There was a time long ago where turnover was not a problem.
Trucking companies today are faced with driver turnover and the issue doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.
The expense for a carrier to hire, train and get a new driver can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000. Why then wouldn’t a carrier do everything possible to retain their drivers?
Large carriers have a recruiting office and spend a significant amount of money each month in programs and advertising to find qualified drivers. Time is taken to select those who will be the most successful within the company.
Once hired, the driver undergoes training to learn the equipment, policies and procedures at his/her new company. The trucking company has most likely told the driver that he/she will have plenty of home time and good shipments with an agreed upon salary. The driver is eager to get started with the new company and usually has the best intentions that all will go well and that everything promised will be given.
It seems that in just a few months after being hired, the driver starts to become dissatisfied with the company, dispatcher or compensation. What went wrong?
After doing some research, I found that there are various reasons for the driver and company to become displeased with one another. It appears that drivers are anxious to leave a trucking company due to the lack of being appreciated for what they do. Drivers want fair compensation for the job performed. They want consistent home time (which is promised during the hiring process) and would like to be rewarded for years of good service/seniority within a company.
In speaking with some drivers, they feel there is a lack of good communication between them and the company. Often times a company wants the utmost control/power over a driver and his/her time. This power struggle can lead to a driver quitting the company.
In general, I’m trying to understand the dynamics of driver turnover. I myself have never driven for a trucking company so I’m in unfamiliar territory. In sixteen years, I worked for two private carriers. It was difficult to get a job as a driver as these two private carriers had very little turnover. A job would open if someone retired or passed away. Over the last seventeen years, I’ve worked as an independent owner operator.
I wonder if the job of driving a truck is presented by the carrier in an unrealistic manner. Once hired, why does it become so difficult for the company and driver to work together for the success of both parties?