One problem that we’ve talked about quite a bit on this blog is the high turnover rate in the trucking industry. There are lots of people trying to become truckers, but they aren’t staying.
But why are truckers quitting? Is it all because of “the industry”? Is there anything that individual companies can do? We say yes.
The thing is that there are a lot of great long-term benefits to becoming a truck driver if the driver can survive that initial phase. However, as an industry, there is a lot that we can do that will help people last in the tough world of trucking. This article seeks to expand on the “critical issues in trucking” article that we published last week.
These are 5 reasons that truckers are quitting before they can even scratch the surface of a long trucking career, plus what we are doing to fix this at Legacy.
“I’m not paid enough for the work I’m doing.”
Culturally, there are a lot of misconceptions about truckers. People often think that truckers are lazy and overpaid when this is often the opposite of the case.
Just like we talked about in our “critical issues” article last week, fair payment in trucking is a huge problem. Many drivers are putting in extreme hours on the road and are barely being paid a living wage, much less enough to provide for their families.
This is why at Legacy we’re focusing on providing our drivers fair wages, and room for growth in our company. We’re a trucking company that’s been built from the ground up, and our leadership staff used to be drivers themselves. They know the struggles that drivers can face in the day to day, and we’re working to help ease that burden.
“I never get to see my family”
One of the main reasons that truckers quit is simply that they get burned out. Long hours on the road, days away from, and worst of all, missing important moments in normal life off the job.
Work is important, but it might not be as important as your son’s first baseball game, your daughter’s big ballet recital, or your anniversary. Being on the open road is thrilling for many young drivers, but at the end of the day, homesickness is a very real problem in this industry for many drivers.
This is another issue that Legacy knows all too well because we’ve been there ourselves. We’ve had nights away when we wish that we could have been at home, and we’ve had to face that painful feeling in our stomach when the road-induced homesickness rears its ugly head. That’s why we offer our drivers the option to be home every night, and the option to have weekends off if they’d like. Work is important, but it’s not your whole identity.
If anyone gets that, it’s us.
“I’m struggling with my mental health.”
This is a very complex issue in the trucking world. Though mental illness has existed since the dawn of man and it’s been a part of the trucking industry since its inception, we’re just beginning to have real conversations about driver mental health.
Truckers are very common to experience anxiety, loneliness, depression, sleep issues, and many other emotional problems. While it might seem like drivers are responsible for dealing with their own mental health on the day to day, the truth is that these are industry-wide problems, and they require industry-wide solutions.
Because Legacy offers its drivers consistent pay, work schedules, and health benefits, drivers will be able to make time to take care of their mental health and seek help if they need it. The biggest thing drivers can do is to take advantage of the resources that are offered. This is how we’ll drive right over the issue of trucker mental health.
“I’m not a part of a team.”
There’s been a great deal of writing and research on the fact that human beings need connection to survive and thrive in their daily life.
The hard truth is that if a driver leaves a company, it’s most likely not because another company has secretly enticed them away from their previous employers. They’re usually leaving because something is wrong with the environment they’re in and they want a change. Oftentimes, the lack of a team environment is the driving force in this exit.
For Legacy, this means that we have to really make it clear to our drivers how much we value them. We’re a family business, so having a professional extension of those family relationships is crucial with our drivers. We want to know about our drivers, their families, and how we can improve their lives.
“This isn’t for me.”
While trucking certainly isn’t for everyone, most of the time when someone is saying this as justification to quit their job it’s because of a combination of the several reasons listed above. Truckers who feel disconnected, overworked, underpaid, on top of missing their families are certainly not going to be truckers that want to keep working.
That’s why at Legacy, we’re doing our part to stay connected to our drivers both on and off the job. As I said, this is a family company with family values. Our drivers are just another part of our extended family.
Closing Thoughts
For the last decade, Legacy Express Trucking has been delivering outstanding services to our clients and providing our drivers with top-class working experiences. Luckily for us and you, we’re only getting better.
If you’re interested in joining our team, apply at this link.
