The retention strategy for truck drivers is a process that needs to be taken seriously. If you’re a trucking company owner or carrier then you know that the retention of owner-operators is one of the most difficult situations to deal with. It takes a lot more than just giving them a competitive wage and making sure they have access to their load information in real-time. You need to meet and even exceed your fleet’s needs. In this blog post, we’ll expose some of our strategies for keeping our owner-operators happy and staying longer with Matrix, Inc. We’ll also cover what trucking companies can do to help retain their drivers.
You need to look at your fleet as the engine of your company that keeps it moving. If that engine is broken, it’s going to be difficult for your trucking company to maintain and stay afloat. That’s why we invest so much into our truckers at Matrix, Inc. Just like you check the oil of your car to make sure everything is functioning properly, you need to do this with your fleet on a regular basis.
Create Surveys
Take the time to reach out and ask truckers about what they like or don’t like. This is an essential part of the Retention strategy for truck drivers. Their feedback is the backbone of your retention strategy. Are there any changes that could be made for better performance? Are they happy with the dispatcher or the overall team? Questions like these will allow you to make changes internally so your trucking company is serving them at the highest possible level. Feedback is essential for drivers to be more engaged in the business. After they’ve seen feedback put into action, they are more likely to feel like a contributor to the company and will also grow comfortable sharing observations that otherwise might have gone unspoken. By fostering driver-carrier relations, you can achieve greater loyalty and dependability from your fleet. This will save on the number of drivers that you contract as it ensures they work in your team for years to come.
Personal Approach
At Matrix, Inc we have a personal approach with every new and current driver. We want to know them better so we can serve them better. It’s important for your departments to have a schedule for assisting the new driver. Everybody knows that there is too much information that they can’t remember during the orientation. So it’s important to continue with the help after the first couple of loads.
Start the Retention strategy for truck drivers with the Dispatch team. Every Dispatcher needs to understand what the driver wants – what lanes, what freight, consistent home time, etc. You better offer them loads based on their interests rather than offering them something that they would never want to pick up.
Building a stable retention strategy, having a personal approach, and taking care of your drivers not only keep your fleet safe longer but also increase the chance to grow your fleet. How? By making them feel so happy and comfortable with your company, they want their friends to experience it. In other words, you have established a word-of-mouth marketing campaign. A happy driver brings another one. Your job is to make the new one love your company as much as the others.
Related articles: Tips for running a successful trucking company; What is CSA Score and how to improve it? ; Tips for becoming a successful trucking dispatcher
If you are a hazmat carrier and the driver’s first load is HazMat, make sure Safety Department calls them and explains one more time what are they required to do when picking up such loads.
To keep your fleet even more safety You can provide the following safety equipment:
Protective Glasses
Safety Helmet
High visibility Vests