7 Proven Strategies For Improving Truck Driver Retention

Turnover rates are so bad in the trucking industry that the American Trucking Association reports that 91% of truckers switched jobs during a single year. 

Why is that a problem? Every new hire costs $6,000–$12,000 — which can make a real dent in profitability. If trucking companies and delivery businesses want to save money, then truck driver retention must be a top priority.

Where are these drivers going? Other trucking companies. Experienced drivers aren’t leaving the industry — they’re chasing higher pay, more home time, a better work environment, and additional perks.

The importance of driver retention 

If drivers are leaving in droves, you’re doing something wrong. Work-life balance and working conditions may be poor, driver pay may be too low, or you may not have created a company culture that keeps drivers employed.

Driver retention rates do vary between countries. For example:

• In the US, retention rates for fleets with $30 million or more in revenue were 22% in Q4 2022, and some were as low as 9%.
• Annual retention rates in Canada are between 64% and 78%.

Low retention rates are a signal that your truckers are not happy. If your employees aren’t happy, it will cost you money and impact your supply chain and bottom line.

The high cost of driver turnover

Hiring costs $6,000–$12,000 per trucker, but this still doesn’t give you the complete picture. Your costs will also include:

• Training the new driver
• Onboarding
• Lost business due to your driver shortage
• Lost time spent interviewing drivers

Many companies in the transportation industry, in the US at least, also pay sign-on bonuses of $3,000–$15,000.

Your trucking fleet stands to lose a lot of money when drivers leave because you, or your fleet managers, have to replace them. That’s not easy when there’s a commercial driver shortage. Far better to implement some basic truck driver retention strategies, so you can avoid great drivers leaving in the first place. 

First, you need to know why drivers quit in the first place.

Top reasons why drivers quit

Professional drivers quit for a number of reasons, many of which are highly individual. But some of the top complaints are:

• Not feeling valued or appreciated by their employers 
• Having zero work-life balance
• Being underpaid
• Lack of benefits
• Poor-quality equipment
• Being overworked (thanks, in large part, to high turnover rates)

So, knowing why drivers quit, here’s our pick of ways to improve your driver retention rate. 

7 effective strategies to improve truck driver retention

1. Check in with your drivers

One of the biggest complaints among drivers is not feeling appreciated. They don’t want to feel like another cog in the wheel. They want to be heard, and they want their work to be valued. 

How do you fulfill this need?

Make sure that you’re checking in with your drivers regularly. Ask them for feedback — and, this bit is critical — listen to what they have to say.

In its 2024 review, the Best Fleets To Drive For annual awards programme noted that some companies were growing despite the freight recession. What did they have in common? “Quite a few Best Fleets saw an opportunity to strengthen their position just by getting more actively involved in communicating with their drivers.” Many successful fleets were using driver liaisons and driver advisory boards. 

So, make it a point to check in, gather feedback from your drivers, and act on that feedback.

Actionable Tips

1. Schedule regular monthly or quarterly feedback sessions with drivers.
2. Implement an anonymous feedback system to encourage honest communication.
3. While drivers are on the road, a simple check-in call to see how they’re doing can work wonders. (Although be careful not to come across as micromanaging — see the next section!)
4. Use your existing communication tools and social media to share driver safety tips, messages of appreciation, and other content that will make drivers feel seen. 

2. Don’t micromanage

When dispatchers don't trust their drivers, they can start micromanaging. This sometimes shows up as constantly calling to see where the driver is and what progress they’re making. 

As a result, drivers can feel:

• Resentment over perceived pressure from the dispatcher
• Distracted from the job at hand

One of the reasons drivers are attracted to the job is freedom and autonomy — so micromanaging them will only cause tension and dissatisfaction.

Try taking a different approach. Focus instead on tracking the key metrics that actually matter to you, like “customer satisfaction rating” or “on-time deliveries.” Tracking software can also help you keep track of where your drivers are without having to check in with them.

Actionable tips

• Establish clear performance metrics and communicate them effectively to drivers.
• Invest in GPS tracking software that provides real-time data without invasive monitoring.
• Train dispatchers on trust-building techniques and the importance of autonomy for drivers.

3. Help drivers plan efficient routes

What’s your current solution for route planning? Are you leaving the planning up to your drivers, or are you helping them? 

Every minute your driver spends on route planning is another minute lost in productivity.

Give your drivers a helping hand.

Invest in route optimization software and easy-to-use driver apps to help your drivers find the quickest, most efficient routes for the day.

Drivers will be more satisfied and may even finish their routes earlier than expected. What driver wouldn’t be happy with the opportunity to go home early? 

