Small Fleet Owner Seeking Advice

Think about this for a second. The goal is to find and keep top notch employees. Right?
Getting there is gonna take some hard work on the company's part and time.

Landstar hires some thing like 5% of the aps they get. I believe thats the figure I heard. Maybe its changed since I was with them in 05.
Even at that some real "winners" slip thru the cracks in the process.

For your company devise an intense hiring process that searches out and hires only the best. Probably the best already have a good job
at a company that compensates them well above $850 a week to live in a small box with another person.

Lets break down some numbers. $850 a week / by 70 hrs a week is barely $12 an hr before taxes, I've got lawn crews working for me that
get that, with time and a half after 40 hrs. And they go home every night. $850 is not going to recruit the caliber of drivers you are looking for.
$850 a week times 50 weeks is $42,500 annually. Face it, your drivers are not going to be driving 50 weeks a year with no home time. It just aint happening.
$850 a week is not going to recruit the caliber of drivers you want.

Top notch loyal drivers are out there, but no doubt it'll take some time to find them.

When discussing pay maybe you start them at that $850 or $900 a week for the first month to try them out.
If they have potential jump them up to $1000 the 2nd month. IF they continue to show potential jump them again to say $1150 for the 3rd month.
4th month likely the honeymoon is over and you will know how things are working out. Again jump them to $1300.
$1300 for a 70 hr week is still only $18.57 an hr. A guy driving a pickup for some one else plowing snow all night can get $20 to $30 an hr.
Just using these numbers for comparison.

The guys you are looking for won't be found easily.
These are going to be guys that have many years of experience. These are going to be guys that have good references, these are going to be the guys that
you want driving your trucks. Odds of finding these drivers in the first 5 applicants?????? low.

One of the things when it comes to requirements I've heard of is a company requiring 5 years of experience.
And this was just to pull a van. I had a neighbor that was working at a company like that. They were extremely tight on their requirements.

As another note to keeping good drivers, pay them well and give them a nice truck to drive. I'm not saying you gotta give them a new W-900L with a 120'' sleeper.
But some thing that is well appointed for living out of and in good shape, looks good and good mechanical shape.





I'm sorry if my ideas ramble around. These are just some of the things I've run across in my years of driving.

 

5 days does make a difference.


Sounds like you are on the right track with taking good care of a good team.
Bonuses, company trips, company jackets, gift cards etc are all good ways of showing appreciation along with a good pay check.


I'm a firm believer in rewarding those that are loyal and reward you.

I hope you can find that good team.