The Transportation Department estimates that some 300,000 truck drivers depart each year. But why, I hear you ask? It's not because other businesses are hiring CDL drivers to recruit, but rather because they would eventually decide that enough was enough.
In this post, our truck driver recruitment agency highlights the most common reasons truck drivers quit their companies.
1. They’re not satisfied with their pay
Walmart pays its drivers wages that top $80,000 a year. Therefore, it may be time to examine your company's pay structure if you're still paying your drivers a cost per mile of $45,000.
Even if not all firms can afford to pay $80,000, some may decide to adjust their strategy and pay a wage instead of charging by the mile. Your truck driver will feel more appreciated even though he gets paid less.
Meanwhile, a study published in the Research in Transportation Economics journal revealed that increasing driver pay by about 6% might make them stay longer and help companies save money to keep them from looking around for a new trucking job.
The poll found that the average salary for drivers who remained at their positions was 6% ($2,836 annually) more than the average pay for those who quit.
This income differential is less than the $3,600 average cost of replacing a new truck driver after taking into account fees like sign-on bonuses, training, and orientation.
2. They don’t like how they’re treated
Problems with dispatch, supervisors, and the company in general are among the causes of truck drivers' resignations. Some frontline managers at a trucking company don't treat them like people; they are occasionally harsh and hurtful to them. They resigned as a result.
People move on from one another. There are truck drivers with first names. They are not assets like gas or machinery. They appreciate being treated like adults. They sacrifice their time and effort to provide the goods to customers.
To overcome this problem, fleet owners should instruct and educate their supervisors and dispatchers on how to supervise (and treat) their truck drivers. They must be able to speak clearly, listen to complaints and criticism, and solve issues.
There may frequently be operational conflicts, such as delivery delays. Therefore, when truck drivers express their concerns about the way your frontline leaders are treating them, pay attention to them and take appropriate action.
If not, one of the quickest ways to get them out the door is to not pay attention to and acknowledge their suffering. If you can't cure their situation right away, at least listen to it and let them know that you are aware of their suffering. Additionally, let them know why you are unable to do so right now.
3. They’re feeling unappreciated
Why do truckers resign? Truckers that feel underappreciated frequently leave their trucking company. To their consumers, senior management, dispatch, and supervisor, they don't feel on an equal footing.
Create a culture of respect in the workplace and nurture relationships with your drivers. Show appreciation and care for them so they'd feel valued by your organization. Encourage your employees to contribute their skills and talents by empowering them. Accept their participation in your business.
Everyone wants to be a part of something greater than themselves, after all. So, in order to make everyone feel welcome and valued, accept their diversity. Your fleet will prosper with this kind of mentality.
Keep in mind that everyone in your company is paid because of CDL truck drivers. Recognize their efforts and the significant roles they play in maintaining America.
Appreciation for your drivers should be more than the typical “Driver of the Month.” Still, appreciation boils down to a culture of respect and trust that plays a significant role in retention.
4. They didn’t meet their expectations
The Biden administration said in a fact sheet that trucking is vital to the nation's economy and supply system, particularly in light of the fact that trucks were critical to the COVID-19 pandemic's success in getting supplies and materials to every part of the country.
In light of this, the White House announced plans to recruit and train a new generation of truck drivers to bolster the trucking industry experiencing a noticeable trucker shortage during the pandemic.
However, new truck drivers may be fired suddenly within the first 100 days of employment. This might start when truck drivers are being hired. Many claimed that they had been mislead by their truck driver recruiter or that their experience as a driver wasn't what they had expected. As a result, some of them lure motorists with false claims.
It pays off to work with a credible and reliable trucker recruitment firm. They can ensure setting up the right expectations from the very beginning. Before proceeding, they will sit down with the driver to go over every aspect and ensure that the potential applicant has a comprehensive understanding of the position. This addresses any issues that might arise later if the recruit accepts to work in the company hiring CDL drivers.
5. They don’t receive advancement opportunities
There aren't a few truck drivers quitting because there aren't any possibilities for advancement. This does not, however, imply promoting truck drivers into dispatch within the first month of employment. Instead, it entails developing opportunities to compensate drivers to keep them working for the organization.
It can resemble a seniority bonus. Senior drivers may also be transferred to a better route or provided with better vehicle equipment. Any opportunity for development can give them the impression that their careers are moving forward inside your company.
Particularly, it is important to select ambitious truck drivers who are always looking for ways to advance their professions and who are eager to learn and improve. So, in order to keep them, provide them opportunities to grow. Offer to pay for their CDL certification, for instance.
6. They don’t have enough home time
Since truck drivers live out of their cars when they are on the road, the majority of trucks include a bunk in the back where their drivers sleep. Of course, food is consumed when traveling as well. However, they also want more home time, which varies based on factors like the type of trucking work they do, in addition to having to adapt to such a different "lifestyle."
For instance, if you work an over-the-road schedule, your typical home time might be once every three weeks. This kind of schedule may cause significant problems for relationships or marriages.
Why do truck drivers quit? First, CDL drivers seek more reliable home time as they become older and start families. When this happens, many pursue careers that offer more home time.
Instead of constantly commuting, some drivers decide to head home to spend time with their loved ones and preserve a work-life balance.
A truck driver's home time is referred to in the transportation industry. Walmart, which employs over two million people, is constantly hiring truck drivers who log more than 900 million miles annually. Additionally, they offer alternatives for two days each week of in-home time and are among the highest-paying truck driving companies in the world.
7. They have health issues
It's no secret that truck driving is among the world's most unhealthy professions. One of the factors contributing to a scarcity of truck drivers is the long hours and lack of exercise that truck drivers endure.
Based on a national survey published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, over two-thirds, or 69% of truck drivers, were obese, and 17% were morbidly obese.
Obesity, for instance, increases one's risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, joint and back pain, cancer, and stroke. Such elements might disqualify a truck driver from driving.
More than half of long-haul truck drivers, or over 50%, were smokers, more than twice the percentage of the working population as a whole (19%), according to the same survey. Smoking is another factor that increases a person's risk of cancer and stroke.
While 27% of people who were employed slept for little more than six hours on average per night, the majority of drivers slept an average of more than six hours.
Businesses should encourage truck drivers to adopt healthy practices. Allowing them to bring home-cooked meals on the road rather than, say, dining at a truck stop, provide toaster ovens, microwaves, and compact refrigerators in the truck.
Learn more about how to improve truck driver retention in our article here.
Final Thoughts
Why do truck drivers leave companies? They're unsatisfied with their pay, have health issues, don't have enough home time, etc. So, how do you keep truck drivers happy?
There is no solution to this because each individual wants different things from their job, but starting somewhere with consistent schedules and competitive pay and benefits are good. It'll also help to set realistic job expectations from the beginning to lower turnover, and Rig on Wheels can help you with that. And at the end of the day, talk and listen to your drivers so you can create a customized solution for them.
Contact us today! 281-968-3100
If you work in the trucking industry and want to share your experience, email me at recruiting@rigonwheels.com
To learn more about Rig on Wheels Broker and Recruitment Services.
Email questions to recruiting@rigonwheels.com
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