A dramatic shortage of Truck Drivers is present in the trucking industry, it is no doubt.

If we see the statistics of the American Trucking Association’s Truck Driver Shortage Analysis we can see clearly that the truck drivers’ shortage has risen up to 50.000 all around the U.S.

Actually this truck driver shortage will increase in the future, since there are more and more trucking companies being incorporated on a daily basis.

Further you will have the chance to read and learn 100 tips to fight truck drivers shortage.

So, let’s take a look!

Prime 50 Tips That You Have To Use When Fighting Drivers Shortage

1. Higher Pay And Driver Appreciation

Every here and then truck drivers quit their truck driving career and leave the trucking industry due to low salaries.

Thereupon, trucking companies are well aware of the current situation that is going on in the trucking industry. Let me be more precise, I refer to truck driver shortage.

Hence, if you are running a trucking company and you are satisfied with the performance that your truckers are showing, do not hesitate- increase their pay and appreciation.

2. Never Push Your Drivers Beyond The Legal HOS Regulations

3. Improved Safety

Yet, it is no secret that some trucking companies are not offering the ultimate safety to their truckers.

By letting your trucker operate with a broken truck, which is not suitable for load transportation, or by providing him equipment in malfunction, can lead to unwanted situations, such as are truck accidents.

Not only that you will impose your trucker to hurt himself, but this way as well you will decrease the rating of your trucking company.

So, pay attention to improving the safety rating of your trucking company!

4. Don’t Force Drivers To Sit When They Want To Legally Refuse Load

5. Work-Life Balance

Truckers are leading a unique lifestyle. Their lifestyle implies being on the road constantly and being apart from their family.

But, we all know the importance of work-life balance!

That is why you should make changes in regards of that. Try to let your truckers spend more time with their families.

Soon after you will come to notice that truck drivers will become happier and more productive!

6. Stop Pushing Your Drivers For Using Your Unsafe Equipment

7. The Recruiting Funnel

These days we are facing new technologies that bring big data and access to candidates’ information.

This recruiting funnel is revolutionizing the recruiting world!

Recruiters in the trucking industry can adapt their wisdom and the tools of the marketing in order to ease and simplify the hiring process.

Recruiting funnel is in fact the framework for the entire recruiting process! Pay attention to this detail!

8. Don’t Overpromise During The Driver Recruitment Process

9. Treat Drivers With Respect And Professionalism

There are numerous reasons why there is truck drivers’ shortage in the past decade.

One of the reasons might be the fact that some trucking companies are not treating their truckers in the way that they should.

Therefore, treating the truck drivers with respect and professionalism is more than welcomed. This will make your trucking company a better place to work in.

10. Realize That The Profit And Loss Of Your Company Is Largely Dependent On Your Drivers

11. Legal Number Of Miles

Adding additional number of miles to the driving mileage that your truck drivers have to drive is not a good idea!
Bear in mind that truck drivers know their rights.

Besides that, the trucking companies that are using this “card” most often are not paying to their truckers for the additional miles that they have driven.

12. Decrease Time On The Road

13. Compensate The Driver For All Work And Time

As I mentioned before, truckers should be paid for every mile that they are driving.

When you compensate the driver for all work and time you are in the situation to retain that driver to stay in your company for a longer period of time.

It is one of the steps that can help in this period of truck drivers shortage.

14. Lower Regulated Driving Age

15. Honor The Drivers Request For Home Time

This is the same as work-life balance.

Is there a person that doesn’t want to spend time with their loved ones? I don’t believe so.

This part of truck drivers’ lifestyle might be the most difficult for some drivers who are very much attached to their family.

So, if you want to fight truck drivers shortage try to honor the drivers request for home time.

16. If You Advertise $50.000 per year…pay $50.000 per year

People that are engaged in the trucking industry– that is to say the truck drivers are very irritated by some steps that trucking companies are making.

Trucking companies are making a big mistake when they advertise for example $50.000 per year, and they turn out to pay their truckers less.

It is the biggest reason why truckers leave companies.

Try to keep your promises real if you want to fight truck drivers shortage!

17. Target Minorities Such As Women And Veterans

18. Focus More On Retention

Retention is one of the best ways that truck companies can fight truck drivers shortage.

So how can a trucking company focus more on retention?

In fact, it is pretty much simple, all that the trucking company should do is to provide the guaranteed benefits to their truckers, to provide them good fleet of trucks equipped with electronic gadgets, pay them on time, as well as show them unconditional support and respect.

