The trucking industry is fast paced. Truckers are away from home for long stretches of time, and it’s not uncommon to work 60 hours or more per week. When you read that 77% of workers in the US are experiencing burnout, you can be confident that truck drivers are included in this stat.
When truckers experience burnout, it leads to high turnover rates, Recruiting scrambling to fill positions, and an unhappy workforce. If you’re part of the trucking industry, you know that burnout can result in high turnover and a slow supply chain. However, if you focus on ways to make employees feel valued, you can transform the workplace for the better.
Value is crucial to keeping employees around. In fact, one survey found that over 25% of employees leave jobs because their work goes unrecognized. Trucking firms can overhaul their current procedures to make employees feel valued.
Here are a few key ways to create value in the workplace and retain more truck drivers.
1. Show Appreciation
Sometimes showing appreciation is the one thing that a driver truly needs to feel valued. Trucking companies need to understand that if showing appreciation hasn’t been a part of company culture, you may need to train management on the topic.
You can use:
- Peer-to-peer recognition platforms
- Quick calls or messages of appreciation
- In-house messaging and/or email announcements
For example, you may mention that a certain driver hit the 3,000-mile mark this week on a peer-to-peer platform and that you appreciate their hard work and dedication. When a trucker goes above and beyond the call of duty, management may want to contact them and show appreciation.
Something as simple as saying, “We recognize your hard work and dedication this week. Your commitment will not go unnoticed,” can show the trucker just how much you value them.
2. Sprinkle in Positive Feedback
Positive feedback and a pat on the back go a long way, too. While similar to appreciation, you can use this feedback as a way to celebrate “wins” with a trucker. For example, you may want to:
- Recognize the driver’s safety record has improved
- Mention how efficient they have been
- Give general props for work well done
If you notice that a certain driver has been increasing their efficiency and improving, positive feedback is recommended.
3. Add in Creative Perks
Perks are a direct means of showing appreciation to truckers and creating the value that these professionals desire. If you want to keep truckers feeling valued for their hard work, you can do so by:
- Offering bonuses for safety, time with the company, etc.
- Providing fleet amenities, such as entertainment or others
- Give out awards and other forms of recognition
When you add in perks, it’s a motivator for the truckers in your fleet and can help them feel rewarded for their hard work.
4. Work Hard to Modernize Your Fleet
One of the best rewards you can offer a truck driver is a modernized rig. Truckers feel a lot of stress and anxiety on the road, and the last thing they should have to worry about is their rig breaking down. Of course, this is not something every fleet manager can accomplish without a hefty budget but planning for this kind of upgrade can never hurt.
You should consider:
- Creating a top-tier maintenance plan
- Rotating old rigs out of the fleet
- Upgrading your vehicles as often as budget will allow
Additionally, you’ll want to do what you can to modernize your fleet and offer truckers the option of a rig that truly meets their needs. You can offer various upgrades such as:
- Satellite radio and television
- Kitchen appliances
- Mini fridges
- … your get the idea
Since a rig is a trucker’s home on the road, it only makes sense to focus on its comfort. Truckers will feel more valued if you focus on their overall comfort on the road – from tech upgrades to efficiency items to luxury perks.
5. Tuition Benefits
Truckers are under an immense amount of stress, and if they have dependents, one of the stressors that they’ll be under is how to pay for tuition. Many trucking companies are showing truckers that they’re valued by offering:
- Tuition benefits for the trucker
- Tuition or aid programs for dependents
- Scholarship awards for family members
Trucking companies that can afford to offer tuition benefits should. Bringing value to the workplace through tuition benefits is an excellent opportunity to build loyalty. If you cannot provide this benefit across the board, you can create scholarship programs to award to those most deserving.
College tuition aid shows that a trucking company values its drivers and understands that family is a top priority.
6. Never Forget Anniversaries
Appreciation leads to committed employees. For example, one study found that recognizing an employee leads to the person being 63% more likely to remain in their position over the next three to six months.
One of the easiest ways to ensure that you show appreciation each year is to recognize the person’s work anniversary.
You can recognize this special day in a few ways:
- Create a social media post to acknowledge the day.
- Send the trucker a gift. Even a small gift card will suffice.
- Offer the day off, paid.
If you strive to remember the employee’s work anniversary, you’ll find that they feel more appreciated in the workplace.
Making employees feel valued should be job one.
Truckers are in high demand. Trucking companies should be working to find ways to retain more drivers and make them feel valued. If you’re not actively working to bring value to employees, you risk higher turnover and difficulty retaining talent.
The tips above are a good starting point to help make your employees feel that they bring value to the workplace and that you appreciate the value they bring.
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