Nine Perfect Suggestions For Finding & Keeping Great Drivers

One of the biggest challenges for any fleet business is being able to keep hold of drivers. It’s not that they don't want to stay, but the thought of long hours on the road and not many benefits makes the job one of the hardest to be involved with. In any courier and fleet business, driver turnover is usually high – but this is entirely avoidable. When it comes to making drivers happy, it’s not all about pay, and that’s where most fleet companies go wrong.

If you ask any driver who works for your courier or fleet business what will keep them around, they’re not likely to tell you that it’s the pay. They’ll talk about the shifts and the lack of a good work/life balance. They’ll talk about the fact that there is little room for professional development. You could have the best fleet Insurance for small business that keeps them safe and secure on the road, but if your drivers aren’t happy about their current package, you’re going to have a higher turnover than you’d like. The thing is, this all comes from you. You need to be engaged and present when your drivers are telling you that something is wrong. You should be listening to them, at least if you want to make the right improvements, you should be. 

If your drivers aren't engaged and involved in the job that you have set out for them, you’re going to find that nothing will ever change. Your team – from the drivers to the executives in your business – need to feel as engaged as possible. You need more than an open door policy to discuss issues in the business. As a business leader, you must be a face for them to get to know. You must meet your drivers face to face and talk to them, get to know their names and match the names to the faces. Don’t be afraid to talk about the problems in the business – and don't take offence to their opinions. You can only improve (and gain respect) if you listen to the issues and do something about them.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at nine excellent suggestions for finding and keeping experienced and professional drivers that your business will thrive with.

Start With Money

Okay, so we said that it’s not all about money and we stand by that. However, money does talk and you need to be competitive. Drivers honestly do not get paid enough in their role, but you have the power to change that. You need to be able to develop a sophisticated pay package for your drivers so that they feel like you really do want them to be comfortable. Of course, you have to look at your business budget and work out what you can pay, but you need to offer something competitive and sophisticated. If your best drivers can be paid more elsewhere, that’s where they will go. So, look at the current salaries that you are paying and work out a scale of progression. Keep your basic salaries higher than average and make sure that your pay rates are as consistent as possible.

Move Onto The Package

Aside from salary, what are you offering? Are you offering high safety and security for your drivers? Do you offer good holiday time and flexibility for those with families? How about split shifts instead of 12 hour trips? There are plenty of ways that you can make the life of your drivers easier and more manageable in terms of hours, and you need to look at what you are offering as a whole if you want a low turnover. The most important way to do this is to ask your drivers what they want. You can’t revamp your entire plan and package offerings if you are still going to make mistakes with your offerings. It could really surprise you to learn that they would like vouchers for meals on the road. It could even help you to map out incentive plans. Some drivers may like to see updated technology in the vans so that they can be safer on the roads. The only way that you will do well here is you ask the people you are planning to pay what their thoughts are.

Get Online

As a business, you need to be online. It’s not just about a good website that people can see, but your recruitment efforts should be online and you should be on social media, too. It’s not about the fact that people will be able to find you, but you can make life easier for potential drivers who are applying to work with your business when you are online. Along with recruitment, setting up a social media platform for drivers to mingle is so important. Driving can be a lonely job, so if you ensure that your employees get to know each other, you are going to be able to take away some of the battle.

Don’t Be Unrealistic

As you hire new drivers, don't promise them the world and deliver them to a local postcode. If you know that you cannot offer something, don't say that you can only to backtrack later. It leaves people feeling duped when this happens. Do better with your advertising to make sure that people know that this is a hard industry and a difficult job. When you do that, you can advertise in a way that says you KNOW how hard it can be, but here are the plethora of ways you plan to make it easier. It makes you look good!

Invest In Good Onboarding

Orientation for new drivers needs to be funded well. You want to ensure that new hires are thoroughly trained and very aware of the rigours of the job in which they are about to embark. Get face to face with your staff and make sure that you are treating them with respect, too. During orientation, get to know your new driver's personally and make sure that you don't just disappear after that initial period. Make sure that your drivers are confident on their routes before you allow them to drive alone and keep them aware of how you can improve their future through courses on offer. Good onboarding offers security and confidence, and you’re in charge of that.

Put Their Health First

There is nothing healthy about sitting in a van for hours on end, which is why you need to do what you can to foster good driver health – physically and mentally. More places than ever are offering their drivers incentives such as gym memberships, health screenings and access to a counsellor for their mental health. You can also offer healthy, cooked meals at business bases and vouchers for healthy choices while your drivers are on the road. The key here is education, and giving your drivers the chance to educate themselves on their health and wellbeing is vital for their health and success as a driver. Offer incentives on their steps: they may be sat down, but they can stretch their legs at rest stops.

Get Your Drivers Home

The biggest issue with long-distance driving is the lack of time at home. So, you need to be clever about where you hire people. Hiring your drivers to be close to delivery and pick up locations – or at least halfway between the two – is going to be a good idea. You can get your drivers home more often than they are on the road if you are mindful of their locations and their needs. Round-trips can still be done, but on a shorter scale so that they can be managed easily. You want your drivers to get home to their families, and that’s why you must consider their locations.

Listen

If your drivers have problems with their route, their pay, their mental health – listen. Just listen to what they have to say and work together on a solution. There is nothing worse than trying to convince your drivers that they are fine when they are clearly not fine. So, pay attention to them and make the right decisions to ensure that things are smoothed over once more. Solve their problems and do it in a way that allows your drivers to feel secure. 

Don’t Be Everything

To find and keep the best drivers, you cannot be everything. You cannot do it all and you shouldn't try to. Take the best approach by learning what your drivers want and adapting to fit – within reason, of course. You need to find something that fits your company culture and bring in the experts to help you hire the drivers that will work the best for you. You can outsource your education and training and solely focus on your drivers and their needs, allowing you to get the best out of the people working for you. Hire well and your business will thrive!