At a time when owner-operators and CDL holders of all types are seeing record income, rates, and demand for their services, Commercial Carrier Journal's Solutions Summit brought together leaders from fleets small and large for a panel discussion focused on just what makes drivers want to stick around.
"It can't be all about the money," said Jason Cowan, Overdrive's 2021 Small Fleet Champ and president of 24-truck Henderson, Kentucky-based Silver Creek Transportation.
Cowan sat alongside David Broyles, the director of driver services at Averitt Express, a fleet of 4,500, at a panel on driver retention hosted by Tenstreet's Marilyn Surber. At a time when headlines bemoan a "driver shortage" and drivers cry out for support in the face of constant regulatory and operational challenges, the conversation served as a welcome break from the tedious talk of rates and recruiting gimmicks, partly due to Cowan's background.
Cowan, who holds a Masters of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, figured that the industry's commitment to retaining drivers couldn't be skin deep, and that while pay remained an important factor, it was "incumbent upon" fleets to make truck driving a career they'd be happy to see their teenage son or daughter embark on.
"It’s the small carrier thing, we realize," said Cowan. "It's all about relationships. A lot of our drivers want to talk to someone. The very last thing I say to a driver before he/she leaves is the thing they’re gonna think on all day. What are we communicating? Are they going to be positive?"
Silver Creek, with 20 company drivers and four owner-ops, is "still small enough where we know their kids, their birthdays, what they're doing this weekend, and who just graduated. That's what they're going to remember for the rest of the trip."
This attention to detail from Cowan appears effective. Silver Creek's turnover rate stands at just about 20%. As of a month ago, the company was due to increase earnings by 36% over 2020.
