A recent survey conducted by PrePass Safety Alliance provides new insight into what may help solve these fleets’ struggle to find qualified drivers and decrease driver turnover. And not surprisingly, pay and time at home were virtually tied as the the two most important job benefits for drivers, according to respondents.  

The survey shows how both truck drivers and fleet executives rate the value of benefits offered by their companies using a 5-point scale, from “Not Important” to “Extremely Important.” More than 350 PrePass customers and non-customers responded, with “driver pay/compensation” showing an average score of 4.18.

“While the importance of driver pay and time at home were no surprise, the survey results underline the importance of tools, including weigh station bypass, that help drivers do their jobs most efficiently,” said Andrew Johnson, chief marketing officer for PrePass Safety Alliance.

The top three driver benefits scored very closely among both executive and driver groups, with “time at home/flexible hours” rated a 4.17 and “weigh station bypass service provided” rated a 4.07.

Driver turnover at large truckload fleets with more than $30 million in annual revenue posted its largest quarterly jump in more than three years during the third quarter of 2019, hitting a 96% annualized rate, according to American Trucking Associations’ data. The rate at small carriers rose six points to 73% in the same period.

“It’s important that fleets offer benefits that will attract and help retain good driving talent,” said Johnson. “Using this company benefit study as a benchmark, in addition to internal driver surveys, can help carriers ensure they are offering benefits and work environments conducive to driver satisfaction.”