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Mar 31, 2017

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER * USA: Showing signs of paying off more so than usual

* Virginia - ATA reports: Driver turnover at large truck carriers drops to 71 percent
--- While motor carriers continue to work hard to fill driver seats, data issued today by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) is showing that the efforts are showing signs of paying off more so than usual... Even with an increased onus on augmenting driver training, retention, and compensation packages, many carriers are still struggling with how to fill the empty seats... The ongoing driver shortage still serves as a major factor for tight over the road capacity, which has been burdensome for shippers in that they need to pay higher rates in order to get their freight moved in a timely and efficient manner...
(Photo: U.Va. graduate student examines the flexibility of truck drivers)   --  Arlington, VIR, USA - Logistics Management, by Jeff Berman - March 29, 2017

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Feb 14, 2017

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER * USA: Driving for the Prize

* Utah - Carriers introduce 'Gamification' to reduce driver turnover


--- As the trucking industry continues to grapple with high driver turnover, some carriers are turning to performance-based rewards and technology-enabled “gamification” programs to increase driver retention and boost engagement. Encouraging friendly competition also enhances safety and improves the bottom line, fleets and technology providers said... On Jan. 1, refrigerated carrier C.R. England Inc. rolled out a gamification program that awards points to drivers monthly for safety, fuel efficiency, on-time performance and total drive hours. Drivers also can earn additional points for completing online training or selection as driver of the quarter or the year... “There is a leaderboard, and drivers can see how they rank against their peers in their fleet and across the company,” said Mitch England, vice president of driver relations for the Salt Lake City-based carrier. “The beauty for the drivers is to be able to see an objective measurement of their performance. We hope it will be fun, too.” Drivers can redeem points in an online store for products as they progress through different status levels... Receiving recognition for a job well done “ties into our human need for positive affirmation,” said Tim Hindes, CEO at Stay Metrics, which offers rewards and a recognition platform focused on driver retention...
(Photo: A C.R. England 2005 Freightliner Century Tractor and 2006 Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company Reefer)   --  West Valley City, Utah, USA - iTECH/Transport Topics, by Mindy Long - February 10, 2017

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Sep 3, 2016

DRIVER TURNOVER * USA: Lowest since 2011

* Virginia - Driver turnover dips to lowest level since 2011 on heels of weak freight

--- CCJ‘s Indicators rounds up the latest reports on trucking business indicators on rates, freight, equipment, the economy and more... The annualized driver turnover rate at large truckload fleets fell to its lowest point since early 2011 in the second quarter of this year, according to the American Trucking Associations... Turnover in the second quarter among large truckload fleets fell six points to 83 percent from 2016’s first quarter, ATA reported Sept. 1... ATA’s Bob Costello says the dip stems from the “choppy” freight environment seen in the first part of the year... The turnover rate at smaller truckload fleets fell nine points to 79 percent, its lowest point since the third quarter of 2015. Turnover at less-than-truckload carriers rose four points to 12 percent...
(Photo from AP Photo/David Goldman: Truck driver Earliest Madir inspects his truck while waiting for a load at a truck stop in Atlanta) -- Arlington, VA, USA - CCJ - September 1, 2016

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Jul 28, 2016

TRUCKERS TURNOVER * USA: Fell 13% 2016's 1st. quarter

* Virginia - Driver turnover at larger fleets drops 13% in first quarter


--- The American Trucking Associations (ATA) said Wednesday that truck driver turnover at truckload fleets fell in the first quarter of 2016... Turnover at large truckload fleets fell 13 points in the first quarter to 89 percent — the lowest it has been since the second quarter of 2015. For all of 2015, turnover averaged 93 percent... At smaller fleets — those carriers with less than $30 million in annual revenue — turnover dipped one point to 88 percent, the lowest point since the third quarter of 2015. For the entire year of 2015, small-fleet truckload turnover averaged 79 percent... Turnover at less-than-truckload fleet remained much lower than at truckload fleets, falling three points to 8 percent, the lowest point since the second quarter of 2013...
Arlington, VIR, USA - Trucking News - July 7, 2016

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Apr 27, 2016

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER RATE * USA: 2015 up to 102 percent

* Ohio - Turnover rates at trucking companies set milestone not seen in five years

