New research conducted by software system developer Vigillo, revealed a connection between a carrier’s safety scores and their ability to sustain drivers.
Analyzing 2,000 of their trucking fleet customers, Vigillo found that trucking companies that had poorer CSA scores had a significantly higher rate of driver turnover. According to its results, carriers that had high turnover rates “also had 181% more hours-of-service violations than carriers with low attrition, 182% more controlled substance violations, 211% more concerning both unsafe driving and vehicle maintenance, 213% more in driver fitness, 224% more crash indicators and a whopping 640% more hazmat violations,” which surprising, Vigillo’s CEO Steve Bryan says was mainly trucks transporting flammable products, not tankers. 1
Not only was driver turnover found higher in those carriers with alerts in the seven BASIC categories, but other safety measurements as well such as out-of-services (in which driver turnover was 300% higher in vehicle OOS and 189% higher in driver OOS) and reportable accidents. 2
Many are turning to technology to help predict driver turnover, one of these being Chicago-based startup, Enlistics. This company has a driver application management system that uses a combination of sources (social media activity, employment history, background, etc) and predicts the likelihood of whether a particular driver will stay at a company for six months or more. 2
Electronic logging devices (otherwise known as ELDs) are another such tool being used to predict driver turnover. ELDs have a compliance date set for Dec. 18th and would record individual driver information such as duty status, location of their vehicle when their duty status changes, how far they traveled, motor carrier and vehicle information, hours-of-service (HOS) data, and shipper and commodity information. 3According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, they will provide three main benefits: improve safety by enforcing HOS compliance and therefore preventing fatigue, saving over $1 million in revenue by replacing paper logs, and “increase the efficiency of roadside law enforcement personnel in reviewing driver records.” 4
Omnitracs, however, developed a model that would use HOS data acquired from the ELDs to predict driver turnover due to fatigue, hours, etc. and recording information online in what they call “the Driving Center,” which will then provide data on turnover risk, the reasons why, and even possible solutions. 2
We reached out to the driver community asking their opinions on driver turnover and what they look for in a company. Here were our key takeaways:
*Most drivers indicated broken promises they were given at recruiting/hiring as the top reason why they leave a company.
*All respondents acknowledged that they would not drive for a company with poor CSA scores and pointed out that most individuals just entering the industry wouldn’t mind doing so because they need the job/experience.
*Besides pay, drivers commonly stated that they stay a company because of the equipment, home time, and truly feel valued there.
*While no company is going to be 100% safe, many ranked safety above pay in choosing a company to drive for.
Here are a few ways Road Scholar Transport keeps our drivers safe:
*Newer equipment-average tractor age <3 years
*Wingman Collision Avoidance Systems
*Anti-Rollover Protection
*Pre- and post-trip inspections
Here’s what one driver has to say about a Road Scholar driving career.
1http://www.gobytrucknews.com/low-csa-high-turnover/123
2http://www.ccjdigital.com/predicting-driver-turnover-the-model-sends-a-message/
3http://eobr.com/what-is-an-eobr/
4http://www.truckingnewsonline.com/fleet-management/elds-whats-in-it-for-the-truck-driver-and-fleet/
