Driver satisfaction is down, and “the common aggravator today may not be drivers’ base wages,” said NTI’s Leah Shaver. Drive My Way’s recent Driver Happiness Survey indicates only 51% of drivers are content with their jobs. In an interview with Trucking Dive, Leah pointed out that the “lack of productivity (aka fewer miles, hours, and loads) is pinching their take-home pay,” contributing to decreased happiness. Explore further survey findings here.
What are drivers’ top concerns with pay in the current freight market? NTI’s Leah Shaver spoke with FleetOwner about driver pay’s relationship to happiness and job satisfaction — and what fleets should be aware of when it comes to drivers’ paychecks in late 2023. Read the article here.
How can your fleet balance driver recruiting and retention needs while still focusing on bottom-line results in a softer freight market? NTI’s Leah Shaver detailed the six top driver pay strategies fleets can leverage in the current freight cycle to focus on drivers while also helping boost your fleet’s profitability in a free DriverReach webinar last week. Strategies explored include: Running a cost-benefit analysis on gauratneed pay, cross-training recruiters to focus on sales and retention, focusing on bonsues around fuel savings and productivity, and how to approach pay conversations internally and with customers during slower times.
“Many complaints related to pay can be resolved quickly and easily if drivers feel they can voice concerns and they know who to voice concerns to,” said NTI’s Leah Shaver. “If they don’t feel they can voice concerns and they don’t know who to communicate to, such as a terminal manager or driver manager who can quickly elevate their concerns to the right person in payroll or HR, then their frustration turns into resentment, and they’ll jump to another carrier or leave the industry outright.” Read more data notes and advice from NTI in this article in FleetOwner, which explores recent trends of drivers’ concerns about their paychecks and how fleets can navigate them.
NTI’s Leah Shaver chatted with CRST Chief People Officer Jenny Abernathy on the Taking the Hire Road podcast about the trends and themes that Abernathy is looking at for the year ahead and how the whiplash effects of the past few years are guiding the fleet’s recruiting and HR strategies in the coming months. That includes pivoting from the “recruiting at all costs” mentality from the past few years and instead putting an emphasis on retention. Abernathy also discusses the unique nature of hiring and retaining teams, how the industry can reach and engage with generational cohorts Millennials and Gen Z, and why fleets of all sizes should consider adding a Chief People Officer to their C-suite, among much else.
What are the driver pay trends that should be on every fleet’s radar? NTI teamed up with Drive My Way to share five key structural changes ongoing in driver compensation plans, based on in-depth analysis of NTI’s survey data and in ongoing conversations with motor carriers and private fleets across the industry.
When it comes to both pay momentum and career development, newer entrant drivers expect rapid and frequent growth, writes NTI’s Leah Shaver in FleetOwner. Carriers and private fleets alike must be proactive in offering a pay progression model that fits these demands. Read her full column here.
“Companies are basically fighting for a half a worker” for every available job. That’s according to Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter. She recently joined NTI’s Leah Shaver on the Taking the Hire Road webcast for a chat about what’s happening in the labor market, particularly with the supply of available drivers, and how companies can take pivotal steps to remain competitive in this ultra-tight market.
NTI’s Leah Shaver recently joined the gang on the Life by the Mile podcast to talk all things driver recruiting, driver wages, and the importance of supporting drivers every day, every week, and every mile.
“Drivers want the same things everyone else wants. They want to be home with their family, earn a fair wage for the work they do, and be respected.” J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc.’s Chief Sustainability Officer Craig Harper joins NTI’s Leah Shaver on Taking the Hire Road to share his insights into how J.B. Hunt’s reinvention of professional driving jobs has helped fortify the company’s recruiting and retention programs, how the driving job will continue to evolve in the years ahead, how fleets can adapt in a changing trucking industry, and how the company evaluates and tests emerging technologies like electric and autonomous vehicles.
NTI’s Leah Shaver and attorney Doug Grawe of The Grawe Group simplify the noise around navigating this new legal landscape for motor carriers and owner-operators on Taking the Hire Road. On the docket: Best practices for fleets to manage independent contractor relationships across all fleet departments, from recruiting and HR to operations and accounting, as well as an update on the ongoing court fight against A.B. 5 (it’s not settled yet), whether other states could take up similar legislation, Grawe’s advice on the “two-check” system, and how to communicate with drivers to ward off lawsuits.
“Driver turnover doesn’t have to be something that continues to be part of the culture in the trucking industry.” NTI’s Leah Shaver spoke with Transport Dive last month about how the driver job is changing — from routing and scheduling needs of shippers to the diversity and desires of the modern workforce — and strategies for fleets to adapt their approaches to pay, retention, and opportunities.
