Waste and recycling haulers know that the driver shortage is a big issue. It’s difficult to attract—and keep—solid, smart, dependable drivers. So, how do you retain drivers, and what should you be focusing on when it comes to driver retention?

The traditional approach to finding drivers is to offer one-time driver incentives, such as signing bonuses or assistance obtaining a CDL. But in the long run, these measures have a hard time reversing the reality that current career drivers are aging out with fewer new drivers taking their places. Even as demand is increasing, the labor pool is decreasing.

What solutions are there to the driver shortage – and how do software and hardware address it?

• Become the ‘employer of choice’ for drivers
• Create a driver reward program with defined metrics and targets
• Coach drivers to foster improvements
• Diversify rewards and benefits to keep your best performers

1. Position the company as an employer of choice

Instead of struggling to keep up with a 95-percent driver turnover rate in the industry and a diminishing number of new drivers available, you can change your focus. By focusing on rewarding drivers for profitable actions on an ongoing basis, a company can become an employer of choice for drivers who want to work for you.

2. Create a driver reward program with defined metrics and targets

Fleet automation tools that monitor and track what drivers are doing allow haulers to evaluate performance using predetermined metrics.

With reliable data, gathered by on-board computers and peripherals, haulers can define personalized, meaningful employee targets. In turn, these targets can drive employee rewards, benefits, and compensation in a fair, transparent, and engaging way.

3. Create coaching plans to foster improvement

What we know: Measuring and rewarding positive driver performance works, while only penalizing drivers for lack of performance doesn’t work.

Fleet automation tools allow haulers to approach driver management from the position of coach. The data collected by these tools can help driver coaches create clear expectations and provide individualized feedback to drivers for improvement. With personalized data and targets, drivers can strive for their own “personal best” against known targets.

4. Diversify rewards and benefits to keep top performers

With tools for fleet automation in place, haulers have indisputable metrics and easy-to-understand visualizations based on objective data. This means they can reward drivers fairly and equitably.

And because these tools also allow haulers to gain new efficiencies, they often benefit from added revenue to raise compensation or add benefits such as a 401K, extra time off, or even a point-based reward system, thus reducing driver turnover.