19. Take Into Regards Autonomous Trucking

20. Establish A Certified Driver Trainer Program

Trucking companies as well can fight truck drivers shortage by establishing a certified driver training program.

Believe me when I say that truck drivers would appreciate this move a lot!

21. Lower The Rigorous Hiring Standards

22. Provide Your Drivers With An APU

Since you are part of the trucking industry, I do believe that so far you are aware of the fact that APU stands for auxiliary power unit.

The auxiliary power units are most commonly used by truckers to run accessories while the engines are shut down.

With the help of APU’s the truck cabs are more comfortable!

23. Make Your Company A Great Place To Work

24. Re-Establish “livable” Freight Rates

The researchers have identified solutions for incorporating freight into planning for livable communities.

Also, this can play a big role to fighting truck drivers shortage!

25. Build A Reputation For Keeping Promises

26. Operate Completely And Legally Within The Guidelines of FMCSA Regulations

The trucking companies that are following the rules and regulations given by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are the most successful in the U.S.

All rules and regulations that are being set by the FMCSA are contributing to safety in motor carrier operations.

Mainly they are targeting high-risk carriers and commercial motor vehicle drivers.

27. Find Ways How To Reward Drivers

28. Never Wake Your Drivers When They Are On Their Breaks

When a truck driver makes a break, you have to respect that!

There are some trucking companies that take their customers to be more important than their truckers. What happens in those kind of situations?

The leaders of trucking companies are waking their drivers when they are on their breaks, due to their customer’s needs.

A trucking company that is acting this way will never retain their truck drivers and fight truck drivers shortage.

29. Form A Circle Of Support

30. Don’t Use CDL Graduates As Cheap Labor

A common mistake that most trucking companies are making is using the CDL graduates as cheap labor.

This step that trucking companies are taking can just lead to two things, truck drivers to leave their companies and truck drivers to leave the trucking industry.

31. Make Your Freight Attractive

32. Offer State Of The Art Trucks

Truck manufacturers these days have made a favor to trucking companies.

Henceforth, these days truck manufacturers are designing and producing state of art trucks. These trucks are making the job of truck drivers way easier than before.

So, if your trucking company has the finances- offer your truckers the state of art trucks and fight truck drivers shortage!

33. Build Relationship With Your Drivers

34. Improve The Truck Driver – Dispatcher Relationship

Truckers and dispatchers have had problems in their communication since ever.

This truck driver-dispatcher relationship has led many truckers to leave their job.

So, if you want to fight truck drivers shortage try to improve the truck driver dispatcher relationship.

35. Reduce Driver Turnover

36. Recruit Millennial

Why recruiting millennial in a time when the trucking industry is facing truck drivers shortage seems to be the right choice?

Well, if you don’t think that a generation makes a difference, think again!

Millenials are always a good choice because they are smart, well-informed, and they know for sure how to consider one-size-fits all recruitment strategies.

37. Recruiting Military Drivers

38. Paying For Training

It is always a good idea to fight truck drivers shortage by paying for training!

By paying for training, you will offer the truck driver an immediate commitment to a good paying job with a variety of benefits.

This has turned out to be a great way to introduce the trucking industry to new truck drivers.

39. Improving The Image Of Drivers And Truckers

40. Use Smart Supply Chain Strategy

Smart supply chain strategy can help your trucking company to respond to an increasingly omni-channel environment.

Not only that, smart supply chain strategy can help trucking companies to retain truck drivers, and by that to fight truck drivers shortage.

In fact, supply chains are up against some daunting changes in the trucking industry, more precisely in the customer needs and what trucking companies have to offer.

41. Adopt Transportation Modeling As An Ongoing Business Process

42. Hold Monthly Driver Meetings

Holding monthly meetings with your team of truck drivers is more than preferable.

That is so, because that way you will get a chance to learn more about the people who are contributing your business to grow.

As well you will learn from first hand with what type of troubles are they facing with when on the road.

In my opinion holding monthly meetings with your team of truck drivers will improve the culture in your trucking company.

43. Speak To All Truck Drivers Regularly To Set Expectations And Troubleshoot Issues

44. Create A Consistent Driver On-Board Experiences

Personalization and context are the most important factors in improving the truck driver-on board experience. Keep this in mind!

45. Perform Management Ride-Along

46. Use of CRM Software To Ensure Consistent And High-Quality Interaction

We can witness that many trucking companies these days do not devote proper focus to the importance of data quality and consistency.

But, not all trucking companies are aware that most enterprise CEM implementations will be soon forced to use customer information!

