America is in a trucking crisis. It is not a lack of transportation vehicles. It is always relatively easy to obtain trucks of all different types. Rather it is a lack of drivers willing and able to drive the trucks they currently own. With a variety of small and large companies looking for drivers to handle their routes, maybe they should look to what the best trucking companies offer to attract and even keep their drivers.
Practices/Enticements
Trucking companies have options. They can do without sufficient drivers and/or attract non-specialized and beginners. Alternatively, they can find a way to entice and keep experienced drivers. The best companies know how to do this. They make offers that drivers find hard to refuse. Below is a shortlist of common practices and enticements of the best trucking companies in America.
- Pay: It is only natural that pay levels are an important component. However, it is not the only part of the attract/retain equation
- Signing Bonuses: Some of the best trucking firms offer a substantial signing bonus. This, together with good pay, can be an excellent incentive
- Perks: Drivers do want a good salary. However, they also want better health insurance and coverage.
- Driver’s Health: This also plays an increasingly important role in the decision by a driver to stay on the job. Some trucking firms now offer memberships to gyms that are part of their drivers’ routes. They also provide advice and even classes in nutrition and other aspects of healthy eating.
By including many, if not all, of these qualities, a trucking company can attract reliable and committed drivers.
The Best Trucking Companies
The best trucking companies try to make the job more attractive. However, it is also important to recognize the job, and the applicant must fit together like a well-worn glove. Without the mingling of the mindset of both a company and a driver, the relationship is bound to fail.
