Driver Hiring and Retention Key in the Transportation Industry
The transportation industry faces a wide range of risk issues such as fleet safety, driver hiring and retention, claims administration, and compliance and regulations. Without the proper protocols in place to sufficiently address any of these issues, the financial and operational health of a transportation business can be significantly negatively impacted.
Let’s focus here on driving hiring and retention in the transportation industry, as an example. According to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) study, managing driver turnover rates is one of the transportation industry’s biggest challenges. It typically costs $8,000 to replace a driver, says the study, affecting a company’s operational costs, the ability to provide good customer service, and its bottom line.
To attract and retain the best drivers, an organization must develop good relationships with its drivers. This involves addressing many of the underlying causes of driver dissatisfaction, such as lack of convenient training, lack of consistent information from managers, inconsistent schedules, and manual record keeping.
Providing timely, convenient training so that drivers receive training when and where they need it is key. This flexibility means less time away from home for drivers, which is a major source of dissatisfaction. What’s more improving the flow of information from managers to drivers is essential. This involves responding to requests, driver load board, vacation scheduling, and pay history, increasing their satisfaction and productivity.
In addition, an organization should provide drivers with immediate safety alerts and monitoring. By implementing certain applications and services that are available, management and drivers will have immediate access to information about safety behaviors and risks. This allows for management and drivers to identify and improve unsafe driving situations, and decrease CSA violations and accident frequency.
Of course, safer driving training is paramount in helping drivers remain productive and less distracted. According to Dave Kraft, Director of Industry Affairs, “driver distraction in commercial vehicle operations is among today’s biggest issues for safety management in the transportation industry. For example, according to the FMCSA, drivers who enter a text message while driving are 23 times more likely to have an accident.
Driver Hiring and Retention is key to the transportation industry. At Caitlin-Morgan, we can help you help your transportation clients with their insurance coverages and risk management. Just give us a call at: 877.226.1027