Your drivers are the key personnel when it comes to a fleet safety program, and their contributions should be acknowledged. While it’s important that fleet managers remain aware of maintenance schedules, it’s the people in the trucks who have the most one-on-one interaction with your machinery. They are the ones who have the greatest insight into what is working well and what isn’t. Acknowledging how important this is to the success of the company as a whole and emphasizing the important role they play will help make your employees feel appreciated.

Appreciation, of course, only goes so far. All employees want perks, and truck driver retention relies on perks, too. Incentivizing good performance gives your drivers some control over their own employment and their own success. Set performance goals like consecutive collision-free days, safe miles driven, and positive customer reviews. Go one step further and reward drivers who can reduce unsafe or costly driving habits, like distracted driving and idle time. Whether you incentivize your drivers via increased pay or something like a “driver of the month” program, you can use this tactic to improve truck driver retention.

Once you receive driver feedback, you have to act on it. Requesting opinions and then not responding to them will only frustrate your employees. Some requests won’t be possible, but if your driver has submitted a complaint that can be rectified, it’s the job of the fleet manager to try to make that improvement. In addition to improving driver recruiting and retention, this tactic will also ensure you’re not wasting time or money on benefits they don’t even want; you might be trying to get your drivers more loads when what they really want is more flexibility, for example.

Much like you, your drivers are likely concerned with the upcoming advancements in trucking technology (link to Will Truck Driving Be Automated?). Investing in their professional development and skills training will not only help your business (link to 4 Ways of Reducing Fleet Management Costs), it will also show your drivers that you care about their future with your company.

Many drivers leave the business because the long hours on the road (and away from their families) are bad for their physical and mental health. They sit for a long period of time, often eat on the road, and sometimes sleep on the road. Prioritizing their health is a great way to initiative a truck driver retention program. Provide resources on topics like sleep hygiene, the importance of exercise, and techniques like meditation. Most importantly, ensure that they have access to things like a comfortable bed to sleep in on the road and a refrigerator or microwave so they can make healthy food choices along the way.

A great way to ensure truck driver retention is to make sure they have enough work to sustain themselves. Gold Star can help with that! Our dispatchers are on call to get you the best work available today. Let’s chat.