Events that Trigger Turnover
There are many events that can trigger driver turnover. In this article we will explore some of the more common reasons drivers leave the carrier, in other words what triggers turnover.
Drivers Quit Supervisors, Not Companies
Companies are not fuzzy entities to a driver. Companies are groups of people that the driver has to deal with. If the driver is having trouble with one of the people he or she is working with, they can create a problem. The driver will transfer a pour situation with one supervisor to the entire company. If the driver ever complains of relationship problems, deal with them try not to deal with them by telling the driver to “get over it”.
You Do Not Appreciate Me
If the only attention driver kit sees when they make a mistake, complain, or threat to quit, do not be surprised if you have a lot of drivers threatened to quit. Appreciation programs, including everything from programs as large and complicated as a longevity awards program to something as simple as requiring dispatchers to say simple thank you for a job well done, is which shows drivers that they are appreciated. There is a reason some people refer to appreciation programs as retention programs.
You Never Listen To Me
Many drivers to not have much to say about the operation, but when they do they expect to be listened to. They believe that they are the ones doing the “real work” and know what is going on. If the drivers come in with customer complaints or general suggestions, hear them out. If the complaint or suggestion is acted on be sure to recognize a driver that brought in that the complaint or suggestion.
He Lied To Me
Truth and recruiting and operations goes a long way torch retention. The opposite is also true. A lack of truth can lead to significant turnover. One important point to remember; you may not consider something a lie, but the drivers may.
I’m Losing Money
If something is going on that is keeping the driver from maximizing his or her income, the driver is likely to believe he or she is losing money. Truck breakdowns, dealing poorly with odd home time requests, and waiting for load scan all create situations where the driver believes here she is losing money.
You Make It Hard To Work Here
By placing on requests on the drivers, having policies that seem to make no sense, and implementing some changes you may be making that the company hard place to work for.
Equipment
Drivers make their living with a machine. If the machine is not performing well the driver will not be happy. If the machine is continually not performing well the driver is likely to go elsewhere.
Slow Burn
In many cases the drivers quitting comes well after the triggering event. The triggering event or events started the driver thinking about going elsewhere. Once the driver was triggered many other little offense that normally would have been insignificant were all seen by the driver as proof that here she needed to leave.
David
I have a consulting practice that helps trucking companies reduce driver turnover. Your list of turnover issues compliments a study performed by CostDown Consulting that identified the top 10 reasons drivers leave: Compensation, Equipment, Home Time, Honesty, Advancement Opportunities, Job Duties not the same as Recruited For, Recognition, Communication, Training and Fair Work Rules.
To minimize turnover, we show companies how to develop an Assigned Accountability Retention Program where retention is giving the same high level accountability and resource commitment as Recruiting. Only when a company’s retention efforts are elevated to that level will they begin to see a significant influence on turnover.
Nice job with your article. I enjoyed the rest of your blog also.