Level of Concern Regarding Driver Needs

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With the memory of the deep recession still fresh and the pace of the recovery frustratingly slow, motor carriers still troubled with excess capacity can be forgiven for not thinking too deeply about the prospect of another acute driver shortage. Yet a confluence of events may well bring about a driver shortage in the years to come. Our annual research, conducted in partnership with the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council, shows that driver job satisfaction levels have been dropping. On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being most satisfied) drivers last year rated their job satisfaction at just 3.13, compared to 3.48 the previous year and 3.66 for the two years previous to that. Other research conducted on behalf of the CTHRC has shown improvement in driver turnover rates, but if job satisfaction levels continue to plummet, those gains may suffer a reversal. Fleet managers have a pretty accurate picture about what would make a driver leave to work for another carrier, our research shows. But money is not the only thing behind job satisfaction. Feeling that the employer has an adequate level of concern for driver needs also goes a long way towards retention. Our research, however, reveals distinct differences between managers and drivers in terms of how managers view their level of concern versus driver perceptions of management. In all cases, drivers are less convinced of their managers’ concern. For instance, managers appear to be concerned that they meet regularly with drivers (4.2). On the other hand, drivers rate management’s level of concern as 2.7.

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Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


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