47. Driver Wellness Should Be A Top Priority For Employees

48. Truck Driving Should Be Considered A Skilled Trade

There ain’t a doubt that truck driving is a skilled occupation!

By classifying truck drivers as low skill you are not recognizing the contribution that truck drivers are making for the society every day.

Actually, the trucking industry is helping numerous other industries to run their businesses impeccably. In addition the trucking industry altogether with truck drivers are contributing in a large scale to the U.S. economy.

So re-consider your opinion on truck driving not being considered a skilled trade!

49. Provide Your Truck Drivers Life Insurance

50. Let Your Truck Drivers Bring Their Pet On Long-Hauls

Well, many truck drivers want to bring their four leg companions with them on the road for the reason to keep them company while rolling on the road.

It is true that truck drivers who have pets joining them on the long-hauls are happier and more responsible than the ones that are driving without a pet.

Secondary 50 Tips To Use When Fighting Truck Drivers Shortage

1. Respect The Medical and MVR Rule;

2. Minimize the Over The Road Truck Driving Expenses;

3. Use Marketing Ideas And Strategies To Run A Successful Trucking Company And Retain Truck Drivers;

4. Comply With All Trucking Specific Business Licenses;

5. Let Your Truck Drivers Perform The Transportation Smarter Not Harder;

6. Truck Drivers Love Platooning – Let Them Use This Method Of Freight Transportation;

7. Increase Truck Driver Recruitment Campaign;

8. Provide Referral Bonuses To Drivers;

9. Use Sustainability On The Move;

10. Allow Truck Drivers A Real Opportunity For Advancement;

11. Provide Truck Drivers Sufficient Time For Rest;

12. Make Your Fleet Have Facilities For Female Truck Drivers;

13. Identify The Demographics Of Your Best Drivers;

14. Position The Job Opportunity To Leverage The Strengths Of Your Trucking Company And Tell The Truth;

15. Manage First Impression With Effective Onboarding;

16. Assign A Mentor To New Truck Drivers Joining The Trucking Company;

17. Grade Your Truck Drivers;

18. Provide Feedback Opportunities;

19. Provide Truck Drivers A Facility Network Offering Low-Cost Meals;

20. Offer Truck Drivers Company-Sponsored Benefits (Including Vision Exam, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance);

21. Give Truck Drivers Option Benefits At Reduced Rates;

22. Develop A Minimum Standard Of Operation And Undergo Licensing Form;

23. Provide Truck Drivers A Voice-Guided GPS Navigation With Trucking Profile;

24. Get The Latest In-Cab Technology Gadgets;

25. Build On-Board drivers loyalty;

26. Allow The Truck Driver To Transform The Truck Into His Home On The Road;

27. Provide Your Truck Drivers A Better Lifestyle- Smartphones To Communicate With FaceTime And Routes That Get Them Home Every Day;

28. Try To Fight Truck Drivers Shortage With Guaranteeing Time Off, Truck Sharing As Well As Zone Routes;

29. Upgrade Your Fleet Equipment;

30. Allow Your Truck Drivers To Get The Routes That They Need To Earn Money;

31. Provide Truck Drivers 401k Retirement Plans;

32. Allow Your Truck Drivers To Enjoy Paid Vacation As Well As Sick Leave;

33. Invest In Some Second Paychecks;

34. Keep Things Clean To Improve Morale;

35. Share Known Safe Parking Areas With Your Entire Network;

36. Reduce The Potential For Accidents Or Harm To The Driver;

37. Run A Referral Program ;

38. Maintain Good Relationship Even When The Drivers Leave;

39. Create Driver Feedback Loop;

40. Remind Customers Of The Value Of The Services That Your Truck Drivers Are Providing Them;

41. Try To Attract Truckers Who Will Accept The Disamenities of the Long-Haul Truck;

42. Be Open To Hire Truck Drivers From Other States;

43. Make Positivity A Priority;

44. Evaluate Your Company’s Unique Needs;

45. Consider Implementing a Graduated Incentives Program;

46. Arrange For Commercial Drivers To Have The Opportunity For Advanced Learning Through Webinars;

47. Include Notices And Applicable Information About Advancement Opportunities;

48. Set-up a Schedule Where Fleet Managers Conduct Regular Check-ins;

49. Use Truck Driver Surveys To Evaluate Current Pain Points;

50. Take An Active Interest In The Concern Of Your Truck Drivers ;

Conclusion

All in all, these tips to fight truck drivers shortage are a great starting point.

What is really important is to remember that there is no a perfect solution for truck drivers shortage. What you can do is to try to test which one of these tips will work for your trucking company.