Creative Way to Recruit/Retain Drivers

It’s a continuing problem that is now escalating: it’s the driver shortage, compounded by driver turnover and retention issues. Currently there is a shortage conservatively listed at 60,000 drivers; industry experts say that could triple by the year 2026. Turnover is on the rise too – well past the 90% level for large truckload carriers; smaller truckload carriers have turnover pegged at more than 70%.  

Continuing to raise driver pay will help attract new drivers and keep others from leaving their current position.  But, drivers also want to maximize time on the road – fleets that maximize miles for their drivers are the ultimate winners. More fleets are working with shippers to reduce detention time; improved routing is also a key component. Another way to keep freight (and driver pay) moving is through weigh station bypass, a growing trend in the industry. With Drivewyze PreClear, drivers are seeing bypass rates of up to 98 percent. The better the safety record for the fleet, the higher the bypass rate.

Weigh station bypass is a perk drivers cherish according to a survey from Drivewyze.  It saves on-duty time, removes the stress of going through weigh station inspections, and helps them get home faster. In the survey, 65% of drivers said they’re more likely to stay with a company that provides a company-paid bypass service as a benefit. And those same drivers said when comparing identical job opportunities, they’d be three times more likely to choose a company that provides weigh station bypass.

Those numbers ring true for J.B. Hunt Transport’s Greer Woodruff, senior VP of safety, security and driver personnel. “The feedback that we receive from drivers has been phenomenal,” he said. “One of the things that I think causes J.B. Hunt to stand out within the transportation and logistics business is that we are very entrepreneurial and we deploy technologies that help improve the lives of our drivers. Our drivers value the Drivewyze bypass service in terms of the in-cab alerts and communication. What we see with Drivewyze is that they have more bypass locations (Drivewyze is currently in 43 states and provinces with more than 700 fixed and temporary weigh station locations), more bypasses per truck per month, which translates into lower fuel costs and more valuation of our driver’s time.  We are seeing a very nice return on our investment.”

Valuing a driver’s time was critical in car hauler Moore Transport’s decision to go with Drivewyze bypass. According to Treasure Phillippi, safety supervisor at Moore Transport, before deploying Drivewyze, exit interviews revealed that 1 out of every 5 of her drivers left because the company couldn’t live up to its goal of preserving their weekend off-duty time. Drivers suggested weigh station bypass as one possible solution, and in 2016 the company starting using Drivewyze PreClear. Drivers who are utilizing Drivewyze have noted the ability to be able to load cars for delivery for the following day before their hours of service expire. It has also eliminated the need for drivers to work into the evenings on Fridays or on Saturday mornings as nearly as often.

According to Steve Williams, chairman and CEO of Maverick USA, Drivewyze has been a great fit for the company’s drivers. “Drivewyze offers a technology platform that is consistent with what we are trying to do -- challenge the status quo to improve the quality of the driver's experience,” he said. “Maverick chose the Drivewyze platform because we recognized wireless technology as the next generation and we were aligned in our willingness to leverage that technology. Drivewyze has been able to differentiate itself through its customer service and innovation. Its platform is the future.”

With over 700 service sites, Drivewyze PreClear is the nation’s largest weigh station bypass service, delivering more bypasses at more locations than any other provider. Fully integrated into ELDs and telematics devices from leading providers, as well as mobile devices, Drivewyze eliminates the need for bypass transponders while helping you maximize your technology investment.

Want to find out exactly how much time and money your fleet is wasting at weigh scales? Or where your drivers are getting pulled in the most? Let us show you – with our free Drivewyze Weigh Station Activity Report.

Find out how Drivewyze is helping carriers save money, improve driver productivity, and deliver loads faster at Drivewyze.com