Driver retention is the solution
With many choosing to attack disruptions in the supply chain by focusing on a perceived driver shortage, OOIDA Board Member Dick Pingel and others contend that driver retention issues within the industry – rather than a shortage of qualified talent – are the real reasons drivers aren’t returning to the road.
Pingel addressed these concerns with the Wisconsin Freight Advisory Committee at a meeting on Feb. 1 in Madison, Wis., as part of a four-person trucking panel focused on addressing the current supply chain issues through recruitment, retention and training.
Also on the panel:
- Dan Johnson, vice president of Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association.
- Mark Oesterle, program manager for the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration.
- Carl Suhr, director of fleet operations convenience transportation for LaCrosse, Wis.-based convenience store chain Kwik Trip.
Members of the panel, including Pingel, said that poor pay, long detention times, extended time away from home, and overreaching federal regulations contribute to a high turnover rate – one that is 90% higher than the retail sector.
The panel isn’t alone in their assessment – the Wisconsin Department of Transportation concluded that the perceived driver shortage is less about having qualified drivers and more about the current conditions those drivers endure.
“The data available seem to indicate that what has been identified as a truck driver shortage is more accurately defined as an imbalance of trucker schedules and conditions,” the Wisconsin DOT stated in a recent white paper. “While driver compensation and employer-provided amenities have seen marked improvements in recent years, especially for larger fleets, many inefficiencies remain – including limited truck parking, detention time, and roadway congestion. In light of these inefficiencies, the pay-per-mile model for drivers is being criticized as untenable in the future.”
To address retention and turnover issues among drivers, Pingel and the other members of the panel made multiple suggestions to the committee, including: more locations for driver training, expanded driver recruitment, increased truck parking, and reduction in detention time.
“The main problem that trucking has always had – and I’ve been in this since ’83 – trucking has always had a problem retaining good drivers because of the challenges of the career,” Pingel said.
For those outside the industry, it can be easy to miss some of the bigger issues affecting truckers. Pingel said that during a breakout session a member of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation staff said they were surprised to discover the problems that drivers are subjected to.
The fight to correct these persistent issues has been an uphill battle for the trucking industry. However, this hasn’t deterred Pingel, who recently told Land Line, “I hope to change some minds and maybe bring a new perspective.”
Changing minds is always a tall task, but many in the industry believe that there must be a new approach in order to achieve different results. According to Pingel, members of the committee and Wisconsin DOT were receptive to their message.
“I thought it was received really well,” Pingel said. “I think we opened some eyes.” LL