Tackling Driver Turnover Part 3 – Safety

So far, we have discussed setting your retention and recruiting efforts up for success. We have also discussed the platform, how we will conduct ourselves through this effort, and the importance of knowing where you are in the marketplace on driver wage. The next step revolves around safety; when discussing retention with my new clients, I ask them what their safety records are early in the investigation process. Safety records are one of the most overlooked areas when trucking companies decide to come to grips with their turnover and recruitment issues.

I can count on the client’s response coming in one of two forms; the first and most favorable response is that the company has a very good safety record and above-average CSA scores. The usual reaction to my receiving this information is to ask how they leverage their efforts and results. I admit this is a bit of a trap, as I usually do social media reconnaissance before the call. If they had been leveraging their safety results, I would have congratulated them for their efforts at the beginning of our conversation.

Let me state clearly that if you’re a company with a very good safety record and you're not flaunting this fact in everything you're putting out in your communications strategy, you are seriously missing the boat. A good safety record cannot be bought, and you can only slide on good luck for so long. The only way to achieve good results is through diligence, dedication, and ensuring you do the right things right, and it is usually a cultural cornerstone of all successful companies. Anyone who does not think that truck drivers and owner-operators care about your company's safety record has their head in the sand; it is the second layer of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and is paramount to an effective retention and recruitment strategy.

The second response I get is that the company has had some issues and has started to focus on getting its CSA scores and safety results in line. Although not the most favorable situation, it also has value when the company draws a line in the sand on the safety issue, and you can also use the situation as a bellwether moment for turning the corner on the driver retention numbers.

Companies with lower turnover have safer fleets; ask any insurance provider; they have lower CSA scores, fewer claims, more reliable equipment, etc. You demonstrate your care and concern for your drivers and the motoring public by focusing on the safety effort. You can use the safety effort as a springboard for effective efforts on turnover because the two go hand in hand. Professional truck drivers want to drive for professional trucking companies; it is a no-brainer. Shoddy equipment, being pulled into scales regularly reporting unfixed deficiencies, seeing crashed trucks against the fence in their yard, all these scenarios lead to high turnover, and there is no need for them to exist.

If you are one of the two companies described in this article, please consider the above and act accordingly. In my experience, my own company was in dire straits when we had a 120% turnover. When my phone would ring in the evening or on the weekend while I was home, and after identifying the caller as my safety manager, I would ask if we hurt anyone before I would say hello. This was no fun, and it was a situation that could not sustain itself; fast forward a short five years, and we had won three TCA National Fleet Safety Awards, and our turnover was 20%. We were fully staffed, making much better margins.

The next section will delve into the various facets of effective communication. As a precursor to that, it's important to note that a robust communication strategy is vital to every successful safety effort. After identifying your current position and setting your future goals, deciding how you will get there is crucial. Soliciting your driver’s opinions on various elements is an effective strategy and a way to make them feel involved and responsible in the recruitment and retention effort.

Take Good Care

Rjh