According to the American Trucking Association, the industry is facing a driver shortage. The organization expects the shortage to grow worse over time due to an aging workforce, changing government regulations and other influential factors.
As a result, some trucking companies are starting to experience high employee turnover rates and struggling to find qualified drivers to replace them.
A high employee turnover can bring financial strain on a company, especially since managers usually have to invest more of their time and energy into recruiting drivers.
When you take the time to improve the company culture and employee turnover rate, it can have lasting consequences. Read on for some insightful tips on how to decrease employee turnover.
1. Provide Your Truck Drivers with Adequate Pay
One of the biggest reasons drivers walk away from a company is low pay. It's very easy for drivers to compare wages and figure out if they are not being compensated enough for their work.
That's why competitive pay and bonuses for good work is one of the best ways to reduce employee turnover.
You can also give bonuses to employees who are performing the best. It can may also make it easier for the company to attract qualified, experienced drivers when it becomes well known that your company provides fair pay.
2. Implement Extensive Training and Procedures for New Drivers
It's always risky hiring someone new, especially if they don't have any professional truck driving experience. Without adequate training and company procedures, it can be hard for drivers to successfully perform their job.
This can eventually cause drivers to feel frustrated and increase their chances of leaving the company later on.
You can prevent this with training programs and procedures so that every new hire can learn as much as possible before they hit the road.
A new hire orientation class, employee meetings and frequent evaluations to discuss everyone's performance can help new hires know what to expect and better acclimate to the company's culture. Performance evaluations can also help drivers understand how they can improve in the future.
3. Publicly Acknowledge the Success of Your Employees
Another way you can further improve employee turnover is to create a company culture that acknowledges and celebrates every success. For example, you can hold monthly meetings and celebrate employee anniversaries at the company or acknowledge a stellar performance.
Appreciation goes a long way with employees, especially in the trucking industry. Many drivers quit because they believe the company doesn't recognize their hard work and they aren't motivated to do a better job.
When employees know the company they are working for appreciates them, it's far more likely that they will stay with the company.
4. Share the Bigger Vision with Employees
It's very easy for employees to be shortsighted and only focus on what their job duties entail every day instead of the bigger picture. One way to reduce employee turnover is to share the company's vision with the employees.
You can hold monthly, quarterly or yearly meetings to discuss the financial health of the company and how their work is contributing to the bottom line.
The meetings are also a great time to get feedback from employees and publicly recognize drivers who are doing an excellent job and consistently meeting their goals.
The more employees understand the business, the more likely they are to feel like a genuine partner and really care about the company's success.
Hopefully these methods can help reduce employee turnover and improve company culture. Please contact us today or call (800) 488-8451 to speak with one of our team members and learn more about our services.
