Recruiting drivers seems to be the main focus of several employers in the industry. While that is important, another key strategy that must not be forgotten is retaining the people you currently employ. While there are a few ways of keeping employees, our focus here is on the employees’ health and safety.
Losing an employee due to a long-term injury is very costly for the employer. It means having one less driver on the road; one less delivery; or, asking another driver to work longer, which can increase the chance of an accident due to fatigue. In the meantime, the employer must start looking for a replacement driver and, even then, a replacement driver will take time to be as productive as the previous employee was before the injury occurred.
The vulnerability of drivers is also increasing which creates a greater risk of long-term injury. According to the Conference Board of Canada, the average age of a truck driver is 46. A driver’s age will play a factor in their recovery time. Recognizing when and where a driver could get injured and taking appropriate steps to prevent it is the best way of retaining your workforce.
There are a number of items that are transported in a variety of ways. Many of them are moved by truck drivers. Unfortunately, the demand for truck drivers is currently exceeding the supply.
Regardless of the reasons why this is occurring, carriers have had to adapt to the shortage of drivers by offering them more incentives. For example: Western Express Inc. is installing in-cab satellite TV packages for drivers.
An article published in Truckers News, highlights the incentive the company is offering to attract and retain drivers. Drivers working for the company can be on the road anywhere from 7 to 14 days and giving them some of the ?comforts they have at home? is well worth it. You can find the article here.
Other organizations are trying to open up the job market by introducing a truck driving career to more women as they currently make up a very small portion of the industry’s workforce. It’s worth remembering that, with the development of resources such as mentoring, videos, and career opportunities, there is a greater likelihood we will see more female drivers in the future.
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