Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/476554
2 0 | BULLDOG | 2 0 1 5 V 1 Myth: Drivers leave for more pay. Fact: Surveyed drivers almost always say they will leave their company for more money. However, that's not the complete picture. According to a 2014 Randall-Reilly survey of 360 company drivers and leased owner-operators, pay woes were the top reason drivers leave their company. But lack of respect ranked nearly as high as pay. Other criteria, such as no career path, not enough home time and not feeling like part of a team rounded out the reasons to leave. Feeling disrespected by companies, dis- patchers, shippers and the general public may be the real reason truckers leave. Most ƅHHWRZQHUVVD\WKH\VWUXJJOHWRNHHSGULY ers feeling engaged, a problem that is not unique to trucking. In fact, a 2013 Gallup report based on interviews with 1.4 million employees from 192 organizations across 49 industries and 34 countries, showed HPSOR\HHHQJDJHPHQWLVQRWLQƅXHQFHGE\ pay levels. Contributing to lack of driver engagement LVWKHLVRODWHGQDWXUHRIWKHMRE%XWƅHHW owners who interact with drivers, listen to their concerns, stand up to shippers on drivers' behalf and support home time requests believe those efforts pay off in increased retention. Myth: Drivers can't resist chrome and a nice paint job. Fact: When asked what equipment feature is most important, drivers overwhelmingly chose a "special seat that improves comfort for long hours of driving," according to the Randall-Reilly survey. "Good-looking paint MRErUDQNHGƄIWKEHKLQGODWHPRGHOWUXFN mobile communications and fuel economy features. As one respondent said: "Chrome GRQpWJHW\RXKRPHrEXWƅHHWVPLJKWZDQW to consider investing in the one area where drivers spend most of their workday — the seat. ON BUSINESS BUSINESS TIPS Sources: American Trucking Associations, American Transportation Research Institute, National Institute of Health. 5 for long hours of drivin long hours of driv Randall-Reilly survey. " andall-Reilly survey MRErUDQNHGƄIWKEHKLQ RErUDQNHGƄIWKEHK mobile communication mobile communicat features. As one respo features. As one respo GRQpWJHW\RXKRPHrE GRQpWJHW\RXKRPHrE to consider investing in to consider investing in drivers spend most of drivers spend most of seat. eat. 5 Myth: Drivers are woefully underpaid. 3 oefully underp efully under 4 s leave for ve for s almost always say almost always say mpany for more mpany for more s not the complete s not the complete a 2014 Randall-Reilly a 2014 Randall-Reilly y drivers and leased d leased woes were the top the top Fact: Contrary to what most discontented GULYHUVVD\GULYHUSD\DQGEHQHƄWVKDYH increased. It's a growing trend, forced by supply and demand and some of the larger WUXFNORDGƅHHWV6ZLIW6FKQHLGHU:HUQHU U.S. Express), and even some of the mid- VL]HGƅHHWVKDYHLQFUHDVHGGULYHUSD\DQG EHQHƄWVDVWKH\JUDSSOHZLWKWKHFRVWRI parked trucks with empty seats. A recent ATA VWXG\RIƅHHWVDQGPRUHWKDQ drivers found that median pay for drivers ranged from just over $46,000 for national, irregular route dry van truckload drivers to PRUHWKDQIRUSULYDWHƅHHWYDQGULY ers. Fleets use a variety of methods to pay drivers. Mileage-based pay is the most com- mon, but others use a mix of paying some drivers by the hour and some by mile. Nearly SHUFHQWRIWUXFNORDGƅHHWVRIIHUSDLGKROL GD\VDQGNUHWLUHPHQWSODQVZLWK matching employee contributions. Bob Costello, chief economist for ATA, says the growing economy is driving a more com- petitive driver market. "Fleets are raising pay DQGRIIHULQJJHQHURXVEHQHƄWSDFNDJHVWR attract and retain drivers," he says. In fact, a recent study by Transport Capital Partners found that 90 percent of respondents plan to increase driver pay, more than 1/3 by as much as 6 to 10 percent. How the driver shortage adds up 35,000 current shortage of drivers The American Trucking Associations estimates trucking needs tens of thousands more TXDOLƄHGGULYHUVULJKWQRZ 46.5 average driver age Not only are today's GULYHUVTXLFNO\DJLQJ RXWRIWKHZRUNIRUFH PRVW\RXQJHUZRUNHUV take little interest in GULYLQJDVDFDUHHU 50% of drivers are obese Compared to the general population DYHUDJHRIWUXFNHUVDUHDOPRVW WZLFHDVOLNHO\WREHREHVHPDNLQJWKHP PRUHOLNHO\WRVXIIHUIURPKHDUWGLVHDVH FDQFHUVOHHSDSQHDMRLQWSUREOHPVDQG RWKHUZHLJKWUHODWHGLOOQHVVHV 2.3% increase in tonnage hauled by truck by 2024 Trucking's share of freight tonnage is set WRLQFUHDVHRYHUWKHQH[WGHFDGHWR SHUFHQW7KDWPHDQVPRUHWUXFNVuDQG GULYHUVuQHHGHGWRPRYHLW 97% turnover at ODUJHƃHHWV %HFDXVHQHDUO\RIWKHLU GULYHUZRUNIRUFHWXUQVRYHU HDFK\HDUƅHHWVPXVWZRUNWR NHHSH[LVWLQJWUXFNVƄOOHG PDNLQJH[SDQVLRQ GLIƄFXOW 240,000 projected driver shortage by 2020 $GGDOORIWKHVHIDFWRUVWRJHWKHUDQGWUXFNLQJFRXOGEHORRNLQJ DWDQHYHQPRUHVHYHUHVKRUWDJHLQWKHFRPLQJ\HDUV