Actionable tips

• Use top-tier route optimization software like Routific.
• Offer training sessions on how to use route planning tools effectively.
• Regularly review route efficiency and make adjustments based on driver feedback.

4. Give them an incentive to stick around

Lack of benefits is a common complaint among drivers. Pay is important, but it’s not the only thing your drivers care about. They want to ensure that their health and well-being are also being looked after. 

Offering a competitive benefits package is a great place to start.

In addition to raises, make sure that you’re offering:

• A comprehensive medical insurance package that includes dental and vision coverage.
• Options for retirement savings plans, so truckers can save for the future.
• Lifestyle benefits, like truck terminal amenities and gym memberships.
• Driver loyalty programs that offer rewards drivers actually care about.

If you really want drivers to stick around, offer them training and education. No driver wants to feel like they’re in a “dead-end” role. They want opportunities to grow and advance in their careers.

Invest in giving them the training and education they need to reach these goals and enjoy more fulfilling careers. Offering growth opportunities will help keep your good drivers around. 

Actionable tips

• Develop a structured rewards program that recognizes both short-term achievements and long-term commitment.
• Offer sign-on bonuses, performance bonuses, and annual retention bonuses.
• Provide opportunities for career advancement within the company.

5. Celebrate their victories

Truckers reach milestones every year. Safety records are broken, miles are exceeded, more freight is hauled, or employees reach new work anniversaries. Acknowledge your team’s victories, and you’ll find that:

• Employee engagement and productivity rise
• Retention rates fall
• Satisfaction rises

One survey found that 46% of workers left a job because they didn’t feel appreciated. Show appreciation to your truck drivers, and they’ll be more likely to stay in their positions.

Actionable tips

• Create an annual awards ceremony to celebrate driver achievements.
• Feature successful drivers in company newsletters or on social media.
• Implement a "Driver of the Month" program with tangible rewards.

Case study

When eight of trucking company XPO’s drivers won awards at the annual National Truck Driving Championships, they issued a press release about it it.

6. Invest in quality equipment

Quality equipment is crucial for driver safety and well-being. Truckers often leave reviews about fleets and mention issues with:

• The quality of their equipment
• Equipment maintenance

Driver feedback on equipment should be a priority because quality trucks, e-logs, navigation systems, and other items keep your drivers comfortable on the road. Respecting the quality of equipment is a big part of building a safety culture. 

Investing in quality equipment and maintaining it shows your drivers that you care about their health, safety, and earning potential.

Actionable tips

• Regularly update driving equipment and maintain a modern fleet.
• Implement a regular maintenance schedule and ensure compliance.
• Involve drivers in decisions about equipment upgrades and purchases.

7. Make work-life balance a priority

Truck driving is a demanding job. Studies show that work-life imbalance as a truck driver leads to high stress levels and poor quality of life. If you want to retain more drivers, focus on work-life balance as a perk of employment.

Offer drivers:

• A specific number of days off for each week on the road
• Regional options with 34-hour resets 
• Local opportunities

Long-haul drivers are known for being away from home for weeks at a time. If they want to maintain social lives or relationships, it can be a significant challenge. Offering flexible time off or opportunities to move to a regional or local route can reduce truck driver turnover.

Actionable tips

• Offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate driver preferences.
• Implement policies that ensure drivers spend a reasonable amount of time at home.
• Provide access to mental health resources and support programs.

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How to calculate your driver turnover rate

The tips and strategies above can help you improve your driver retention rate, but how do you know if they’re working for you?

To measure the success of your retention strategies, you need to know your driver turnover rate. 

Here’s how to calculate it:

1. Choose a period for calculating your driver turnover rate. For this example, let’s go with an annual turnover rate.
2. Next, calculate how many drivers you had at the start of the chosen period. Let’s imagine we had 200 drivers on the payroll at the start of the year.
3. Now, look at how many drivers you had at the end of the period. We’ll say that we had 150 drivers at the end of the year.
4. The next step is to calculate the average number of drivers you had for the year. In our example, the equation would look like this: (200 + 150) ÷ 2 = 175. So, we had an average of 175 drivers for the year.
5. Next, determine how many drivers left voluntarily or involuntarily throughout the year. In our example, we’ll say that 75 drivers departed.
6. With these figures in mind, you can now calculate your turnover rate by dividing the number of departed drivers by the average number of drivers and multiplying that figure by 100. For our example, the equation would look like this: (75 ÷ 175) x 100 = 42%. So, for the year, our example company had a 42% turnover rate.

To find out your retention rate, simply subtract your turnover rate from 100. In our case, we had a 58% retention rate.

Taking steps to reduce your driver turnover rate will not only save on costs but also help improve productivity, efficiency, and customer experience. Use the tips above to keep your drivers happier and more satisfied in their roles.