Truck drivers spend long hours on the road, frequently passing through rural areas without access to contemporary amenities, whether traveling on short or long-distance routes. For those who make a living while traveling, their taxi might double as an office and even a temporary residence.
If you’re driving alone, it’s essential to have everything within easy reach of the steering wheel. Finding a happy medium between being comfortable and relatively amused while driving safely can be challenging for inexperienced drivers.
The Importance of Driver Satisfaction
It should go without stating that drivers play a crucial role in the success of any fleet. The American Transportation Research Institute ranked shortages of drivers and retention as the top two industry concerns for motor carriers for the fourth year running in its 2020 Top Industry Concerns list.
If you’re having trouble keeping your fleet manned, it’s critical to identify measures to improve driver morale to end the constant hiring cycle. A happy workforce is a loyal workforce, and happiness starts at the top and works its way down to your drivers. One can simply acknowledge more facts by going through some pieces of truck driver news.
To keep your drivers happy and increase retention, think about the following.
1. Construct an On-the-Go Personal Assistant for Travelers
The advice for first-year truck drivers looking to simplify their lives on the road is to invest in a caddy. A “caddy” isn’t limited to golf clubs; it may be any collapsible bag with several pockets. When traveling by automobile, it’s best to have either a passenger-seat caddy or a between-the-seats caddy.
The passenger seat caddy often fastens to the rear of the seat and fastens the seatbelt. It can take the form of either a fabric box with fold-out sections or a flat pocket rack resembling a hanging shoe rack.
2. Bring Along Nutritious Food for Your Trip
No matter how short your delivery distance or how late you get home, maintaining a healthy diet is still a significant struggle for truck drivers. Fast food and the increased costs of on-demand convenience are due to people eating while on the go. By preparing ahead of time and bringing along nutritious meals, you can safeguard the condition of your gut, your physique, and your budget.
Accompany your lunch meat salads or pre-made wraps in a big bag. Use a thermo-electric cooler or add ice to the water regularly to keep them chilled. Make a pot of cold soup or bring some nutritious sandwiches to enjoy while on the go.
3. Make Advance Arrangements for Your Journeys and Stops
Nobody wants to guess where their next stop is when they’re on a strange road, and they need a break, or their eyes start to squint. Anxiety and making unhealthy or unsatisfying choices are possible outcomes of that type of uncertainty. Being well-prepared is the surest method to guarantee that every trip you make will be an easy stroll around prearranged attractions.
Before you choose a route or are provided one, check out the stops ahead. You should check the mile distances and establish an approximation of the locations you’ll need to be at each rest stop, gas station, and restaurant. Planning on an hourly and milely basis increases the likelihood that you will meet your projections, decreasing stress and making it simpler to attend to your own needs as you go.
4. Dealing with sleep disorders
For optimal performance at work, you must adhere to a healthy sleep routine. Everyone knows this, but truck drivers realize it even more. The ability to adhere to a regular sleep pattern is not guaranteed by all employers. Try these strategies if you find it challenging to get a night’s sleep.
- Leave quiet regions alone. If you want to sleep more quickly, choose a dark, quiet place and shut the door.
- Pay attention to how you feel. Say, for instance, that you have difficulty consuming coffee after a specific hour. This is something that individuals in every field deal with.
5. Maintaining relationships with loved ones
No need to cut off socializing since you could be traveling for days or even weeks at a stretch. Keeping in touch with loved ones will be even more crucial to preventing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Video calls, texting, hands-free phoning, and other technological advancements have greatly expanded how people may remain in touch. Make plans to get out with friends and drive safely at all times. You can find further helpful hints here.
- Remind your loved ones every day via email or text message. Incorporate kid-friendly activities, such as coloring papers, that they can showcase to you the following day.
- Keep up consistent dialogue. Your loved ones will be grateful regardless of the medium you use—email or social media.
- Transmit presents! Bringing back souvenirs from your travels is a great way to show your loved ones how much you appreciate them. Or you may purchase things online.
- Look for things to do in the area that the whole family can enjoy. More museums, parks, and attractions, to mention a few, will be within your reach when you’re a truck driver.
- Take your loved ones by surprise. Even a brief text message from a friend or loved one you’ve lost touch with might bring a smile to your face.
In the end!
Incentives for professional growth, such as courses leading to extra certifications or endorsements or even leadership training, are another long-term gain for your fleet. Your drivers will see this as a sign of your willingness to invest in their achievement and your loyalty to them.
Never forget that your personnel are people first and drivers second. This is a crucial consideration. Their motivation to work hard each day will be better sustained if you help them achieve the equilibrium between work and personal life they need to be content with.
