Understanding what drivers are satisfied with along with their pain points can help fleets create a better recruiting and retention strategy. If fleets can segment that strategy in an intentional way, they can make an even greater impact on your turnover numbers.

Through analysis of its driver surveys, Stay Metrics, produces a analytic referred to as the Stay Index. This analytic identifies issues that both show high levels of driver dissatisfaction and also are more influential in a driver’s level of commitment to a carrier. In other words, these issues, if addressed, will have the biggest impact on driver retention. The Stay Index data (picture below) is computed across a set of survey items from Stay Metrics Ongoing Experience Surveys relating to a host of driver-related issues and was produced using a dataset from the second half of 2020. The rating for each of the items below is based on at least 8,300 responses from men and 500 responses from women.

The trucking industry is dominated by men. As such, the opinions and voices of women may be harder to hear and recognize. By analyzing our Stay Index separately for men and women, we are able to identify issues that may be more important to either gender as it relates to their experiences driving for a carrier, Stay Metrics officials said.

Findings

• Pay matters, regardless of gender. The top item for both men and women is ‘The company gives me enough pay/settlement’.

• Women are more likely to value work/life balance. Three out of the top six items on the Stay Index for women are related to work/life balance, while there are no work/life balance items in the top six for men, and just two in the top ten.

• Pay/Settlement comparison items are more likely to affect men’s commitment to carriers. Pay/settlement issues were responsible for four out of the top five items for men, compared to two out of the top five for women (and three out of the top ten). The two unique pay/settlement issues appearing for men relate to their opinions of pay fairness based on experience and comparisons to other carriers.

Takeaways

• Implement and promote practices that address work/life balance. There are a number of areas to consider. Holiday pay should reflect an actual average day’s pay. Special home time requests should be honored and tracked. Rewards programs should provide more than money but also items that families would appreciate and enjoy.

• Customize recruiting messages. If fleets are focused on increasing the number of women driving for their organization, consider emphasizing the company’s efforts to promote work/life balance as well as addressing key items like pay as part of recruitment marketing.

• Keep an eye on average time in the industry. On average, women have less experience in the trucking industry. As they spend more time in the industry, items like ’my pay/settlement is fair compared to other carriers’ and ’my pay/settlement is fair considering how much experience I have’ could have a greater influence on their commitment.