In an industry currently struggling with finding and hiring drivers, it grows more and more painful seeing your drivers inexplicably leave — especially when you have a gnawing feeling it probably could have been prevented with a simple conversation.
Not knowing what you don’t know is frustrating, but when viewed through the right lens it’s like so many things in life – an opportunity to improve. It’s not a revolutionary idea that you should want to focus on keeping the drivers you have and learn more about the issues they encounter that make their jobs difficult. Fortunately, the time to implement a retention program that listens to drivers’ needs couldn’t be better.
Putting a plan in place to effectively improve driver retention is easier than it sounds, and with the introduction of Insights earlier this year, Tenstreet clients now have a clearer view into what drivers experience at four distinct stages in their lifecycles. But what about getting a good read on your fleet as a whole, and on a more frequent basis?
Checking the oil in your fleet
Your fleet is the engine that keeps your company moving. If you neglect to regularly check the oil in your car, you run the risk of damaging vital engine parts, which could lead to expensive repairs or even a total replacement. Just like using a dipstick to check oil levels in your car gives you a good indicator of your engine’s health, you need a way to regularly check the overall health of your fleet.
Today, we’re introducing a new retention survey to our Insights platform that gives you a look into all the moving parts of your company. Our new FleetCheck survey module works similarly to an NPS tool in that it sends an anonymous two-question survey to your drivers once a week (or twice, depending on your preference). It gives you visibility into the current condition of your fleet at a regular frequency to show you immediately whether your fleet is running smoothly or if it needs something more to keep it going strong.
How surveys help you retain drivers
When drivers take your FleetCheck surveys, dashboard reporting automatically compiles the results, showing you an overall ranking, how many drivers responded, which drivers have not responded, and which drivers are detractors (or gave a below average score) – which may indicate an at-risk driver who could be saved with an intervention. Detractors are given the option of foregoing their anonymity should they wish to discuss their issue 1-on-1 with their manager.
You’ll also be able to see the satisfaction levels of your fleet week-over-week and month-over-month, connecting carrier and industry events to general driver sentiment–helping with that bigger picture objective–and ensuring your fleet is well-lubricated with everything it needs to give it power to drive.
As drivers start to see their feedback put into action, they’re more likely to feel like a valuable contributor in the organization and will grow more empowered to share things they otherwise might keep to themselves. Strengthening the driver-carrier connection cultivates a more dependable and loyal driver base, and ensures you get the most miles out of your fleet.
Finding and hiring drivers requires time, resources, and capital – all of which are wasted when drivers leave because nobody’s listening. Find out what you don’t know by checking in with your fleet. When drivers and carriers are communicating regularly, retention rates improve, trucks stay full, and your company runs more smoothly.
Taking action on feedback
One week you notice your FleetCheck survey results show a lot of comments from drivers about the requirements around a newly introduced company policy. You thought its implementation was going smoothly and are surprised to see the unintentional rumble it caused throughout your fleet. You know you need to take action.
Fortunately, FleetCheck comes with the ability to communicate to your entire driver base en masse. Using Broadcast, you make a quick recording explaining the situation to drivers and clearing up the confusion. Knowing how busy drivers are, you understand the video is much more likely to be watched than a text would be read, and comprehension also improves as videos enable drivers to pick up on body language, tone, and other visual cues that help play a role in forming a positive impression.
Need help building a retention solution?
Complement FleetCheck with additional Insights surveys to get a more holistic view of a driver’s sentiment both across his tenure and at specific stages therein.
Not sure what you need or how to get started? Reach out to us today! Our industry-experienced team will help you create a plan to help you listen to your drivers so they stay with you for the long haul.
