What makes this trucker tick.....

Simple answer...MONEY and HOME TIME and GOOD EQUIPMENT.

 

Most the veterans know a snow job when they hear it from a recruiter so they'll look elsewhere,and of course the reasons stew mentioned.No forced NYC is a major plus.Some drivers don't like the lanes they'll have to drive so they'll find another company.Then before making any kind of a commitment they'll look up the safety rating and ask other drivers about that company.

 

In that order too. Well said.

 

Me? Knowing my company actually cares if I'm unhappy about something, and takes steps to correct "issues". Money, hometime and decent equipment are all things that a company who really does care, will make sure their drivers have.

Crap happens, loads cancel, trucks breakdown, unforeseen circumstances suck, but knowing your company can be depended on to step up and try to fix things makes it a little more tolerable when things go badly.
Knowing that your not going to be told " sucks for you, deal with it yourself driver" matters to me.

Everything else ( miles, money, hometime, good equipment) comes along as a result of actually being well taken care of by the company you work for.

 

This is borderline advertizement....Well let the mods decide...but, Pay, home time, equipment, respect, and what other drivers say are pretty much the biggest reasons.

 

One of the biggest complaints is lack of respect. Some complain about lack of home time. Personally, I think the main problem is lack of communication between the drivers and operations. Many carriers recruit dispatchers right out of college or with absolutely NO experience as a driver. As someone who has worked on both sides of this issue, I would not want to hire a dispatcher who has never driven a truck. Drivers have unique issues which inexperienced dispatchers simply cannot relate. Successful drivers are a unique breed. It isn't something everyone can do. I am not talking about the driving aspect. It is the lifestyle of being an over the road truck driver. Those who do long haul sacrifice much for their career choice. They often miss important family times and special occasions in order to do their job. It can be frustrating at times. There are times when it helps to have someone to talk with who can relate to what is going on with them. The dispatcher or driver manager is often the only contact the driver has with his company. Unless the dispatcher has been on the road for at least a couple of years, he won't be able to relate to the frustrations of his assigned drivers. Today's drivers are more diverse than ever. It may be difficult to find a high school dropout, but you can find those who barely made it out of high school and others who have earned a PhD. They come from all types of backgrounds. Some are ill prepared for what is ahead of them. An experienced dispatcher who has spent time behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler can help a driver through some of those difficult times. Home time is more important to drivers today than 30 years ago. Drivers are no longer willing to stay out for extended times. They want to get home every now and then. Some dispatchers seem to try and run a driver in the opposite direction when it is time for the driver to get home.

Money is important, but showing the driver respect for his sacrifices can mean more than a bigger paycheck. When his dispatcher fails to get him home as promised, the driver becomes even more frustrated and start to look for another home when this continues to happen.

Many of the executives who currently run trucking companies have never had the experience of driving a truck. When I first started, most trucking companies were headed by people who started out as drivers themselves. Most had an open door policy where drivers could come into their office and express any concerns. The driver was well respected in those companies. Most of the older CEO's have retired or died leaving these companies to their offspring who either sell off the assets to investment groups or run the companies into the ground. Drivers are not considered important. What their parents understood was that the driver is the backbone of any trucking company. Without the drivers, there is no need for dispatchers, operations personnel or anything else. Attitudes toward drivers has changed considerably over the last several decades. Drivers are shown little respect by those they come in contact during their day. Shippers, consignee's, dot and the motoring public show little or no respect for drivers. In fact, truckers are considered a nuisance by most, or so it seems. A driver should be respected and appreciated by the company for which he sacrifices so much.

This industry has a very high turnover rate. Pay is often used as the reason so many move from one company to another, but I think it is much more complicated than paying a driver a penny per mile more than his current carrier. Or maybe it is much simpler. It is really that difficult to show respect to your most important asset?

 

What he said.

 

Add to the list previously posted. Honesty.