In the last couple weeks at Personal Care Transport, we have looked at retention in the trucking industry. This week, we will continue to dig into this issue, but from a unique and somewhat counter-intuitive perspective. Carriers should spend more time on hiring and recruiting in order to improve retention.
Companies May have it Backward
In light of retention issues in the industry, many companies have taken the logical move of speeding up the hiring process. This means that their equipment spends less time unused, and they save money in the short run. Companies have also begun to use various incentives to entice young drivers to join their organization, such as bonuses.
The problem is that companies seem to be focusing on quantity, not quality. As we mentioned last week, the trucking industry is full of thousands of committed and stable employees. Many truckers have been in the industry for decades. These folks are the backbone of the industry, and have little to do with current retention issues. Current retention issues mostly stem from young workers who go into trucking to make money for a few years and then find employment elsewhere. These young drivers are the ones who may be drawn in by a fat bonus, but leave a few years later.
If companies don’t do their due diligence on drivers–their background, motivations, etc–they will let many great candidates slip through the cracks, while hiring other less suitable drivers. The paradox here is that companies should actually slow down their recruiting process in order to hire the best and most reliable drivers, and therefore increase driver retention.
The Trailblazer
Kane Is Able is one company that has pioneered this process. Their annualized turnover rates were as low as 25% in 2017, while the average for large fleets in industry was around 75%. How have they done it? Mostly through a well thought out and lengthy hiring process.
Kane has taken a number of measures to make sure a driver is a good fit for the company. They have a full-time recruiter and a team of people who access how a candidate would fit in professionally and culturally. After that assessment, the Safety team dives into the driver’s CSA scores and driving record. If the recruiter, operations manager, and safety team all agree to move forward, then Kane performs a full road test to assess the driver’s attitude towards safety and truck maintenance. Finally, if the driver passes, they perform a physical and drug screen on the driver.
This may sound like a lengthy process and it is, but the numbers don’t lie. If companies are interested in long term profits, growth, and sustainability, it seems they should take a deep breath and slow down the process of hiring drivers. After all, it’s more efficient to do something right one time than wrong ten times.
Personal Care Transport is the only company in Pennsylvania that is licensed to transport truck drivers. With over four years of experience, Personal Care has built close relations with men and women in the industry. We have a deep understanding of the training process. Please consider Personal Care Services for all your trucking-related transportation needs.
