KEEPING DRIVERS: CONCENTRATE ON THOSE YOU VALUE MOST
Gordon Klemp spends a lot of time analyzing driver pay and benefits. As president and CEO of The National Survey of Driver Wages he helps sift through some 400 compensation packages each quarter, looking for trends and for ideas that work. So what would he do to reduce turnover if he were a fleet manager? Concentrate on the good ones, he said.
The first step in Klemp's "what if" plan would be to establish a system to evaluate drivers. "It's really hard to decide how to keep the best drivers if you don't know which ones you value the most," he explained. While the idea of "profit and loss" evaluations for each driver sounds daunting, he suggested starting simple and refining from there. "Pretty soon you've got a system that identifies the people who are working hard for you, who are running a lot of miles, not damaging a lot of freight and not having accidents."
Once you have a measurement system, you need a way to reward those "most valuable" drivers. "Make sure longevity pay is a very strong component of the overall package," Klemp said. Awards and recognition should also be included.
"Over-communicate to all drivers, but particularly those you place a high value on," he said. "Make sure they feel a part of the team and are in on things." Though newsletters, award programs, or simply taking time to listen, let drivers and their families know that you appreciate the great job they're doing and the sacrifices they make.
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