TRUCKING: Drivers Wanted
The Millennials are Coming! The Millennials are Coming!
A new workforce is entering the transportation industry.
A shortage of drivers is always a top concern for fleet owners. To add to this concern, baby boomers are reaching peak retirement age just as the industry estimates it will need some 890,000 new drivers through 2025 to meet a rising demand [source: American Trucking Associations].
With millennials accounting for more than half of the American workforce, they represent a tremendous opportunity for the transportation industry to attract the next generation of drivers and fill the widening labor gap.
However, the generational differences between baby boomer and millennial workers today can’t be overstated. Job characteristics or benefits that appealed to older drivers may not have the same appeal to younger job seekers. Innovative recruiting techniques and new incentives will be needed to attract this growing segment of the workforce.
To win the competition for talent, here are three key factors to consider when recruiting and retaining millennials:
The Technology Curve
Millennials have come of age in a fully-digitized world; they are accustomed to the efficiencies that technology offers in both their personal and professional lives. The trucking industry, too, has experienced growth in the digital landscape, though admittedly lagging somewhat behind this tech-savvy generation. Sophisticated GPS fleet tracking systems capture vehicle data while in-vehicle devices monitor driver hours. Investing in technology not only saves fleet owners money in the long run, it keeps drivers connected — meeting the convenience criteria millennials expect.
As the industry moves toward a hyper-connected world of driver safety controls, autonomous vehicles and smart cities, fleets will have to keep pace. Millennials offer a strategic advantage in this area due to their experience with all things mobile, their extensive exposure to complex big data concepts including artificial intelligence and their familiarity with the language of technology itself.
One Gig at a Time
Organizations like Uber and Lyft have inspired the rapid growth of the ‘gig’ style of work among millennials; the term refers to freelance or independent consultants who work on-demand, without long-term employment contracts — just working a ‘gig.’
Offering the opportunity to work independently, to nurture an increased sense of personal responsibility, flexibility is at the heart of this movement.
Many fleets already embrace this style of work by allowing drivers flexible schedules — choosing between local or long-distance hauls, for example. Creating an environment that supports independence and maintains work-life balance plays an especially important role in keeping millennial employees engaged.
Train, Challenge, Reward, Repeat
Millennials thrive in an environment that is continually challenging and encouraging. Fleets that offer ongoing vocational programs, such as driver coaching and entry-level training, not only provide employees with the tools to be successful and engaged, but ultimately create a loyal working culture and reduce turnover.
In addition to established coaching programs, data collected by GPS fleet solutions can be a high-tech training tool:
· Enable managers to view driver behavior scores and compare how each driver ranks against the overall fleet.
· Correct any unsafe driving habits indicated by data.
· Use the data to incentivize and motivate younger drivers by establishing goals & rewarding progress.
Millennials will value a collaborative approach, working with coaches or mentors…and competing against the data for better ‘scores’ is a concept they well understand.
Attracting and retaining millennials is the new challenge facing fleet owners. Thanks to a boom in shipping and deliveries nationwide, now is the time for fleets to implement strategies to attract new drivers through innovative hiring practices and competitive technologies.
Fleet owners: It’s time to UP your game.
Alkane thanks Susan Barbod, writing for Teletrac Navman, for the content of this article.
Alkane Truck Company is currently raising capital on the crowdfunding platform StartEngine. Find out more here: https://www.startengine.com/startup/alkane
