Today kicks off National Driver Appreciation Week for 2019! We love this time of year. It is our mission at LinkeDrive to consistently give drivers positive feedback to help them improve; so what’s better than a whole week dedicated to acknowledging their efforts! After all, America’s professional truck drivers are the lifeblood of our economy.
The reality is that most people outside of the transportation industry don’t realize how tough of a job our nation’s truck drivers have on a daily basis. Every day, rain or shine, they’re out there delivering goods we all rely on across the country. They have to battle with the unbearable rush hour traffic, clueless drivers and the constantly changing weather. While these drivers are watching the road, they’re also watching and actively managing their mpg, idle time, accelerations and decelerations, just to name a few.
With crowded and crumbling infrastructure, tough weather, and unpredictable drivers, it is the least we can do to recognize both the difficulty and the importance of the work our truck drivers are doing. The businesses that focus on their drivers get better results, and longer retention.
Companies that struggle with driver retention tend to have a very high turnover. The estimates are that driver turnover costs the industry somewhere between $3 and $5 billion a year. Replacing a single driver, it can cost anywhere between $5 – $15K. Taking the average of $10K, that means if that truck rolls 100K miles per year, the replacement of the driver will cost them 10 cents / mile for the next year.
Think about that! No matter how hard you try to improve your efficiencies, you’ll never be as good as you could be if you’re not investing in and appreciating your drivers.
With driver turnover rates in the 80-90 percent range, companies that manage to retain more or most drivers will have a very significant advantage against their competitors and on the bottom line of the company.
LinkeDrive is in the business of retaining drivers, making sure that they are happy, efficient, and productive. Our Driver Performance Management system is based exclusively on positive driver engagement and driver appreciation.
Check it out at www.linkedrive.com