The desires of truck drivers when it comes to their potential employer or carrier can be summed up as “all the above” – they want more pay, more home time, respect, and a clear career path that can potentially take them from driving the cab to working in an office.

The results of CCJ’s recent survey on “What Drivers Want” reveals that while offering more money to driver applicants may seem like an easy solution, it is not the only factor that determines why a driver would choose one fleet over thousands of others. The survey, which polled over 800 leased owner-operators and company drivers, highlights that there are other important considerations beyond pay that drivers take into account when deciding which fleet to join.

The top three concerns for drivers are related to pay, with paying monthly bills being the number one concern and saving for retirement being the third. Health was ranked as the second most important concern among all respondents.

“When you drive a truck, you have a lot of difficulty taking off for doctor visits and revisits, labs and testing,” said private fleet driver Tim Ahrens. “We drivers just put off addressing our health concerns until it’s too late to stay healthy.”

Leased owner-operators, in particular, ranked saving for retirement as a more important concern than their health, with a difference of two percentage points. This is concerning because the survey revealed that the average age of respondents was 60 years old (59 years for leased owner-operators and 60 for company drivers) and almost 70% of them had been in the industry for more than 20 years. This suggests that there may be a lack of financial security or planning for retirement among older drivers in the industry.

“Listen to those who came before you,” company driver Tim Martin warned for new entrants. “Save your money for early retirement.”

The good news is that the aspect of the job that drivers dislike the most (35%) is something that fleet employers cannot control. This refers to regulations that make it more difficult for drivers to work and earn a living.

“If they just let me and others work in a manner that is good for us most of us know how far we can go and when to rest,” said leased driver Douglas Van Ausdal. “The 70-hour rule in eight days is nuts. Let us have a 14-hour day, 11-hour drive time and do away with this 70-hour stuff, then you don’t need a reset. Keep the 30 (minute) break in because big companies will push their drivers, as they do anyway.”

Second among the unpopular parts of the job, with 20%, was a lack of respect/appreciation for drivers. 

“Trucks are wanted nowhere, but everyone wants what we haul,” said leased specialized owner-operator Donna Orlando. “The new driving force is disrespectful to communities. They leave trash everywhere they go. The general public is selfish – me first mentalities – and should be better educated about the larger vehicles they share the road with. Lack of law enforcement in the roads has made it more dangerous out here. Society has lost their selfish minds.”

The third most commonly disliked aspect of the job among drivers, with a tie of 9%, is between not earning enough money and feeling frustrated with new and complex technologies.

Why do fleets have a hard time finding and keeping drivers?

The search for drivers can sometimes feel like an adventure straight out of the Indiana Jones franchise. However, according to the results of CCJ’s recent “What Drivers Want” survey, the factors that determine a driver’s decision to join a fleet can be boiled down to just a few key factors.

According to the “What Drivers Want” survey, a majority of company driver respondents (62%) and leased owner-operators (59%) believe that the main reason fleets can’t find drivers to hire is because they don’t pay enough. The second most common reason, cited by 55% of company drivers and 58% of leased owner-operators, is a lack of respect for drivers and their work, as well as failure to treat them as part of the team. Home time was ranked as the third most important factor among company drivers (52%) while leased owner-operators ranked it as the fourth most important factor (45%), with a lack of support for drivers in dealing with shippers and law enforcement being ranked higher at 46%. Finally, company drivers ranked lack of driver support as the fourth most important factor (49%).

According to the “What Drivers Want” survey, pay is once again the top reason why fleets struggle with retaining drivers, according to 64% of company driver respondents. Leased drivers, who ranked pay as the top reason fleets can’t find drivers, ranked a lack of respect as the top reason (61%) why fleets struggle to retain them, while pay was ranked second (57%). Company drivers also agreed that respect is important but ranked it as the third most important reason (behind lack of home time) why fleets lose drivers, with 57% citing lack of home time as the primary reason.

“If a company can’t retain drivers then it’s because drivers are unhappy at the company,” said company driver Andrew Callen. “The company should make it a point to figure out why their drivers are unhappy and make changes at the company. Then the company will no longer have an employee retention problem.”

Not surprisingly, both company driver and leased owner-operator groups cited being offered more money as the main reason (35%) why they would consider changing jobs and driving for another fleet. The second most important factor, tied at 21%, was having the flexibility to choose their own routes and hauls, as well as being shown that the fleet appreciates the work drivers do and fostering a team atmosphere. Home time (14%) was ranked as the fourth most important factor.

According to the “What Drivers Want” survey, two factors that are often used as recruitment incentives – new equipment and sign-on bonuses – were ranked the lowest by drivers as a factor when considering joining a fleet. In fact, when it comes to making a decision to leave one carrier for another, these two offerings ranked lower than everything else.

According to the “What Drivers Want” survey, almost a quarter (23%) of all respondents (company drivers and leased owner-operators) said that they would raise pay if they were in charge of a fleet and could do one thing to attract and retain drivers. Another 18% responded that they would guarantee pay, loads, or mileage to make take-home pay more predictable.

“I would also fight for my drivers in regard to detention and delays at shippers and receivers,” said Callen. 

Source: www.ccjdigital.com