CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at [email protected] or 800-633-5953.
Driver turnover rate impacts operational efficiency, safety, service quality, and company reputation. It also affects costs. A 2024 study by Conversion Interactive estimated the cost of losing one driver is $12,799.
One carrier decided to alleviate this challenge by focusing on retention efforts.
Founded in 1979 and operating 55 trucks out of Tremonton, Utah, Stokes Trucking department heads wore multiple hats.
“We had somebody that was doing safety, that was also trying to do hiring and retention. And those are really hard hats to wear… You might have to discipline a driver for log violations, but then on the other hand, you had to be their best friend. So that was a struggle,” said Ty Walker, the fleet's director of finance.
To improve retention and reduce turnover, the company sharpened its focus and dedicated a role for recruiting and retention. Drivers felt they have an advocate, said Rusty Hollahan, Stokes' director of retention and recruiting, adding that his role allows drivers to feel “they can come to you for whatever they need and take care of any issues that may arise.”
While part of the role is recruitment, the role focused on retaining on high-performing employees. “By putting that retention first, it’s so much easier for us to put the time and effort into retaining the drivers that we have and making sure their needs are met rather than always being focused on hiring,” Hollahan said.
Having an advocate for their drivers has been significant, with Hollahan spending around 70% of his time talking to drivers, finding out what motivates them, their needs, and tailoring the company around that.
“We try to make that known to all the drivers that, yes, we’ve got somebody in operations, safety, and finance, but we have a full-time person that’s dedicated to the needs of the drivers to make sure that he is in sync with them and helps the whole company to be [in sync] as well,” Walker said.
A big aspect driving the retention program was the company’s culture, with "doing the right thing," according to General Manager Mark Lawver, being one of Stokes' core values.
“It goes back to doing the right thing all the time,” Hollahan said, adding this includes spending time with drivers to check in. “Those phone calls go a long way with drivers, especially if they’re having a bad day or they just need somebody to talk to. It’s just always being there for them. Building that relationship with them and they know they can come to me and I’m on their side and helping them with whatever issue arises."
Since 2020, part of the company’s strategies includes conducting annual driver feedback surveys to foster open communication. The leadership team carefully selects survey questions and distributes them through the Qualtrics platform. Participation rates typically range from 70% to 80%, with all responses remaining anonymous.
“Since doing that," Walker said, "I feel like it’s helped us have a better idea because you’re not always going to have a driver that comes into your office, sit down, and tell you how they really feel or how we could improve. But implementing just a regular survey that goes out to the driver just to take their temperature and ask, ‘How are you feeling? Where can we improve as a company? What expectations do you guys have that are not being met?’ I feel like that has really helped with the retention program."
A result from one of its surveys has been implementing weekly bonuses. While Stokes has done quarterly bonuses for safety and performance, driver feedback indicated that they wanted a weekly bonus based on efficiency as it was more tangible for drivers. So far, this was with positive response.
Lawver said that another approach is letting drivers customize their trucks to give them a sense of ownership.
“We trade trucks about every three years and when their truck comes due for trade, we come to them six to nine months ahead of time and and give them options on what they can order. They can pick their color, leather or cloth for the seat, different graphics packages, and so forth… It makes their truck a little more theirs instead of just a fleet truck. It means so much to a lot of drivers that this is theirs.”
The company also offers an employee assistance program to offer mental health support to employees, including access to a counselor.
The results
Prior to the initiatives, the company’s driver retention rate was around 50%. Lawver noted that its current annual turnover rate is 16.36%.
The company conducts a weekly management meeting tracking open trucks, with Walker noting that looking back over the last six months, “We have been over 90% full. We don’t have a lot of empty trucks just sitting on the line," he said. “Majority of our trucks are filled with drivers who are happy and want to stay here. There’s been several drivers that have been hired within the last year and a half who seem like every time you talk with them, they make it a point to say, ‘I’m really happy here. I hope that I can just retire here.’”
“And really, I think that’s our goal. We would love to just keep a driver and take care of them, and it just works so much better for the driver and the company that way," he added.
The CCJ Innovators program is sponsored by Comdata, ExxonMobil, Fleetworthy and Mack Trucks.
