Page 54 - Arkansas Trucking Report Volume 23 Issue 2

THE LAST WORD

Listen, Act, Respond

By Max Farrell four issues (as you would expect). However, noticing inefficiencies in load planning, you

Guest Writer the top issue within the pay theme wasn’t could put a task force together to map out
We’re all reading the about wanting more money. The top issues improvements in the process. When we close
same things: driver short- within pay were “I don’t understand my pay” the feedback loop, we have to respond. The
ages, driver turnover, a fire- and “my pay is incorrect.” By asking open- most toxic thing we can do is ask for feed-
hot freight market, etc. ended questions we can understand the root back and do nothing with it, followed closely
Now more than ever, of the issues causing drivers to seek new by acting and not communicating that feed-
trucking executives are opportunities. back led the charge.
wanting to take advantage of the business Listen to their expectations when they Here are a few ways you can close the
opportunities provided by the industry. But join your team. Expectations for a new hire feedback loop:
there’s a roadblock: it’s tough to find and are the glue that makes or breaks their trust
keep truck drivers. with your company. Aligning expectations RESPOND
For too long trucking companies have on pay, home time, equipment and commu- Share regular progress updates on
focused strictly on recruiting. But with nication are crucial and set your relationship company feedback. Highlight actions (even
recruiting metrics favoring the advertiser and up for success. small wins), bigger changes and clear up
not the trucking company, driver retention is Listen to the industry. Every company miscommunications. The rumor mill runs
being revisited. embraces safety and has an open door policy. wild if you don’t communicate directly and
Why? Because it’s less expensive to keep Those are table stakes. Pay attention to the continuously.
your people than it is to replace them. It’s pay raises and other incentives that are being Take advantage of multiple communica-
safer to coach drivers than to replace bad shared with drivers in your market. If you are tion styles to reach drivers in the way they
habits. And you can build a culture when seeing these trends, better believe your driver communicate. Connect via text, email, con-
people stick around. noticed it first. ference calls, town halls and even Facebook
Given anyone reading this also wants to Listen to the online chatter. Drivers are live to share updates.
improve driver retention, I have some simple sharing feedback somewhere. Forums and Show that deliberation is happening.
advice: Facebook are becoming increasingly popu- Sometimes drivers simply need to see that
• Listen to your people. lar avenues to talk shop. If you don’t know their ideas and issues are being discussed in
• Act on what they say. what’s being said, you can’t do anything the office and at the leadership level. Even if
• And respond to show them that about it. But listening is only part of the you can’t make a change, explaining why you
change is happening. battle. When we ask for driver feedback, it’s can’t goes a long way.
Below are a few tactics you can apply to important they see action come from it. There’s no silver bullet when it comes to
steadily make improvements in increasing driver turnover. But respect is more valuable
driver retention. ACT than higher pay almost any day. By commit-
Find small wins. For example, if a vend- ting to a continuous feedback loop with your
LISTEN ing machine is broken in the driver lounge, drivers you will show that your company
Listen to your drivers. Be open by asking get it fixed quickly. It’s a small thing, but it’s is listening, working to get better, and that
open-ended questions instead of survey ques- an indicator that your company is attentive their voice matters at your company. There’s
tions, which introduce bias. This allows driv- to driver needs. nothing more powerful than that. ATR
ers to share the good, the bad and the ugly. Act with bigger initiatives. Change
Here’s an example of why this is recom- is hard, but showing drivers substantial Max Farrell is co-founder and CEO of
WorkHound, a continuous feedback plat-
mended: when we analyzed 8500 drivers’ changes based on feedback can make all the form built to help carriers retain drivers
feedback last year, pay was one of the top difference. For example, if your drivers are and improve the truck driver experience.

Opinions expressed on this page may not reflect official policies or opinions of the Arkansas Trucking Association or the American Trucking Associations.

54 Issue 2 2018 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT