Introduction

The shortage of quality drivers threatens most motor carriers’ ability to prosper and grow. The problem is not going away anytime soon and – given the federal government’s increasingly regulatory stance – in all likelihood will get even worse. Many carriers have put their growth plans on hold because of the lack of qual-ity drivers. Some have even gone out of business because they were unable to keep their trucks moving.

How do you keep your dreams and ambitions for your company from falling victim to the driver shortage? This manual presents strategies that have helped motor carriers cut their turnover by as much as 50 percent. Some have even gone from having tractors parked against the fence to putting prospective drivers on a waiting list. None of the ideas presented here are high cost or “pie in the sky.” The key is understanding that everything you do sends either a positive or negative message to your drivers.

While this manual focuses on scenarios that have proven successful for truckload carriers – the segment that suffers the brunt of the driver shortage – they should work for almost any company. Although the manual focuses on company drivers, most of the concepts also apply to owner-operators.

Successfully reducing driver turnover requires a willingness to change your way of doing business. As a small carrier, it is easier for you to make changes than it is for larger carriers because there are not as many people involved. Drivers are much closer to the owners and company managers at small companies. It wasn’t that long ago that many owners of small trucking companies were driving trucks themselves. Some may still drive.

Now is the time to develop a company for which quality drivers want to work. The goal of this manual is to show you the way.