Drivewyze Survey Spotlights Value of Weigh Station Bypass for Driver Retention
According to a recent survey by Drivewyze, weigh station bypass ranked No. 5 out of 10 employee benefits that drivers said that they wanted.
“Bypassing weigh stations allows drivers to obtain on-time performance more frequently, helping them meet hours-of-service requirements and getting them home faster,” Drivewyze CEO Brian Heath said.
The Burlingame, California-based company offers mobility services for commercial drivers and fleets through Drivewyze PreClear bypass serviceand the Drivewyze Analytics Weigh Station Loss Reporting service.
Available on ELDs, smart phones and tablets, Drivewyze detects when the truck is approaching a fixed weigh station or temporary inspection site. Carrier information is pulled up, and if the carrier passes the criteria established by the state’s commercial vehicle enforcement agency, a bypass is granted.
Drivers in the survey also said they wanted fuel discounts, a rider policy, sign-on bonus, Internet access, navigation and a pet policy.
Companies tend to use sign-on bonuses and fuel discounts to help retain and recruit new drivers.
“We’re finding that Drivewyze users with the best scores get a free pass 98% of the time,” Heath said.
The survey found that of the nearly 600 drivers who responded, almost half said they have never worked at companies that offered bypass. And out of those 320 drivers, 65% said they would be more likely to stay with their current employer if that employer offered paid weigh station bypass service.
American Trucking Associations recently reported that second-quarter turnover on a year-over-year basis fell to 87% from 96% among large truckload fleets, those with $30 million or more in annual revenue. Smaller fleets’ churn dropped more sharply, to 76% from 94%, over the same period. However, those favorable signs were counterbalanced by a driver-shortage report that identified a 25% increase this year to a shortfall of 47,500 drivers. Next year, the shortage could rise 55% to 73,500, driven by factors such as aging. The average linehaul driver age of 49 is seven years older than the U.S. working population.
“Our work shows the great and growing need for drivers,"ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said.
Heath said the survey also found: 99% of respondents rated weigh station bypass as important to their daily operation; 63% of drivers who have worked for companies that provided weigh station bypass felt more positive about their job and company; and 79% of drivers who did not receive a company-paid bypass service at the time of the survey said they would view their job and employer more positively if was offered.
Among the drivers who were using or have used weigh station bypass, the average perceived value of company-paid bypass service was more than $2,000 in time- and fuel-related savings and more than 120 hours of saved drive time annually, the company said.
The average-sized fleet pays less than $170 annually to subscribe a driver with Drivewyze service, the company said.
