Increases to truck driver pay and a softening freight market were key to lower turnover numbers for large truckload fleets, according to the American Trucking Associations.
ATA released its quarterly turnover rate numbers for the trucking industry, showing a decline of 11 percentage points in the third quarter for large truckload carriers.
This puts turnover at 87% for large truckload carriers, the lowest point since the first quarter of 2017, when it was at 74%. The drop erases a 10-percentage point increase in the first half of 2018, when the rate went as high as 98%.
The turnover rate at small carriers was steady at 72%, while the churn rate for less-than-truckload carriers fell four percentage points to just 10%.
“First, large pay increases fleets have been offering appear to be working, and drivers are remaining with their current carrier,” said Bob Costello, chief economist for ATA. “Second, we did see a softening of freight markets in the third quarter from the incredibly strong pace it had set earlier in the year. Historically, softer freight volumes lead to lower driver turnover.”