New Driver Retention

I've been at this a little over a year so I don't think I fall into the new driver category any more. When I was new, it was all about the support I received from the office and terminal staff. When I needed rookie help it was important to have a quick, courteous answer. The closest I ever get to quitting is when I interact with support staff that aren't supportive. I don't want to sound like a prima Donna though. I really do my best to answer my own questions. I think am pretty high on the respectful and responsible scales. I just want reciprocity. A desk jockey that ignores me while they finish a non-business conversation with a buddy is an example of this. Of course now that I'm a grizzled veteran, it's about home time and pay.

I get aggravated by any day guys but my normal guy. Night dispatch is cool and fun. But when you get weekends or FM on vacation and they are covering one to three fleets...i get "seasoned" FM who don't known me. The other day I was stuck in Atlanta traffic...accident and construction...six lanes down to one. I went off duty to save my clock. When I messaged dispatch in wasn't going to make it...he said he wouldn't repower rhe load for traffic and I had no business taking a break when I should have been driving. He went on to lecture me that if i drove 60 mph in 5hours and parked in a major city at 10pm NEAR the customer who did not have parking..I would make it. (Which I wouldn't cause even if I made it, my hours wouldn't come back before the appointment).

I was so mad I stopped the truck on the side of the road. During the traffic my HOS jumped from 7 hours to 4. I wouldn't make it in 4 and my hours wouldn't come back in time to make it. Anyway.. The 8hr clock his my extra hour. All he had to say was "can you see you have 5hours?"

I wrote back "omg...thanks for that! I really needed a great laugh after such a trying day. Parking....major city....after 10pm...that won't trip my clock hahhaha" he didn't write back. I was seriously thinking of making a video for prime to use as a training video for dispatchers to understand they sometimes might mean well but sound unrealistic and down right oblivious at times.

Sue that sounds like a great idea with the hotline. Newbies can get answers without dispatch needing to answer 100 other calls. I like that

Rainy. I live near Atlanta. I'm there multiple times a week. On behalf of Atlanta, welcome and sorry lol.

Btw those roadway deaths have increased by about 700 since I started training. Wonder why

What company has you bringihome 150 after taxes? Doesn't sound right to me

Try the math! 1100 miles at .36 per mile take out 37.50 Tuition Reimbursement, Health Insurance, Taxes, Social Security/ Medicare, etc. Yup.........it comes out to about $150.00.

Our driver mentor hotline is staffed by people in our safety department who were OTR drivers before transferring ibto the safety dept. They are awesome.

Stop Sue! You are making me jealous. LOL. What I meant in my previous post about the minimum pay. When I said nobody ever gets that, I was saying your Company gives its drivers good miles. People are making more than that regularly. Offering a minimum pay package says to the driver, "We will give you great miles!

It sure does say that Tractor Man. To qualify you cant have any late pickups or deliveries (that are entirely your fault and not due to getting held up at a shipper or reciever, maintenace issues, etc. Excessive breaks like taking a 12 - 15 hr instead of a 10 WILL get you disqualified as well as not being available to drive 5 days in one week. All this from a company that specializes in Short Haul mostly midwest regional. No hazmat , very little northeast. Mostly drop and hook 99% no touch freight. Only freight we touch is busting out wood bracing on loads of forklifts but they pay us VERY VERY WELL for swinging that sledgehammer for 15-30 minutes.

Hiring area is midwest and a very few right around Atlanta and some drivers in PA and CT? Maybe. And theres like 3 or 4 of us who live just south of louisville ky because we have lots of freight on the I 65 corridor to nashville.

We do share freight with other companies (broker our freight out to other companies) and also accept loads from other brokers to get us out of say Philly, TX, FL and other places we rarely run. It sure helps get drivers home on time too. If you dont want to go home theyll keep you busy but holiday weekends tend to be slower.

Our company owner is a truck driver and still drives several days each week in a West Side Salvage truck.. Has a real purty Western Star. We tell him when hes tired of his truck that we want it lol. He is super nice and wants to make sure drivers are treated well by our customers and demands we treat them well in return.

It sure does say that Tractor Man. To qualify you cant have any late pickups or deliveries (that are entirely your fault and not due to getting held up at a shipper or reciever, maintenace issues, etc. Excessive breaks like taking a 12 - 15 hr instead of a 10 WILL get you disqualified as well as not being available to drive 5 days in one week. All this from a company that specializes in Short Haul mostly midwest regional. No hazmat , very little northeast. Mostly drop and hook 99% no touch freight. Only freight we touch is busting out wood bracing on loads of forklifts but they pay us VERY VERY WELL for swinging that sledgehammer for 15-30 minutes.

Hiring area is midwest and a very few right around Atlanta and some drivers in PA and CT? Maybe. And theres like 3 or 4 of us who live just south of louisville ky because we have lots of freight on the I 65 corridor to nashville.

We do share freight with other companies (broker our freight out to other companies) and also accept loads from other brokers to get us out of say Philly, TX, FL and other places we rarely run. It sure helps get drivers home on time too. If you dont want to go home theyll keep you busy but holiday weekends tend to be slower.

Our company owner is a truck driver and still drives several days each week in a West Side Salvage truck.. Has a real purty Western Star. We tell him when hes tired of his truck that we want it lol. He is super nice and wants to make sure drivers are treated well by our customers and demands we treat them well in return.

Thanks Sue, Those are very reasonable expectations for the Company to ask. I think Companies could do lots better at Driver Retention. It sounds like your Boss has it figured out.

What company u work for Sue. Looking for something like this after I finish my first year. Thanks

My company has a guarantee minimum of $1k per week for regional home weekly and $1200 for network fleet home every other weekend. I love my West Side Transport.

One reason for a high turn over rate is drivers not researching the industry and companies before hand. Unrealistic expectations is probably a major culprit