Lately, many industries have been experiencing a shortfall in staff and the fleet industry is no different. With most truck drivers over 50, the crisis is about to get bigger. As recruiting new truck drivers takes time and money, it is best to retain the workforce that you already have. However, the retention rate for truck drivers is not great due to the nature of the job. Here are some tips on why truck drivers quit and how to deal with it.
Not enough time with family
It is understandable that truck drivers quit after feeling that they don’t have adequate time to spend at home with friends and family. Here are some things you can do to encourage a better work/life balance.
- Draw up work schedules to enable work/ life balance
- Ensure emergency contacts are available and drivers know how to access them wherever they are
- Have an emergency SOS policy in place so drivers can get drivers home in case of urgent need (e.g birth, illness)
Feeling burnt out
With long hours on the road, drivers naturally would feel burnt out after a while. Sleep, rest and privacy are important factors among truck drivers for their well-being. Suggest implementing these things to ensure your truck drivers in Singapore don’t feel burnt out:
- Get a Fatigue Risk Management system in place
- Ensure the route offers quiet resting facilities where drivers can take a nap if possible
- Create awareness and provide information on the importance of sleep and managing fatigue
- Put a stop-work policy in place
- Encourage employees to plan ahead before they hit the road for food and break stops
Being afraid of the risks of truck driving
Driving for work carries with it its own risk. Helping drivers stay safe and feel secure, goes beyond ensuring you don’t set unrealistic (and possibly illegal) delivery schedules or deadlines, which may encourage drivers to exceed speed limits or take shortcuts or other risks. Here are some things to consider to make your truck drivers feel more confident:
- Defensive driving course
- Incident reporting and learning
- First aid and emergency response
- Shift work acclimatisation programme
There is no one solution to dealing with drivers’ problems and concerns, but the key to understanding why your drivers leave is to understand what’s important to them. For our previous article on retaining truck drivers in your company, click here.
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