--- It seems one of the hardest industries to keep workers continues to be the trucking industry... The annualized turnover rate for large truckload fleets rose two percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 102 percent, the second straight quarter it was at least 100 percent - the first such streak since 2012, according to the American Trucking Associations... “This elevated turnover rate shows that the driver market remains a challenge for truckload fleets,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Obviously, attracting and retaining drivers remains a top concern for the industry” ... The turnover rate at small truckload carriers – fleets with less than $30 million in annual revenue – surged 21 points to 89 percent in the final quarter of 2015. Despite this surge, churn at smaller fleets is still six points lower than during the fourth quarter of 2014 and averaged just 79 percent... The turnover rate at less-than-truckload carriers rose one point to 11 percent in the final quarter, and averaged 11 percent for all of 2015... The lack of truckers is being felt in the Dayton region, which is a hub for trucking firms because of the intersection of Interstates 75 and 70... 
Dayton, OH, USA - The Dayton Business Journal, by SARAH BENNETT - Apr 26, 2016

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Apr 23, 2016

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER USA: * Retention management, closer to science - ** Financial worry ?

* Texas - Collecting drivers' data: -Do you live far from a fleet’s terminal? -Did you just graduate from a driving school? -Are you single? ...
 ... If the answer to any of those questions is yes, it could be a strike against you at certain fleets considering your application. There are potentially hundreds more such factors being weighed by analysts who can see quite clearly what driver behaviors, personality traits, demographics and other factors correlate with turnover and safety... As fleet owners continue to find more ways to turn their drivers and prospective drivers into sets of data, they are moving recruitment, retention and safety management closer to science than art. This expanding harvest of data and the eagerness of predictive analytics vendors to help fleets make better use of it are reshaping how the industry relates to drivers... These new ways of measuring drivers and identifying their characteristics in the name of safety and turnover aren’t as career-threatening as they sound, says Vigillo’s Bryan, “the level of scrutiny placed on carriers and drivers is a fact of life. So, sorry, drivers, it’s going to happen” ... The highest turnover happens at nine months before a DOT physical. Dean Croke, vice president of Omnitracs Analytics, believes the turnover is due to drivers choosing to leave the industry rather than make lifestyle changes...
(Photo: Interstate Distributor Co., a dry van and refrigerated carrier based in Tacoma, Wash., found higher retention rates with drivers hired as a referral)   --  Dallas, TXS, USA - Overdrive, by Max Heine - 21  April 2016


 ** Arkansas - Financial worry: A possible recruiting tactic for trucking?

-- Finances within the U.S. workforce could be a key recruiting tactic for trucking, especially where the industry’s shortage of key personnel is concerned... One avenue involves balancing the skyrocketing cost of a college education against the immediate earning potential truck drivers and truck technicians... Employee retirement savings are also an area of concern as PwC’s data shows that nearly half of all workers (47%) have saved less than $50,000 for retirement, with 28% percent of workers are saving less for retirement than last year... This could be a bigger deal than many think because PwC discerned in its poll more than half of Millennials (54%) said that their loyalty to their employer is influenced by how much their employer cares about their financial well-being... Something to consider as the pressures trucking faces to find, hire and retain the personnel necessary to keep the wheels turning won’t slacken anytime soon... 
(Photo: The U.S. truck driver shortage is getting worse. Nothwithstanding big retention efforts by for-hire trucking companies) -- Springdale, ARK, USA - Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr - Apr 20, 2016

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Jan 9, 2016

TRUCKERS TURNOVER * USA: ... A Solution !!!

* Tennessee - 100% driver turnover hurts trucking industry: Correct M&A approach can fix it

-- The American Trucking Associations’ count, annual driver turnover runs nearly 100% at so-called large truckload carriers, also known as long-haul truckers. And if it costs $3,000-to-$5,000 to recruit and hire one driver (I’m told that estimate is conservative), keeping the million or so long-haul driver jobs (1) filled every year represents a $3 billion-to-$5 billion toll on an industry that already suffers from narrow profit margins and an enormous need for capital... The turnover is disastrous for drivers, too. Many are never at a single employer long enough to accumulate any retirement savings. They typically live paycheck-to-paycheck while employed, and then suffer a big step down in income when they retire with only social security... This article will examine the decade-old ESOP at Paladin Capital Inc. (formerly Quickway Distribution Services Inc.), a 1,000-truck operation based in Nashville. The company’s driver turnover – 20% voluntary, 15% or so initiated by Paladin as it enforces lofty quality standards – sets it apart from the industry... The ESOP, however, has turned many Paladin drivers into evangelists for the company. They refer nearly 40% of new drivers and are paid a $2,500 bonus for every hire they bring in. Kendall Ray, a Louisville driver for Paladin, has brought in three successful recruits. Once, while shopping in a Dollar General store, Ray was talking up Paladin to a fellow truck driver he ran into. That guy didn’t come aboard, but another driver who was two aisles away and overheard the conversation introduced himself and did join Paladin. “I approach ‘em where I see ‘em,” Ray says. “A lot of the time they’re not satisfied” at their current job... 
(1) The Labor Department says, as of 2014, there were 1.8 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the U.S. A large minority of those work for companies like UPS that have low turnover. But the majority are at independent trucking firms where turnover runs very high... 
(Photo: Quickway Carriers trucks) -- Nashville, TENN, USA - Forbes, by Mary Josephs - JAN 6, 2016

