T&P Trucking, Ltd.

Attracting Millennials to Trucking

Categories: Articles

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”. We have probably all been asked that at some point in our life.
Can you think back to what your answer was? Was it to be a truck driver? Maybe, but we doubt it. Long haul trucking is not something many kids think of as a future job.

Why would someone want to be a truck driver? Freedom from the office? Higher earnings? Being your own boss? These sound like great reasons to us, yet there are many trucking companies that are facing the growing struggle of attracting millennials to the trucking industry. Let’s see why and what each trucking company can do to change that.

A New Career

Attracting millennials to the trucking industry isn’t impossible, but many who fall into the ‘millennial’ classification are ones who want a job with a purpose, to feel like what they do actually matters.

Part of the problem in the truck driving world is recruiters who describe the job as a way to “see the country”. It is these kind of broad statements that mislead many into starting a career as a truck driver thinking it will fulfill some sort of travel fantasy rather than being a physically demanding job.

Every industry has good and bad aspects, so glamourizing only the good things can bring people into the industry with the wrong idea. It doesn’t take long before they realize there’s more to the job then what they were told and decide that this isn’t what they wanted and just quit. This can cost a company a considerable amount of time and resources.

The origin of this problem comes from shielding the bad aspects of the job, which means you bring the wrong people into this industry, so of course they won’t last. Anyone who is in the business knows that the literal driving of the truck is only one aspect of the job.

Being that a trucking job is tough and overall involves plenty of hard work, how can a trucking business find the right kind of people and then keep these new drivers?

In it for the long road

Like we mentioned previously, companies need to show that they have a purpose or a driving force for why they do what they do. This can resonate with future employees and help them see how your goal fits with theirs.

Another important thing many companies are missing is being real with what life in the trucking industry means. You need to show the heart and soul of your company. If you are interviewing potential recruits, be real with them and tell them the worst parts of the job. You don’t need to be overly negative, but make sure they understand what they are getting into. It will work to your advantage in the end because you will end up with a driver who actually wants to be there and enjoys their job.

This means you will have some turn down the job, but the ones that stay means they understand and accept what the job brings. These are the future truck drivers you want.

Now that you have someone who actually wants the job, the next step is showing them how they are part of the team and that you will help them succeed.

A Career for Life

At T&P Trucking, we love seeing our drivers continuing to succeed in the industry. That is why we always start with teaching new drivers exactly what the job will involve and how to best manage their time so they will enjoy their job and hopefully have a successful career in the industry. We also help new drivers understand how to best manage their time so they will enjoy working and earn a comfortable wage if they continue to work hard.

Safety is also a large part of what we help new drivers understand. By starting them off learning the right way to load and unload trucks, secure loads, and transport their load safely, we help reduce the risk that these new drivers will injure themselves. Injuries for drivers can not only impede on their recreational activities, but it can also negatively impact their financial situations. That is something no one wants to see.

We also try to help our drivers have a happy working life by making sure they aren’t away from their families for too long. Being a family run business, family values are important to us and we want to keep that vibe right down to each driver.

To sum it all up, by being honest with potential new drivers, training them to be successful, and helping them find a happy balance between life on the road and their personal family life, it IS possible to bring in (and keep) new, young drivers.

References

www.truckinsurancequotes.com/millennial-drivers

www.trucknews.com/how-to-attract-new-drivers

Contributors

Rob Morris