A turnover survey of women truck drivers has found that dissatisfaction with tractors topped a list of reasons why they leave a motor carrier. That's accoridng to an annual survey conducted by Stay Metrics.

Women make up only 6% of the truck driver populatio,n according to the Department of Labor, and it is a segment of workers that could help the trucking industry address the driver shortage.

The annual driver survey is administered by Stay Metrics on behalf of its carrier clients to monitor driver turnover. The survey included responses from 12,502 drivers from 78 different carriers, of whom 1,122 were women.

“We consistently find that women drivers expect to be paid the same, to have equal opportunities, and to be treated with the same level of respect for doing the same job as male drivers,” said Tim Hindes, chief executive officer of Stay Metrics. “This research offers new insights into the relationship between women’s experiences and their propensity to leave a carrier.”

Dissatisfaction with the tractor topped the list for women drivers. Maintenance department and maintenance frequency were also important concerns, suggesting women place a high value on working equipment and avoiding breakdowns.  

Stay Metrics said it applied its latest predictive driver turnover model to identify correlations between areas of driver dissatisfaction or satisfaction with the known actions of drivers leaving or staying with their carriers.

The top 15 predictors of turnover for women drivers were found to be:

1. Dissatisfaction with tractor

2. Dissatisfaction with compensation for deadhead miles

3. Dissatisfaction with hours worked

4. Inadequately preparation during orientation for driving at this carrier

5. Lack of respect at carrier’s facilities

6. Dissatisfaction with Maintenance Department

7. My work experiences match the expectations I had when I signed up for this job

8. Dissatisfaction with frequency of maintenance done on equipment

9. Dissatisfaction with dispatcher

10. Dissatisfaction with pay

11. Not getting enough miles

12. Dissatisfaction with the respect my carrier shows me

13. Work is not steady enough

14. Desire to switch my dispatcher

Male drivers showed some correlation of predictors with women. Deadhead miles, the frequency of maintenance, dispatcher dissatisfaction, and desire to switch a dispatcher also appeared in men’s top predictors. However, dispatcher issues proved to be less of a concern for women as it only appeared in two of the top 15 issues while it was related to seven turnover predictors for men.

“The list shows the overall reasons why women drivers will choose to leave or stay with their carriers, but we all know that not all carriers are alike,” said Dr. Timothy Judge, Stay Metrics' director of research. “When applied to individual carrier data, our predictive models deliver important insights on the controllable causes of turnover that are specific to each company.”