It is no secret that there is an insufficient number of truck drivers. Because of this, it’s more imperative than ever for trucking companies to create truck driver shortage solutions that solve this problem in the long term.
Gone are the days when offering mediocre truck driver benefits will garner applicants. The greatest driver shortage impact is that trucking companies must reevaluate what makes working for them appealing to drivers and rethink their truck driver retention techniques.
Today, we will walk you through everything you need about truck driver shortage solutions. We’ll start by sharing the context of the transportation industry challenges resulting from these shortages. Then, we’ll share information about meaningful truck driver shortage solutions you can implement.
Understanding the Truck Driver Shortage
Despite the many trucking career opportunities, there aren’t enough applicants to fill the available trucking roles. This is imperative, as consumers are buying online more than ever before. The global eCommerce market will total over $6 trillion in 2024.
The only way consumers can receive their goods purchased online? With the help of truck drivers.
Solving the truck driver shortage begins by understanding it. Several factors contribute to the insufficient number of drivers. These include:
An aging workforce: As of 2018, the average age of a commercial truck driver was 55.
Industry demands: Folks prefer roles that provide them with work-life balance
Physical demands of the job: A career in trucking can be physically taxing due to the lack of daily movement.
As a result of these factors, the logistics and transportation sectors are left scrounging for truck drivers to fill roles, competing with each other to get applications. Consequently, trucking companies need to think outside the box regarding truck driver shortage solutions. That’s where innovative recruitment strategies enter the picture.
Proven Recruitment Strategies
So, what are some proven recruitment strategies that can offer promising truck driver shortage solutions? We’re glad you asked.
Here are some tried-and-true methods you can implement to improve your recruitment process. Remember: The goal is to appeal to and attract truck drivers.
Targeted Recruitment Campaigns
One of the best solutions to truck driver shortage is to run targeted recruitment campaigns. You can leverage social media and digital platforms to get advertisements in front of the right crowd and ensure your hard-earned advertising budget doesn’t go to waste.
Next, you’ll also want to work with a copywriter to tailor messaging to younger demographics. Many logistics companies' drivers are aging, which is a significant problem.
Offering Competitive Compensation and Benefits
Money isn’t everything—but it is a significant draw for passionate, talented drivers. Companies like GP Transco offer competitive compensation that ensures drivers are paid fairly.
GP Transco leads the industry with fair pay—drivers begin by making 60 cents every mile (base), with a total pay of 63-65 cents per mile. As a result, you can make $80=95,000 in your first year driving for GP Transco.
Additionally, GP Transco is proud to offer attractive benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans. Driving can be physically taxing—and drivers must have the resources to care for their physical health. Retirement plans demonstrate your company’s commitment to the drivers’ futures.
Finally, work-life balance is a significant appeal for drivers. If your company can implement a plan to offer that, you’ll garner more applications. GP Transco drivers enjoy paid holidays, prioritize time at home and can bring a pet with them.
Enhancing Training and Development
Last but not least, one of our favorite logistics workforce solutions is offering training and development for drivers. Even the best driver can learn something from training programs, and by offering this to employees, your team demonstrates its commitment to helping team members uplevel their roles and improve.
Because of this, investing in driver training programs is wise. Furthermore, you can create a mentorship program, pairing veteran drivers with newcomers to help them learn the ropes. This offers both parties a sense of fulfillment and contribution to a larger goal.
The impact of continuous education and certification is obvious: Drivers will perform better thanks to continuing education, not to mention they’ll feel supported by the company they work for. This is especially crucial for driver retention.
Finally, there are plenty of truck driver shortage solutions, but few are as impactful as showing drivers career growth potential. At GP Transco, drivers are considered for a raise of a cent per mile every six months. This is informed by overall professionalism, safety and performance.
The Benefits of a Truck Driving Career
There are a myriad of benefits associated with a career in driving. Let’s walk through these so you can better understand why becoming a driver with a mindful business like GP Transco can offer the stability, balance and compensation you need.
Job Stability and Demand
One of the best facets of a truck driving career is the job stability it offers. There’s tremendous demand for truck drivers. Did you know that it’s forecast that by 2030, 162,000 drivers will be needed? This statistic demonstrates exactly how in-demand the role is.
Opportunities for Career Advancement
Another huge plus of a truck driving career is ample opportunities to go from an entry-level position to a more senior role. This is because GP Transco prioritizes promoting from within.
Take a look at some of the truck drivers who have enjoyed long careers at GP Transco to better understand all of the opportunities for career advancement. By joining the team at GP Transco, the sky's the limit for your future.
The Freedom of the Open Road
Finally, a major benefit associated with a career in truck driving is the appeal of travel and independence. While drivers have that work-life balance they seek with GP Transco (not to mention the ability to bring a beloved pet), they will also enjoy the opportunity to explore new places.
By joining the team at GP Transco, drivers can enjoy an on-the-road lifestyle that is still compatible with their personal lives.
Join GP Transco for Fair Compensation and Growth Opportunities
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember about truck driver recruitment strategies is that they mean nothing unless you offer growth opportunities and fair compensation. It’s imperative drivers feel the organization they work for understands the value of their work.
At GP Transco, we’ve seen firsthand how demonstrating our commitment to fairly compensating our drivers and offering growth opportunities retains them. Ready to explore a career with GP Transco?
Visit the recruitment page to learn more.
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