At WorkHound, we partner with companies across multiple industries to gather real, unfiltered insights from their workforce so they can stop reacting too late and start fixing problems before drivers walk away. Our in-depth series, Exit Signs, is focused on trucking companies and drivers, providing an unprecedented look into the realities of driver turnover.
For the first time, we’re pulling back the curtain on thousands of worker comments, presenting this collective data in a special report series designed to help industry leaders understand what drives workers to quit — and, more importantly, what can be done about it.
This first installment breaks down the warning signs that appear in the weeks and months leading up to a driver’s resignation. We take a look at what they say, when they say it, and the critical moments where intervention could make all the difference.
The Countdown to Departure
By most estimates, the trucking industry has an average driver turnover rate that ranges from 60% to 90%, depending on carrier size. But that’s not even the most alarming part. Sadly, these statistics have remained virtually unchanged for decades — revealing a systemic failure to correct industry-wide problems.
Put more directly: The average fleet loses the majority of its truck drivers every year, and despite widespread awareness of the issue, the problem persists.
Unfortunately, many companies in the industry have long shrugged their shoulders at turnover, accepting driver churn as an inevitable part of the business, akin to freight cycles and fuel rates. But, as “part of the business,” the problems trickle downhill.
Turnover destabilizes operations with constant onboarding that weakens workforce proficiency and strains morale across teams. ⤵️
This dysfunction disrupts customer satisfaction through missed deliveries and inconsistent service, keeping business planning — both for carriers and their customers — in a persistent state of uncertainty. ⤵️
Costs mount. It’s estimated to cost between $5,000 and $10,000 to replace a single driver, equating to hundreds of thousands every year for larger fleets, further reducing margins and tightening budgets. Not to mention downline costs of dissatisfied customers. ⤵️
This leaves less money for things like bonuses and raises for existing employees. Which, of course, contributes to dissatisfaction and turnover. ⤵️
Drivers quit, and the cycle begins again.
Despite the operational chaos and financial strain, this cycle is widely accepted as just the cost of doing business. But the data tells a different story.
Our Methodology
6,704 truck drivers | 67 trucking companies | 12,868 comments | January 2024 – December 2024
To understand driver turnover, we analyzed 12,868 anonymous comments across 67 trucking companies from 6,704 drivers who quit in 2024. Our focus: the critical 90-day window before resignation. This segmentation identifies clear patterns in the progression of concerns, from early frustrations to final exit.
These comments, gathered through WorkHound’s real-time feedback platform, offer an unfiltered look at the experiences, frustrations, and thoughts of drivers before they leave their jobs. Their feedback illuminates the day-to-day challenges of the job and specific sources of dissatisfaction.
Countdown to Quitting: How Feedback Escalates in the Last 90 Days
Turnover is more of a process than a singular event. While a “final straw” moment may push a driver to quit, the decision has usually been weeks or months in the making. What starts as constructive feedback months before resignation gradually escalates into vocal frustration, ultimatums, and eventually, exit statements.
Our analysis identified five distinct stages in this process. At each phase, we can see what truck drivers are experiencing, how their feedback evolves, and where companies still have a chance to turn things around.
Let’s take a deeper look at how dissatisfaction progresses:
Early Warning Signs (2-3 Months Before Quitting)
At this stage, worker feedback is often constructive and measured, pointing out systemic inefficiencies that make their jobs harder but still seem fixable. Complaints at this stage tend to focus on big-picture issues like equipment reliability, dispatch consistency, and pay structures that don’t align with workload or recruiting promises.
87 Days Before Quitting:It’s a good company, but the equipment is not too good.
81 Days Before Quitting:Love the company despite two bad months. Upper management is monitoring miles. Great dispatcher, but load planners need work.
73 Days Before Quitting:I’m frustrated that the showers at the yard still aren’t fixed despite multiple complaints. We’re working through harsh winter conditions without personal time, and can’t even get a proper shower.
89 Days Before Quitting:Questioning the inconsistent training methods between the training center and real-world road experience with a trainer.
69 Days Before Quitting:Dispatch needs to start sending pickup numbers with the load so we don’t keep having to waste time calling in.
Mid-term Warning Signs (1-2 Months Before Quitting)
At this stage, frustration becomes more pronounced, and complaints become more specific. Drivers move beyond general concerns and start identifying clear, recurring problems. These might be issues that have worsened over time or gone unaddressed.
The tone of feedback also shifts. There are clear signs of growing impatience and more urgency for support. Concerns about compensation, scheduling, and work-life balance become more prominent as inefficiencies in operations directly affect individual drivers’ earnings.
