New Findings: Driver Turnover And Gender

A recent turnover survey conducted by Stay Metrics has learned that the top reason why women truck drivers leave a motor carrier is dissatisfaction with tractors. According to the Department of Labor, women comprise roughly 43 percent of the total full-time workforce in the United States, but only six percent of the truck driver population. These are troubling numbers especially in light of the current truck driver shortage the industry is facing.

Stay Metrics states that, “as freight volumes continue to grow and baby boomers retire, the trucking industry must recruit and retain more women drivers to keep up with labor demands.”

Women Truck Driver Turnover: The Findings

This annual truck driver survey was done on behalf of motor carrier customers and included responses from 12,502 drivers from 78 different carriers — 1,122 of these respondents were women.

“We consistently find that women drivers expect to be paid the same, to have equal opportunities, and to be treated with the same level of respect for doing the same job as male drivers,” said Tim Hindes, chief executive officer of Stay Metrics. “This research offers new insights into the relationship between women’s experiences and their propensity to leave a carrier.”

At the top of the list of reasons for turnover was dissatisfaction with the tractor, followed by complaints on important topics such as dissatisfaction with compensation, hours worked, and vehicle maintenance frequency.

Predicticting Driver Turnover

Stay Metrics identified 14 turnover predictors for women drivers and correlated them with these women either staying with their carrier or leaving.

The top 14 predictors of turnover for women drivers were found to be:

1. Dissatisfaction with tractor
2. Dissatisfaction with compensation for deadhead miles
3. Dissatisfaction with hours worked
4. Inadequately preparation during orientation for driving at this carrier
5. Lack of respect at carrier’s facilities
6. Dissatisfaction with Maintenance Department
7. My work experiences match the expectations I had when I signed up for this job
8. Dissatisfaction with frequency of maintenance done on equipment
9. Dissatisfaction with dispatcher
10. Dissatisfaction with pay
11. Not getting enough miles
12. Dissatisfaction with the respect my carrier shows me
13. Work is not steady enough
14. Desire to switch my dispatcher

Similarities Noted With Male Truck Driver Turnover

Male drivers showed some correlation with women when it came to the noted predictors, but only in four main areas: dissatisfaction with deadhead miles, maintenance frequency, dispatcher dissatisfaction, and the desire to switch a dispatcher.

“The list shows the overall reasons why women drivers will choose to leave or stay with their carriers, but we all know that not all carriers are alike,” said Dr. Timothy Judge, Stay Metrics’ director of research. “When applied to individual carrier data, our predictive models deliver important insights on the controllable causes of turnover that are specific to each company.”

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