With the driver shortage showing no signs of abating, carriers need to use everything in their arsenal to retain the drivers they have. While driver engagement and driver mentoring are good ways to connect with drivers on a personal level, the other piece of the puzzle is obtaining data and using that data to better manage your drivers, making sure they stay in YOUR trucks. Below are three tools you can use to improve driver retention.

1. Manage Your Mentoring Program with Driver Relationship Workflow Management Tool
   Does your organization struggle with effectively communicating with your drivers? Oftentimes, a driver mentoring program is implemented with the best intentions, but the vehicles to maintain that strategy aren’t put in place. Simply “assigning” a mentor to a driver is not enough to ensure that the new driver is feeling appreciated and reinforcing their decision to join your organization. Putting tools such as workflow management solutions in place can help managers and mentors be accountable for success.  Setting up defined touchpoints and ensuring that they are executed is the primary function of such a tool; the primary benefit is that your drivers are happier and more confident with their decision. And, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. When you set up the communication plan in a workflow environment, you can personalize it to the drivers’ needs.
2. Catch Driver Before They Leave – Monitor, Respond to Employment Verification Requests
   Wouldn’t it be nice to know which drivers are “looking” BEFORE they leave? A real-time employment verification monitoring system can do this for you. Through workflow triggers, as soon as a request comes in to your company for employment verifications, the system can identify if a driver is a current employee or contractor. If so, the system can send alerts and provide visibility to the appropriate staff   that may be able to save the driver before it is too late. It is always easier to retain a driver than lure him back. And, the bonus is that you can get more information from the driver that might help you retain other drivers who may be experiencing similar frustrations.
3. Implement a Separation Workflow Process to Gain More Insight
   If a driver does decide to move elsewhere, it’s helpful to find out why. A Separation Workflow solution allows carriers to survey outgoing drivers to capture trend data, providing real-time insight into the cause of the driver’s dissatisfaction. More importantly, the Separation Portal gives carriers one last chance at changing the driver’s mind. By communicating with the driver before his seat is in another truck, you may be able to address his concerns and retain him or her. The Separation workflow is beneficial in not only gauging driver satisfaction but also in giving carriers one last chance to “make it right.” Driver management tools allow carriers to improve communication with their drivers and subsequently use the data gained to impact future actions. For carriers, these tools could mean the difference between an engaged, satisfied workforce and one that is on the cusp of saying good-bye. To find out how EBE’s Driver Management solution can positively impact your driver retention efforts, visit ebeships.com or call 800.447.0612.