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Jul 16, 2015

TRUCKERS' RETENTION * USA: Keep more drivers, but need more

* Virginia - Driver turnover didn’t just drop in the first quarter, it plummeted
-- A year of driver pay hikes may have paid off for trucking companies. The number of drivers quitting one carrier and leaving for another — called driver turnover — dropped significantly in early 2015, according to the American Trucking Associations. However, it’s difficult to say exactly why more truck drivers decided to stick with their companies in the first quarter... Trucking companies, especially larger truckload carriers, have worked hard to raise driver pay over the past year, in some cases in multiple steps amounting to double-digit increases. Last year many of the largest carriers raised rates in the range of 10 to 15 percent, led by companies such as Swift Transportation and U.S. Xpress Enterprises. But motor carriers of all sizes and stripes have jumped on the bandwagon, often raising wages for drivers by length-of-haul and by job type, such as long-haul team or regional solo, and offering an array of incentives and bonuses... Swift raised pay again by an undisclosed amount May 1...  BB&T Capital Markets estimates driver wages at the largest U.S. truckload carrier may have increased 5 to 8 percent. However, as pay rises, turnover declines, BB&T said. “We believe (Swift’s driver turnover rate) improved to 65 to 70 percent,” well below the industry average, BB&T said in a July 14 note to investors... BB&T told investors. “So whatever the wage cost, there was at least a partial offset. And long-term, being known for paying good drivers wages is a positive reputational benefit” ... More than that, with lower driver turnover and higher rates supporting higher wages, Swift has had the profit and incentive to add capacity for shipper customers. In the first quarter, the Phoenix-based company increased its truck capacity, as measured by JOC.com, 3.8 percent from the fourth quarter and 8.1 percent year-over-year, based on a “same-fleet” comparison... All this doesn’t spell an end to the endemic driver “shortage,” which many fleets define as a shortage of qualified, experienced drivers with good safety records... 
Arlington, VA, USA - J.O.C., by William B. Cassidy - Jul 14, 2015


* New Jersey - US truckload carriers lure drivers with new trucks, technologies

-- In the struggle to hire and keep truck drivers, trucking companies increasingly are using new, highly sophisticated, fuel-efficient trucks with the latest safety technology as incentives... They’re also throwing in the latest “aftermarket” devices -- such as satellite televisions -- to make those drivers that do spend weeks on the road more comfortable on their journey... The result, these companies hope, will be more satisfied drivers who will stay with their employers, cutting turnover costs, and provide more sustainable, secure capacity to U.S. shippers... Last year saw a surge in new truck orders by carriers, as faster economic growth and higher profits fueled replacement of older vehicles. The number of active Class 8 tractors on U.S. highways will rise 5.8 percent this year, reaching 1.43 million, according to ACT Research... Many of those new Class 8 trucks are being designed with driver retention in mind... There's some evidence that trucking companies' retention plans, which include higher pay and benefits as well as more home time and better equipment, are starting to work. The American Trucking Associations today said driver turnover at large fleets dropped 12 percentage points to 84 percent in the first quarter, its lowest level since 2011...
(Photo: A Western Star truck up-to-dated cab)  -- Newark, NJ, USA - J.O.C., by William B. Cassidy - Jul 14, 2015

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Aug 26, 2014

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER RATE * USA

* Virginia - Truck driver turnover drops but still high


Arlington,VA,USA -Truckinginfo -March 14, 2014: -- The turnover rate at large truckload carriers fell six percentage points to 91% in the fourth quarter of 2013, but held above 90% for the eighth consecutive quarter, according to new figures released by the American Trucking Associations... The decline was the second straight for the measure of churn in the driver pool, however, ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said it continues to be elevated... For all of 2013, driver turnover averaged 96%, just below 2012’s average of 98% and well off the all-time high of 130% set in 2005... Looking ahead, Costello said he expects stronger economic growth and increased growth for the trucking industry, which in turn will put more pressure on the driver market and the driver shortage...

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