Fleets are always trying to find new ways to meet the high pressures and demands constantly put on them by a shifting marketplace. With so much going on, from regulations to cash flow to so much more, the last thing an enterprising trucking company needs is an uninspired workforce. The fact is this: The success of your organization rests on you having the best truck drivers in your business segment.
But what’s a fleet manager to do? You aren’t the only company trying to solve the puzzle of recruiting and retention in the digital age. It is important that fleets pay close attention to how they recruit a younger generation of truck drivers. How can you engage a demographic that seems to have so many shifting priorities? Fortunately, we are here to help.
Did you know that e-commerce growth rates in the United States have been advancing at double digit rates for more than a decade? That’s right. New buying habits influence consumers and businesses alike in unexpected ways. And with all these internet goods being moved by commercial trucks, the times are heady for the transportation industry.
With an unemployment rate currently hovering at a sustained 4%, it is expected that there will be a need for over one million new truck drivers over the next ten years. And with nearly half of all current truck drivers facing retirement within those same ten years, recruiting new, young and eager drivers is critical to not just individual trucking businesses, but to the entire industry.
Trucking companies will need to seek out drivers in places they may not have considered before. By adding skilled young people who want to be at the forefront of a growing industry, fleets hedge their bets. You will have more flexibility focusing on getting the right people into your cabs.
Addressing the Issue
In case you weren’t aware, there are steps being taken to address these concerns. Congress now is currently reviewing a bill called the DRIVESafe act, which would allow CDL holders under the age of 21 to operate commercial motor vehicles across state lines.
The FMCSA has also gotten in on the game, conducting a three-year pilot program for truck drivers 18 – 20 years old. While it is as-yet unknown whether the program is producing satisfactory results, the fact that the agency is doing in the first place points to an understanding that this is an issue that needs to be properly investigated.
Trucking companies themselves have also been scrambling to address the issue. Fleets have been quickly implementing efforts to bring in more people as well. Recruiting women truck drivers is just one way they have been doing it. Younger drivers and women make up an untapped resource that, if done right, can reap great rewards.
The problem is how to do it. Everyone wants to know what the recipe is for appealing to the most important generation: The Millennials. Born between 1980 and 2000, Millennials now makes up more than a third of the total U.S. workforce. We have already mentioned the employment and growth opportunities in the labor market. How will trucking companies compete for those individuals in crowded marketplace?
What Distinguishes a Generation?
Who are these Millennials and what – pun intended – drives them? There are specific traits that makes this generation particularly unique. First, Millennials are very tech savvy. When it comes to new technologies, they can learn them faster than prior generations.
Take video technology or ELD usage as a couple examples. A Millennial truck driver might have less of a problem adapting to such technologies. And as ELDs become ever-more complex, it takes an even greater understanding of software and data transmission. These are not foreign concepts to the Millennial generation. This generation is also highly connected to social media and the digital world. They would make great brand ambassadors for any company.
But that doesn’t mean every Millennial trait is a good one. While they are excellent multi-taskers, they can be easily distractible. They also have no problem not staying with a trucking company long if they do not think it is a right fit.
But more than anything, Millennials expect their employers to invest in their training and growth. They want open lines of communication and want to feel like their work matters. Can they expect promotions and a stable career path in a company that cares? These are the kinds of questions you can expect a potential Millennial truck driver to ask.
What Are Their Needs?
So, now the question is what you need to do in order to appeal to this generation. There will certainly need to be some rewiring in how a fleet operates. Trucking companies will need to reflect the needs of Millennial culture.
Millennials want a good work-life balance. This is especially important in the trucking industry. What if they must spend long periods away from home? Will they accept spending lots of hours on the road if that is the job you are offering? These are proper questions that they themselves will ponder.
They also find the concepts of collaboration and transparency particularly important. They do not like working in a vacuum. They want to contribute to a larger good. Fleets that operate in sustainable ways would do well to advertise that on their promotional material if they want to appeal to a Millennial candidate. Trucking companies must also be very clear about their goals and intentions. Millennials want to see the bigger picture that drives their actions.
The last thing anyone wants is to be caught in a dead-end job, including Millennials. Companies need to ensure they provide a clear path for career and income advancement. Before a Millennial trucking candidate even considers working for a fleet, they are going to want to know what is in it for their future.
Marketing to a Millennial
Reputation matters in the trucking industry. Not having a good reputation could be the make-or-break for a potential deal. But more than that, it could also tell a potential recruit that you might not be the best company to work for. Younger generations know how to find Google reviews. They know what Glassdoor is. Do you?
Are you managing your company’s social media feed? This is one of the first places a Millennial recruit will go to get the pulse on your organization. Over 60% of Millennials will go to a social media site to get information on a company. Being active on social media increases your ability to attract a potential truck driver.
Have you clearly outlined what your company’s mission is and what drives the values underlying your company? These are good things to address whether or not you want to hire more Millennial truck drivers. Can you give a perspective employee a good reason to go with you over one of your competitors?
You may have great perks and employment opportunities, but if you are not putting it out there, how is a recruit to know? You must be putting your perks out there on your promotional material and using it as a tool for job events. If you are involved in social causes or donate to organizations, Millennials want to know about it as they make an employment decision.
Pay Still Matters
Even though you need to rely on things like health benefits, career advancement, and social causes – pay still matters to the Millennial generation. Someone once said money talks, and it certainly talks to Millennials as much as anyone else.
That’s a good thing because between 2006 and 2018, the average annual salary for a truck driver rose by a whopping 20%. Truckers have been seeing the gains as benefits and increased pay within their own industry. Walmart truck drivers, as one example, now make nearly $90,000 per year.
And in what may be a surprise to some, trucking companies are even moving away from the cents-per-mile model to a more traditional salary model. Millennial truck drivers are turned off by pay volatility. While other issues are important to Millennials, good, stable pay still sits in the upper echelon of their main concerns.
But, as we’ve mentioned, pay is not the only motivator for a Millennial truck driver. If your company can offer competitive pay in combination with a good work-life balance and other benefits, expect Millennials to come knocking. Don’t shortchange your employment needs by not tapping into the power of this generation.
from Quick Transport Solutions Trucking Blog https://ift.tt/2TikZRc
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