Driver Shortages Aren't a Concern When You Have a Great Work Environment

The trucking industry has been struggling with a driver shortage issue since 2005 and the numbers have only continued to rise into a borderline national crisis. According to NPR, "more than 70 percent of goods consumed in the U.S. are moved by truck, but the industry needs to hire almost 900,000 more drivers to meet rising demand." 

No one is denying that driver shortage is an issue. Across the board, the relatively high age of truck drivers as well as demographics and lifestyle are impacting applicants and causing companies to struggle to find qualified drivers. However, truck driving is still an incredible job, on average paying drivers more than $50,000 a year, with wages on the rise and there are ways to attract and keep drivers with your company!

In an industry where driver shortage is a reality, how can you restructure your business to effectively recruit and retrain drivers? Let’s investigate the possibilities.

Solving the Driver Shortage Issue

Taking the most problematic factors causing the driver shortage, consider how your business can adjust and make improvements. Furthermore, since drivers are on the road more often than in the office, it’s important to improve the overall work environment. For example:

1. Millennials are a huge part of the future of our industry. We know that millennial drivers are in search of flexible careers that also make a difference in the world. That is one reason why Veltri drivers have the luxury of being home with their families for  dinner every day. We know how important trucking is to the health of our national economy which is why we make sure our drivers are taken care of. We couldn't do this without them.

2. At Veltri, we are an equal opportunity employer. As the number of female drivers in the industry continues to rise, make sure you are setting up a company culture that is respectful and beneficial to all employees. 

3. Offer tuition reimbursement or free on-the-job driver training to help new drivers get proper trucker training without the hefty price tag.

4. Provide opportunities for drivers to mix and mingle, such as monthly events where drivers and their families can hang out and develop a sense of community or by using technology to help drivers take advantage of online portals or communities across the country.

5. Ask your drivers what their most pressing needs are, such as finding healthy food or wellness programs over the road, and provide a viable solution for their problems. Make sure they understand that truck driving as a lifestyle does not have to negatively impact their health or well being.

6. Communicate with your drivers on a regular basis, and in person whenever possible, to help increase morale and reduce driver turnover, which is another factor related to the shortage. Veltri has an open door communication policy and we want our drivers to know their voices are being heard.

The bottom line is that if you want to attract new drivers to your trucking fleet, then you must establish a company with a beneficial work environment. We know how important our entire operations team is to our company, including our drivers, which is why we also offer a competitive compensation and benefits plan.

The nation needs truck drivers to keep the economy moving. By working to reduce the driver shortage through focused changes to your drivers' work environment, your business is in a prime position to excel. If you are interested in becoming a Veltri driver, we would love to hear from you!

The Best Kept Secret to Keeping Your Company Drivers Happy

Veltri drivers, here are three ways to turn truckers' frowns upside-down.

How to Keep Your Company Drivers Happy:

Communicate with Drivers

After a new truck driver joins your fleet, it’s vital for you to stay in contact beyond the regular dispatches. Since over the road truckers tend to be out of sight for weeks at a time, you won’t be able to catch them at their cubicle, so to speak. Yet staying in contact is essential if you want to develop a professional relationship with your drivers. Here is how to do this: • Contact your drivers for an interview, either over the phone, over a video conferencing service like Skype, or in office, every four weeks. • Ask open-ended questions during the interview that gives the driver a chance to offer constructive criticism and personal answers. “Yes” and “no” answers simply aren’t very useful for finding out how your driver is really doing. By keeping in touch with your drivers, listening to what they have to say, and using that feedback to make changes for your fleet, you will make your truckers happier. Better yet, you will also build loyalty and trust among the truck drivers.

Dole Out Bonuses and Recognition Regularly

Why do truckers come to you for a job? Because they need a paycheck, that’s the primary reason. As such, one of the best ways to ensure drivers’ happiness is to offer financial perks along the way. Creating a competition atmosphere to see who can have the best fuel economy or drive the most miles in a week also benefits your bottom line. So give back to those drivers going above and beyond by offering bonuses on their paychecks and competitive wages. Sometimes you don’t even have to give the drivers a financial reward. Simply recognizing your drivers for being hard workers and going above the call of duty is morale boosting in its own right. Of course, gifting drivers some branded company merchandise or a personalized plaque will also be appreciated.

