NASHVILLE — Carriers can boost pay and hire consultants, tech firms and other vendors to invest in driver engagement.
But retention improvements can be achieved in a challenging economy without major spending, said Jane Jazrawy, co-founder and CEO of CarriersEdge, publisher of the annual Best Fleets to Drive For report.
Phone check-ins, employee surveys and mentor groups make a big difference, said Jazrawy, Continental Express VP Bradley Gottemoeller, and FTC Transportation SVP Emory Mills. They discussed the strategies on a panel at the American Trucking Associations’ 2024 Management Conference and Exhibition Monday.
Pay has escalated as a driver concern, Jazrawy noted. Drivers have consistently ranked compensation as a top-3 issue in the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual surveys, too.
“If you are going to work on anything, I would actually work on communication, because pay is what people talk about when they're anxious,” Jazrawy said.
In tougher economic times, carriers tend to allow their driver engagement efforts to lag, and nominations for the Best Fleets program decrease, Jazrawy said.
“People are more concerned about keeping the lights on,” she said.
Inviting employees to truck driving championships, touch-a-truck and other events has also contributed to breaking down silos for FTC Transportation, a 25-driver operation that supports the For The Children charity, Mills said.
“Everybody showed up,” Mills said. “They brought their kids.”
Fleets can boost pay, but ensuring drivers get adequate miles and hours each week is equally important, Gottemoeller said.
“If you're not going to give the drivers at least 40 hours a week, then they're still going to take home a lesser pay,” Gottemoeller said. “Maintain consistency, and make sure that they're getting the 40 minimum hours a week.”
