Around the world, supply chains are largely dependent on truck drivers.
Without them, suppliers wouldn’t be able to transport their goods, and customers wouldn’t receive their purchases – it’s that simple.
Interestingly, there has been a lot of attention directed towards truck drivers recently. Due to staff shortages, there’s a big demand for drivers right now (and many companies have even contacted retired drivers to come and help them out).
So, if you currently have truck drivers who work for you – or are planning on hiring more in the future – this blog will be useful for you.
Keep reading to learn 5 ways you can improve your truck drivers and keep morale levels high.
1. Provide drivers with training
The first step you need to take is this: provide your drivers with training.
Whether you’re a household moving business or a private fleet company, training will help employees drive better.
It will enable them to be safer on the road, spot potential hazards more quickly, and react when danger strikes. Not only will this keep them safe, but it will also keep the goods and products in the back of the truck safe, too.
2. Offer pay incentives
A good tactic to improve your truck drivers is to offer them pay incentives.
Not only will this boost motivation, but it will also attract more talented drivers at the same time.
In a competitive industry where vacancies are proving more difficult to fill, this is a sure-fire way to give your company an advantage.
3. Create a feedback program
Next, you should create a feedback program for your existing drivers to use at least once a year.
The feedback program should revolve around anonymity. Drivers will then be able to provide you with authentic feedback surrounding what they like and what they think should change.
As a brief example, you might discover that drivers are unhappy with the trucks at their disposal and feel that they aren’t well maintained. Naturally, if a truck driver is operating a vehicle that they don’t believe to be fully safe, this is going to harm their ability to drive.
You should allow employees to complete feedback forms online quickly and efficiently. Feedback should then be handled by an analytics expert who will present the signs and patterns to management.
4. Focus on mentorship
As mentioned in the introduction, there’s a shortage of truck drivers – especially in the US. Due to this, a federal apprenticeship program is being launched that will train thousands of new truck drivers as young as 18. Essentially, the government is looking to fix the shortage problem by bringing in teenagers to be truck drivers!
Although this is perfectly fine, truck driving is all about experience and mentorship. Therefore, it’s an excellent strategy to create a mentorship model within your company that will see younger drivers come on board and partner with your most experienced drivers.
Then, after a year of training and first-hand experience, they will be more equipped to tackle the job individually.
5. Reward your best-performing drivers
When your employees see that there is a reward for high performance (such as fast transportation of products), this will give them the push they need to perform better.
Rewards can range from promotions to cash bonuses, so make sure to think carefully about what yours will be.