Provide Comfortable and Reliable Rigs

A driver who takes over the road trucking jobs is going to be living in his rig. Literally. It is up to you as the employer to offer the best tractor-trailers that you can provide. Main features that drivers want are: • Reliability and minimal breakdowns • Properly maintained trucks • Ergonomics for drivers, i.e. seats that improve posture, etc. • Trucks with limited mileage • Semis that meet emissions standards especially when hauling in highly regulated states like California Also, cleanliness is paramount for truckers who live in their trucks. Between drivers use a professional cleaning service to ensure new drivers receive a freshly smelling, clean truck. By providing your company drivers with new or top rated equipment you also reduce the amount of downtime and expense due to costly and sudden breakdowns. It’s a win for both you and the drivers.

Give Regular Home Time

This last one is a big issue among OTR truckers as being away from home is part of the job requirements. However, you can make this easier to keeping your company drivers happy by providing regularly scheduled home time. Examples of this could be one weekend every two weeks, or one week off after being over the road for three weeks. Whatever you do, try to keep with a schedule. This allows truckers and their loved ones to have some routine in their lives. Instead of always wondering when they can see their family, a driver has a mental note of just how many more days it will be each time they head out. This is crucial in keeping drivers happy, as well as emotionally healthy. Find out more about Veltri trucking and our Drivers, who are among the best in the country!

How to Build a Comprehensive Snow Belt Policy for Dedicated Trucking in the Northeast

How to Build a Comprehensive Snow Belt Policy for Your Dedicated Trucking

1. Set rules of which personnel can request winter transportation access. Which workers should have access to winter transportation? If workers can work from home during bad weather without requiring extensive infrastructure updates or other expensive accommodation to make it work, this will help lower the cost of providing them with transportation. For drivers who must remain active, base their level of accommodation with the estimated annual snowfall and frequency of bad winter weather, providing less extensive options to those in southern regions while drivers in areas more prone to winter weather receive higher levels of support. If the employee has a vital job function, increase their priority for all-weather transportation access. 2. Consider which options to make available to those personnel. For drivers with the lowest level of priority, something as simple as all-weather tires can make all the difference in whether they can perform their work functions as needed. However, while these tires improve traction, they don't work as well as snow tires for cornering and braking. Snow tires can work well if you have drivers in areas of significant snowfall, but will not have as good traction in dry weather conditions, so should be reserved for drivers in areas where these types of tires would be most appropriate. Both types of tires will often require storage during the offseason, so if this is a problem, you may need to consider other options. For the most severe weather and vital drivers, considering an all-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicle maybe your best option. 3. Provide comprehensive training to the eligible personnel. Though it can be tempting to simply provide the right asset access, adding appropriate training can help protect your investment. This can be in a range of different environments. If you have a number of drivers and want the best possible training in real-world conditions, behind-the-wheel training can be very effective. If you want similar training without the extra expense of behind-the-wheel training or have scheduling issues that make it difficult to get everyone together at once, a simulator can be an excellent option to consider. Other inexpensive possibilities to consider include web-based training and classroom options. 4. Assess the overall financial impact of the policy for your business. Take the time to consider what your budget may be able to bear and then look at potential scenarios and the related expenses to see if the budgeted numbers will bear up in real-life situations. A fleet management company can help you look at options and determine figures. Consider the cost/benefit analysis, then pursue approval where it is needed. By creating a snow belt policy for your dedicated trucking and other transportation resources, you can help ensure that your key personnel have appropriate vehicle access during bad weather in the winter months. At Veltri, we know all about cold-weather driving and how a good snow belt policy can make all the difference for your business. Please feel free to see what we can offer you today to keep your business rolling by meeting your dedicated tracking needs.