The Best Fleets to Drive For program run by CarriersEdge for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has reported on more than 5,300 fleet responses and 9,000 driver surveys to provide a picture of practices employed by the Best Fleets winners.<\/p>\n
As reported by Trucknews.com\u2019s \u00a0James Menzies:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are aiming to recognize the programs that move the industry forward, first and foremost,\u201d Mark Murrell, co-owner of online training firm CarriersEdge said during a two-part webinar series that looked to do just that. \u201cA lot of the stuff that\u2019s working really well isn\u2019t that difficult to implement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The webinar series shared several best practices that have been proven effective by some of the Best Fleets to Drive For.<\/p>\n
Pay, benefits and vacation time are not surprisingly three of the top things drivers say they\u2019d like more of. While the Best Fleets program doesn\u2019t score companies on compensation, it does keep an eye on emerging trends. And this is a good news story for drivers.<\/p>\n
More fleets are paying drivers to participate in orientation, and the amount of compensation offered is also on the rise. The average is about US$213 a day, judges found, up from about $100 on average just a couple years ago. Some fleets even pay as much as $400-$500 per day of orientation. Meanwhile, fleets are moving some aspects of orientation online to reduce class time and keep drivers home if possible, while at the same time better compensating them for the time spent on the premises during orientation.<\/p>\n
Trucking companies are also getting more generous with paid vacation time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, half the fleets are doing way more vacation than that,\u201d Murrell said, referring to the legal minimums. Drivers at the Best Fleets are also finding they can attain more vacation time faster than in the past. Some are also getting access to vacation time sooner after starting the job. \u201cDrivers are fans of it,\u201d Murrell said.<\/p>\n
In addition to wanting more pay, benefits, and vacation time, drivers also want more say in new equipment and technologies. There has actually been an increase in the drivers surveyed who say they don\u2019t get a say in spec\u2019ing new equipment, with 5.2% saying they \u201cstrongly disagree\u201d when asked this question. Only 45.2% say they \u201cstrongly agree,\u201d which has fallen sharply from the usual 70-90% range. Murrell acknowledged this could be a function of fleets having fewer choices in spec\u2019ing equipment over the last couple years due to supply chain constraints.<\/p>\n
The Best Fleets program also discovered only 58% of drivers follow the company they work for on social media. Murrell said this is surprising, since social media is a well used tool by fleets to communicate with their people. \u201cIt seems like a low-hanging fruit, to get more of them involved,\u201d he said of drivers and social media.<\/p>\n
Pay for parking is also on the rise, and something drivers appreciate when it\u2019s offered by their carrier. Even parking at terminals goes a long way toward satisfying a driver \u2013 and it\u2019s free.<\/p>\n
And it should come as no surprise that drivers want to be able to travel with their pets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe definitely see fleets that are investing in this area,\u201d Murrell said, noting some are building kennels, dog walks, and pet relief areas into their terminals. \u201cDrivers absolutely love it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n