60 Days Before Quitting:I’m frustrated because my truck has had roaches since I got it.
55 Days Before Quitting:A six-day workweek is excessive. The promise of returning to five days was a lie. The company will fail if it doesn’t take care of drivers.
49 Days Before Quitting:It feels like no one cares except my day team. The weekend crew changes everything, making it a rough ride. I’m now looking for a new company where I can get paid properly, as my finances are suffering.
39 Days Before Quitting:The breakdown department has serious communication issues. Responses to phone calls and e-shop requests from drivers and shops are extremely slow. It takes multiple hours to get approval for requested work…
39 Days Before Quitting:New truck is worse than the old one – broken APU in 90° heat, faulty collision sensor, broken seat. Looking elsewhere.
Escalation Period (2-4 Weeks Before Quitting)
This next stage is where frustration turns into a decision-making process. The tone of feedback shifts from concern to outright dissatisfaction, with drivers expressing stronger emotions and a sense of inevitability about their departure.
Comments during this period often include more emotional language and direct expressions of frustration, with drivers calling out broken promises, management inaction, and mounting operational failures. Many truck drivers have already begun actively comparing their experience to other employers and hinting at job offers elsewhere.
By this point, trust is nearly gone. If drivers still believe change is possible, they may issue a final warning about their dissatisfaction or a desperate last plea for help. But more often than not, they’ve already started detaching from the company and will disengage shortly thereafter.
22 days before quitting:Communication and accountability are major issues. The shop puts trucks on the ready line without proper inspections and overcharges for repairs, with prices higher than local dealerships. Getting a truck or rental is practically impossible. I still love my job, but the company needs higher standards. I hope these concerns reach the right people.
21 Days Before Quitting:You’re unresponsive when drivers need loads – they disappear seconds after posting, even when we call. Nobody cares about our bills while fuel costs are deducted after delivery.
24 Days Before Quitting:I had high hopes, but nothing matches what I was promised. I’ve been through four trucks in a month, with my current one stuck at the dealership for two weeks. There’s a clear disconnect between management, maintenance, and dispatch – nobody’s on the same page. This “employee-owned” company claims to value input, but mine’s been ignored. The constant equipment issues and lack of clear communication make me feel undervalued.
18 Days Before Quitting:I wish the owner knew how poorly drivers are treated by staff who’ve forgotten what it’s like on the road. The lack of communication is frustrating. They never return my calls but expect immediate responses when they need favors or coverage. People don’t quit just over pay – they quit because of poor management and disrespectful treatment.
16 Days Before Quitting:I rarely contact my fleet manager because they get irritated so quickly, especially when asking for more miles. When I do need help, I’m talked down to. Many drivers share this experience but stay quiet to keep our jobs.
Critical Period (1-2 Weeks Before Quitting)
At this stage, most drivers aren’t looking for solutions. They’re firing a final warning shot. Feedback during this period is often laced with defeat and signals that frustrations have reached a fever pitch.
Comments are sharper, more pointed, and often driven by a sense of injustice over unresolved issues. Drivers frequently call out specific incidents that pushed them over the edge, from dealbreaker safety issues to repeated pay discrepancies to chronic equipment failures and more.
13 Days Before Quitting:The company left me stranded without a hotel or warning. Hard not to quit.
13 Days Before Quitting:Clock wasted on shags and zero miles. Arrived for delivery to find no appointments set. No one knows what’s happening when dealing with multiple contacts. Chasing trailers despite plenty at the terminal. Rude security at terminals. Always prioritizing dedicated/net ops.
9 Days Before Quitting:In my five years of driving, I’ve never experienced as many HOS violations as in the last three weeks with this company. As a former Safety Coordinator, I’m shocked by their operations. I’m burnt out and considering leaving, especially after being dispatched into a blizzard crisis where cardboard delivery was prioritized over safety.
9 Days Before Quitting:I’ve reached my breaking point. Despite trying my hardest and giving the new DM a chance, my personal life has fallen apart due to inconsistent pay and promised miles that never materialized. They just stripped 1,400 miles away, leaving me with 600. I work every day but have nothing to show for it. With tax obligations on top of everything, I’m done. This is my last week, and I’m quitting.
9 Days Before Quitting:Constant struggles with load availability and revenue. Despite staying out for 2+ months straight, I’m barely covering expenses. I’m tired of begging for loads while company drivers get preplanned assignments.
Final Remarks: What They Said the Week They Quit
In the last seven days before a driver leaves, their feedback takes on a finality that reflects both closure and, in many cases, the pinnacle of their frustration. While some drivers simply submit a direct resignation notice, others take this last opportunity to detail the unresolved issues that led to their departure.
