There are many factors that determine a carrier’s ability to recruit new drivers or be able to keep current ones in their fleet satisfied. But, according to drivers themselves, what they really, really want isn’t often that complicated.
In the second part of CCJ magazine’s “What do drivers want?” survey series, the magazine reports that, not surprisingly, money as the single-biggest driver concern and complaint.
The survey also finds that drivers are looking to break the conventional compensation setup by seeking out fleets willing to make bigger investments with more progressive pay models.
Here’s the bright side:
The survey shows that a clear majority of company drivers enjoy what they do and would like to stay in the industry – provided they can make a good living and be paid for all the work they do and compensated for out of pocket expenses:
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A majority of drivers, 32.7 percent, told CCJ they would be happy staying on as a company driver as long as their pay increases each year. Another 24 percent report they’d eventually like to buy their own trucks and go into business as owner-operators. A much smaller percentage, 10.9 percent, said they eventually would like to transition to a non-driving job in a fleet.
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Home Front:
Second to salary concerns expressed by drivers was the natural desire to spend more time at home with loved ones. When asked to select one factor that most would influence them to change fleets or jobs, the majority of company drivers (34.%), cited “more money” as a prime motivator, followed by “more home time” (16.9%). Somewhat related, nearly the same amount of drivers also said more choices and control over the routes they are offered would motivate them to change fleets.
Those issues are consistent with statements made by the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on the Driver Shortage. The BRTF declared in its ‘core values’ that drivers should be compensated as much or more than other professions trucking competes with for labour, that drivers need to be compensated for all the work they do and reimbursed for expenses they incur on the road, and be respected as professionals.
Click here to read the full two-part series from CCJ.