This is the number one reason why drivers leave companies. If dispatchers and drivers are not communicating well, and the driver ends up taking the burn, whether it be being stranded far from home without a load, or bad directions on how to get to a shipper or consignee, one by one these pile up until the driver has had enough.

Drivers want to know why they're getting a streak of bad loads, or are not getting enough miles, or what the future of the company is going to be. When they see new drivers being hired when they feel there aren't enough loads for existing drivers, they want management to tell them what the plan is.

If drivers don't have enough communication, they will fill in the blanks - they will assign negative motives to what they don't have information on.

And the bad word about your company travels fast in the social media age.

Communication with the driver should not be limited to his relationship with his dispatcher. If a driver feels like a mushroom - kept in the dark and fed manure - he's going to be more likely to leave.

Drivers want to feel like part of the company, and having their ideas taken seriously by their dispatchers and managers can go a long way toward that feeling. Simple processes like seeking input from drivers when company is considering a change that will affect them, lets drivers know that the company cares about them and that their opinions matter.

This doesn't necessarily mean being promoted out of the truck into dispatch. For some drivers that may be an opportunity they're looking for, but for others, they prefer being behind the wheel than behind a desk.

There needs to be some way of rewarding drivers who stay with the company, some form of seniority. Maybe that's more pay for more years on board. Maybe drivers who have been with the company longer get to drive better equipment. Maybe it's the opportunity to transfer into a different division of the company that offers dedicated or regional runs or some other type of more-appealing loads and routes. Even if they don't take advantage of it, it gives them the feeling that the future holds something better, that they have career options.

With this system in place, a driver who’s having a bad week or a month will think twice about having to start over in another company.

 

The recruiting and orientation process, as well as the first two to three months on the job, can quickly push a driver back out the door.

Many newbie drivers expect to make over $60,000 a year their first or second year. It isn’t going to happen. Most drivers are not going to be making that much in their first few years. Add this to the frustration of constantly being on the road and you can see why some drivers would quit.

Driver complaints that life as a driver was not what they expected, or that their recruiter lied to them, are common.

It is important that any miscommunication about the job, pay and requirements is handled right away, and making sure the driver fully understands every detail. Recruiting manager and the recruiter should sit down with the driver and make sure he has a complete understanding of the job before moving forward. This will solve many problems right away before they develop into larger issues.

Some big companies have a process where they check in with the driver after 30 or 45 days to see how things are going, what they like about the job, and what they feel would be an obstacle to them succeeding in the long term in that position. This process had shown a huge impact on early turnover.