Keeping Good Professional Drivers

Having good professional drivers are the backbone to keep fleets rolling in an efficient manner. This is no secret in the transportation industry. Neither is the fact that we do not currently have enough individuals for all the professional truck driving jobs that are open in the US.

 How do companies attract and keep great professional drivers? As a company or on the other side of things as a professional driver, you need to consider things like; pay, bonuses, insurances, home time, equipment, and communication. These are a few leading factors in getting a professional driver in your door. What is important is to make sure you can deliver on what you are promising.  

 Now that you have professional drivers in the door, the culture of your company is especially important. These are the standards of practice and values for your company. What is acceptable behavior and what is not? How are the employees treated by management and other employees? This is the very day-to-day life inside your company. People will stay where they feel valued, have room for growth, treated with respect, and delivered what was promised to them.

 Research shows that a few reasons professional drivers leave a company can be but not limited to; pay, sitting time, communication, home time, and breakdown of equipment. As stated, these are not the only reasons. One of the simplest yet valuable thing to do as a company is to talk to all your professional drivers. Ask why they stay? What do they love? What could be done better? Make sure to actively listening to the feedback you receive. No company is perfect and there is always room for improvement.  Be willing to improve.

 These are just a few factors to think about to keep professional drivers you have now and ones to be hired. While this list does not include everything. Think of it more as a few pieces of the foundation.