7 Days Before Quitting: I’m seeing 75+ drivers quit in three months because they can’t make enough to feed their families. The company claims they can’t control freight, yet they’re still profitable while drivers sit without work. We’re draining our savings just to survive with no chance to build a safety net.
5 Days Before Quitting: I faced constant equipment issues and disregard for driver well-being. The manager ignores urgent needs like fuel problems but micro-manages trivial camera alerts.
3 Days Before Quitting:Issues never get resolved on weekends because no one’s available, just outsourced call center staff who know nothing. Customer service doesn’t respond to shipper problems, can’t fix driver app issues, and we’re told to wait until Monday for everything.
3 Days Before Quitting: Our scheduling system is fundamentally unfair. Top-tier drivers get 15 hours off, while those at the bottom only receive 10 hours, working exhausting shifts. We’re risking our lives due to fatigue, and management needs to either hire more staff, reduce workload, or distribute work more evenly.
2 Days Before Quitting: I quit on Friday after ongoing issues with poor communication and equipment problems. They gave me a lease truck with bad steer tires and a broken refrigerator, then wanted me to wait two weeks for repairs.
Predictable, Preventable Patterns
Using real feedback patterns, we’ve reconstructed a representative timeline showing how a seemingly small maintenance issue escalates into a resignation. Each step reflects actual frustrations drivers report, from first mentions to the final straw.
85 Days Before Quitting: Initial Concern
The first warning sign appears as a minor maintenance issue — a flickering check engine light. The driver professionally and calmly requests an inspection, seeing it as a routine fix. At this stage, there’s no impact on operations, and the problem is entirely preventable.
70 Days Before Quitting: Issue Compounds
The problem has worsened. The check engine light is now constantly on, fuel efficiency is dropping, and multiple maintenance requests have gone unanswered. While the driver’s tone remains professional, frustration is starting to show — and their earning potential is beginning to take a hit.
45 Days Before Quitting: Situation Deteriorates
The maintenance issue is now directly affecting the driver’s ability to work. Engine problems cause delays, missed delivery windows, and lost compensation due to slower runs. The driver’s urgency increases, and for the first time, they mention considering other options.
30 Days Before Quitting: Crisis Point
The truck finally breaks down, forcing an extended repair wait time. Earnings take a significant hit as downtime stretches on. What started as a simple maintenance request has now escalated into a full-blown crisis, entangling equipment failures, lost income, long hours, communication frustrations, and scheduling disruptions.
15 Days Before Quitting: Point of No Return
At this stage, the driver has had enough and gives notice. The resignation cites multiple, unresolved issues — ongoing equipment failures, lost earnings, ignored maintenance requests, and even strained customer relationships. The decision is final, and retention is no longer an option.
How This Could Have Been Prevented
Small problems, when ignored, become big reasons to quit. The driver gave multiple signals along the way — each one an opportunity for intervention. Each one making the driver’s job progressively harder. As frustration grew and issues stacked up, what started as a routine fix turned into a final decision to leave.
Here’s where action could have stopped the cycle:
Early Warning Signs: The driver’s initial request was clear, reasonable, and timely. The issue was cheap and easy to fix when first reported. At this stage, a simple acknowledgment and repair could have resolved the concern entirely.
Key Intervention Points:
Day 85: The first and easiest chance to act — routine maintenance would have kept the driver moving without disruption.
Day 70: A second opportunity to address the issue before it started affecting performance and earnings.
Day 45: The final meaningful chance to repair trust before the driver actively considered leaving.
The Ripple Effect of Inaction: Equipment issue → Delivery delays → Income loss → Job dissatisfaction. Eventually, the problem was no longer just about the truck. It was about trust, communication, and job satisfaction.
Where Communication Failed: The driver’s tone shifted from professional to urgent, showing clear escalation. Leadership had multiple chances to step in, but silence and delays fueled resentment. By the time leadership reacted, the damage was done.
Action Changes Outcomes
The signs of turnover are there, often months in advance — if companies are willing to pay attention.
Thousands of driver comments reveal how small inefficiencies and unresolved frustrations compound over time, turning manageable concerns into breaking points that push drivers out the door.
While most resignations ultimately involve pay concerns, they don’t usually start that way. In many cases, drivers initially raise issues about equipment, scheduling, or communication — problems that, over time, start impacting their earnings. Comments about low pay are often a symptom, not the cause, of deeper operational failures. Dismissing these concerns as just a desire for higher pay ignores the reality of their day-to-day struggles and misses opportunities to fix the root causes of dissatisfaction.
The good news is this cycle isn’t inevitable. In Part 2 of this series (coming next week), we’ll take a closer look at the most common breaking points to better understand the specific frustrations that push drivers over the edge and turn dissatisfaction into resignation.
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