the country. By having an online presence and regularly posting, commenting, and liking, you have a much better chance of attracting talented drivers.
Of course, you’ll want to research your target new hire demographic and find out where they spend their time online. If you find that they tend to use Facebook more than LinkedIn, you’ll want to use the platform instead.
You may also consider running social ads or a referral program or try reaching out to leads directly via instant messaging. Showing proactive interest like this can increase your chance of generating a response.
The point is to leverage social media to reach more potential recruits faster.
2. Showcase employee benefits
Another way to attract top-driver talent is to showcase the benefits you offer to your employees.
For example, you might offer a benefits package that includes paid time off, 401(k) matching, a sign-on bonus, family leave, and health, dental, and vision insurance.
The more benefits you offer, the more your company will stand out from the competition.
3. Create an attractive company culture
Pay and benefits are great, but they aren’t everything. Many truck drivers also want to join a positive company culture. This might mean a company that supports drivers continuing education prioritizes their well-being and allows them to feel that they are part of a fun community.
If you cultivate a healthy and positive company culture, word will get out, and more drivers will want to join your company. You can even use testimonials from current employees to help attract new talent.
4. Communicate frequently with potential hires
During the hiring process, it’s crucial that you communicate frequently with applicants. Otherwise, you might lose them.
Nobody likes being in the dark about their application status or having to wait a long time to hear back from a recruiter. So keep job candidates posted on where they are in the hiring process. Simply keeping them up to date can go a long way.
Tips for Retaining Truck Drivers
Once you’ve hired truck drivers, it’s just as important to retain them. Otherwise, you’ll fall into a constant battle of hiring drivers to replace old ones (aka a high turnover rate), which can get expensive fast.
So here are some ways to keep the truck drivers you already have:
5. Provide competitive pay
The simplest way to retain more truck drivers is to pay them a competitive salary. If you don’t, your drivers are more likely to leave to find a higher-paying employer.
So keep up with current industry pay standards. According to Indeed.com, the average U.S. truck driver’s salary right now is $82,150.
6. Ensure regular vehicle maintenance
Drivers want to know that the vehicles they operate are in a safe condition. This means you must prioritize regular vehicle maintenance.
Develop a routine maintenance plan. You can do this with the help of fleet management software that automatically tracks truck mileages and when each truck is due for an inspection. If you perform truck maintenance in a haphazard way, your drivers will experience more accidents and will be less likely to want to stay at the company.
7. Optimize driving schedules
One of the top reasons people quit truck driving is that the hours on the road and the time spent away from family are too long.
To help your employees enjoy a more balanced work schedule and get more time at home, you can optimize their driving routes by allowing them to coordinate their schedules and take time off when needed.
Again, fleet management software can make this easier. It can help you maintain delivery deadlines while better matching driving schedules to your drivers’ needs.
Invest in drivers’
8. Ongoing training
Drivers are more likely to stick around if they feel like the company is invested in them. So, provide ongoing training and career advancement opportunities. This will allow them to feel like there is room to grow within the organization (and can help them fill important roles).
9. Care for drivers’ well-being
It’s no secret that truck driving can take a toll on your mental health. The long hours spent alone on the road can be challenging and may even lead to depression and other mental health issues.
As a company, you have a responsibility to care for your drivers’ mental health by providing the necessary support and resources to help them manage the tough working conditions.
By showing that you care and by providing help where needed, you are more likely to retain truck drivers for the long term.
Adding It All Up
At the end of the day, hiring and retaining truck drivers requires ongoing effort. You can’t expect to see results without putting in the work.
So try some of the tips listed above and ask your current truck drivers for feedback. This will let you know where you can improve and where to focus your efforts.
The post 8 Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Truck Drivers in Your Fleet appeared first on The Mechanic Doctor.
