Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/661456
April 2016 | Overdrive | 31 That's also the focus for Stay Metrics, which uses driver surveys and a recogni- tion and rewards program to boost reten- tion. The industry has long used a general- ized approach to fighting high turnover, says Craig Kinnear, the company's insights strategist, but the future lies in analyzing individual fleets' unique qualities. While some fleets can be outwardly similar, Kinnear says, less tangible dif- ferences in corporate cultures can affect retention rates. The more that's known about the characteristics of a certain fleet and its driver applicants, the higher the chance of strong retention. Here are some conclusions three fleets derived from driver information: • Interstate Distributor Co., a 1,400- truck dry van and refrigerated carrier based in Tacoma, Wash., noticed that drivers who are referred stick around longer, says Paul Simmons, chief operat- ing officer. • Decker Truck Line, a 700-truck refrigerated and flatbed carrier based in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, sees higher turnover and higher accident rates for drivers recruited from training schools. Decker had shifted away from recruiting driv- ers from schools but reverted back when applicants became too scarce. The com- pany now requires that drivers have at least one year of experience and offers training to bridge the gap. • When the driver turnover rate at Milan Supply Chain Solutions sur- passed 100 percent, management for the Jackson, Tenn.-based fleet looked closer, says David Dallas, senior vice president of the 350-truck carrier. They learned that 75 percent of terminated driv- ers were not married, 17 percent were rehires, and 88 percent had average employment gaps of six months within the past three years. The company changed some practices in an effort to get turnover down to 40 percent, Dallas says. Milan now funnels rehires through various departments before making a final decision. Knowing that engaging the spouse is important to retention, the company also spends more time explaining health insurance and other benefits to drivers' families. Such markers as employment gaps and marital status, mostly available on traditional driver applications, will be just the tip of the iceberg in tomorrow's world of recruiting and retention data. About two years ago, Stay Metrics began a research project with the University of Notre Dame, using 450 drivers work- ing for seven of the company's carrier clients. The study assesses drivers' per- sonality traits and links them with safety scores and turnover data. Timothy Judge, Stay Metrics' director of research, already has used the study's results to create two predictive models for turnover and safety, both linked to key personality traits of drivers. "Drivers with an orderly trait are structured – they take notes, make lists and keep their paperwork in order," says Tim Hindes, Stay Metrics CEO. "Anger is a personality trait one might expect of unsafe drivers, and when combined with the other traits in the models, a more holistic view emerges." 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. "I don't think there's a vast pool of bad drivers waiting to be discovered," he says. At the same time, "If I talk to a truck driver, I say, 'Unfortunately, you've cho- sen to participate in a profession that kills a lot of people.' " Consequently, "the level of scrutiny placed on carriers and drivers is a fact of life. So, sorry, drivers, it's going to happen." Dean Croke, vice president of Omnitracs Analytics, cites these examples of how some driver information predicts turnover, safety or both in ways that might not be expected. HOME LOCATION. Over-the- road drivers who live in states with low freight volumes may have more diffi culty getting home. "It's obvious from the start that the driver is going to quit," Croke says. TEXT MESSAGES. Patterns in text messages — certain words and frequency of messages — can be combined with patterns found in other data sets, such as the number of miles driven or a change in deadhead miles, to predict turnover and accidents. DETENTION TIME. "As minutes go up on docks, the chances increase for a critical event because drivers are rushing to do stuff," Croke says. DOT PHYSICALS. The highest turnover happens at nine months before a DOT physical. Croke believes the turnover is due to drivers choosing to leave the in- dustry rather than make lifestyle changes, such as wearing a CPAP device to correct sleep apnea problems. SURPRISING CONNECTIONS Interstate Distributor Co., a dry van and refrigerated carrier based in Tacoma, Wash., found higher retention rates with drivers hired as a referral. Examining its high turnover rate, Milan Supply Chain Solutions learned that 75 percent of its terminated drivers were not married. Visit the PODCASTS link in the upper left of Overdrive- Online.com's home page to hear an interview with predictive analytics expert Steve Bryan of Vigillo.