Companies Who are Nailing Their Truck Driver Retention Program

A truck driver retention program is a reactive response to one of the biggest issues in the trucking industry in America – extremely high driver turnover.

What’s the Turnover Rate Among Truck Drivers?

According to the American Trucking Association, the turnover rate at large fleets averaged 89% while the turnover rate at smaller fleets was 77% in the first quarter of 2021.

These high turnover rates are adding strain to trucking companies, as they have to continually recruit and train new employees to adjust truck routes based on driver availability.

The Impact of High Turnover Rates

High turnover rates in the trucking industry led to numerous challenges, including increased operational costs and decreased efficiency. Constantly hiring new drivers not only strains resources but also impacts delivery schedules and customer satisfaction. This persistent churn makes it difficult for companies to maintain a stable and experienced workforce, further exacerbating the issue of driver shortages.

Why Are Turnover Rates So High?

Several factors contribute to high truck driver turnover rates:

Work-life balance. Many truck drivers struggle to balance their professional and personal lives due to long hours on the road and time away from home. This imbalance often leads to job dissatisfaction and high turnover rates.

Driver safety concerns. Safety is a critical issue in the trucking industry. Drivers frequently cite concerns about their safety on the road, which can lead to burnout and a desire to leave the profession.

Compensation and benefits. Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits are essential to retain drivers. When truck drivers feel undervalued or inadequately compensated, they are more likely to seek employment elsewhere.

The Role of Driver Feedback in Retention

Given those statistics, effective communication is key to retaining truck drivers. One of the most impactful strategies is to implement a robust driver feedback system. By leveraging real-time feedback mechanisms, trucking companies can gain insights into driver concerns and take immediate action to address them.

This proactive approach not only helps in reducing truck driver turnover but also fosters a culture of trust and transparency.

Driver feedback systems, like those provided by WorkHound, enable companies to collect continuous, anonymous input from drivers. This ongoing dialogue allows management to identify and address issues before they escalate, ultimately improving driver satisfaction and retention rates.

For instance, USA Truck utilized WorkHound’s platform to understand driver frustrations in real time and made adjustments that significantly increased driver trust and retention.

Several companies have worked with WorkHound and have seen positive changes from increased retention rates to improved driver satisfaction. Today we’re highlighting just a few of the case studies released in the last year.

Read below to see some of their success stories and find more details here.

USA Truck Revolutionizes Company Culture and Boosts Driver Retention

USA Truck has been in the industry for over 40 years and is one of the nation’s largest over-the-road truckload carriers. However, they were still struggling with retention rates.

As Nick Wakefield, Vice President of Human Resources, explained, “We didn’t know what was causing driver frustration, and our retention was out of control.”

Once they began partnering with WorkHound, they were able to learn more about the drivers’ experiences in real-time. WorkHound helped USA Truck to collect feedback and provide drivers with a regular touchpoint.

USA Truck was then able to take that feedback and turn it into meaningful action, thereby increasing both the drivers’ trust in the company and overall retention rates.

Bay & Bay Transportation Grows Capacity with More Truck Drivers

Bay & Bay Transportation is another company that has significantly grown with time, with over 400 truck drivers working for the company.

The company prides itself on its family culture but maintaining that became difficult when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Bay & Bay turned to WorkHound for help. They add new technology from WorkHound to their truck driver retention program to stay in touch with their drivers in a more regular and meaningful way.

According to Justin Johnson, Senior VP of Sales and Operations, “One of our biggest resources has been WorkHound. (Technology) has been critical as we have had 60-70% of our workforce working remotely… drivers have not felt any communication, service, or speed gaps during this pandemic.”

Melton Truck Increases Driver Satisfaction

Melton Truck Lines, a company with over 1200 drivers, turned to WorkHound when they needed help keeping a pulse on how their drivers were doing.

Initially, they distributed one large survey as part of their truck driver retention program to all drivers on staff and made changes based on that feedback, but they wanted a tool that provided feedback in real time.

The new mechanism from WorkHound allowed drivers to voice their concerns right away which helps Melton make changes as soon as an issue arises. WorkHound also improved the company’s use of technology, particularly during the pandemic.

Lisa Mason, VP of Safety & HR, noted that driver satisfaction and retention increased with individual phone calls and weekly video updates from upper management.

Driver retention remains at 89% 30 days after the implementation of the real-time feedback mechanism.

American Central Transport (ACT) Reduces Driver Turnover

In all job descriptions at ACT, “taking stress off the drivers” is a duty for all employees, and the company highlights that they have an open-door policy. However, ACT found that these words lacked meaning for drivers who were on the road thousands of miles away from headquarters.

WorkHound was implemented to provide instant feedback and serve to increase communication between upper management and the drivers. ACT also uses it as a way for drivers to share feedback about ACT’s office personnel, moving beyond providing feedback solely around the basic duties of their jobs on the road.

With WorkHound’s help, annual driver retention increased by 30%.

Key Strategies to Build Your Own Driver Retention Program

Building an effective driver retention program involves several key strategies:

Implement Real-time Feedback Mechanisms

Use platforms like WorkHound to gather continuous, anonymous feedback from drivers. This helps in identifying and addressing concerns promptly, enhancing driver satisfaction and retention.

Promote a Culture of Communication

Ensure that communication channels are open and effective across all levels of the organization. Regular touchpoints and updates from upper management can help drivers feel valued and engaged, as demonstrated by Melton Truck Lines with their weekly video updates and individual phone calls.

Focus on Driver Safety and Well-being

Prioritize driver safety through comprehensive training programs and by maintaining a strong safety culture. Highlighting the importance of driver safety can reduce turnover and improve job satisfaction.

Offer Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Provide competitive compensation packages and comprehensive benefits to attract and retain talented drivers. Bay & Bay Transportation, for example, maintained their family culture and provided strong support during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring their drivers felt secure and valued.

Encourage Professional Growth and Development

Offer ongoing training and development opportunities to help drivers advance their careers. A focus on professional growth can increase job satisfaction and reduce turnover rates.

Enhance Work-life Balance

Implement flexible scheduling options to help drivers balance their work and personal lives. Companies that support work-life balance tend to have higher retention rates.

Recognize and Reward Drivers

Establish programs to recognize and reward drivers for their hard work and exceptional performance. This can boost morale and encourage drivers to stay with the company longer.

Leverage Data Analytics

Leverage workforce analytics and operational intelligence to gain insights into driver turnover patterns and employee sentiments. This data-driven approach helps in making informed decisions and crafting effective retention strategies.

By incorporating these strategies, trucking companies can develop robust driver retention programs that not only reduce turnover rates but also enhance operational efficiency and overall driver satisfaction.

As the case studies from USA Truck, Bay & Bay Transportation, Melton Truck Lines, and ACT demonstrate, implementing a comprehensive driver retention program can lead to significant improvements in retention rates and company culture.

WorkHound’s suite of tools is designed to help trucking companies achieve these goals. With real-time feedback, workforce analytics, and operational intelligence, WorkHound empowers companies to take immediate action on feedback, fostering a supportive and engaging work environment.

Boost Driver Retention with WorkHound

WorkHound now serves 55,000+ drivers from across the industry and you can find more of these success stories on the resources page here.

If you’d like to join this community of trucking companies and add WorkHound to your truck driver retention program, get in touch. We’re happy to talk through what drivers want!