Driver retention. It’s a thorny issue, particularly when good staff are short in number but high in demand.
One operator finds that cutting to the chase and paying well enables it to attract and retain the right staff. It has a list of candidates waiting for when a position becomes available.
Of course, other factors come into play. This operator undertakes what could largely be considered as good work; it carries no stag or hen parties, but it does undertake school contracts. Duties are allocated fairly. Its fleet is also modern and well looked-after.
How is it able to pay its drivers well? Because it works for the right rates and will not hesitate to leave a coach in the yard if the would-be hirer is unwilling to pay what the operator believes is fair.
But that’s not to say that everything is done to accommodate drivers. They are expected to put the hours in and to work their share of weekends. Nevertheless, the operator has several of them who are long-serving.
The only conclusion of sorts that can be drawn is that rarely does a single factor define whether a driver views a job as desirable or not. As a result, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to come up with a strategy that is guaranteed to deliver in that regard.
However, it’s clear that pay plays a major part. Although increasing wages, perhaps significantly, may sound like a difficult pill to swallow, the trade-offs should not be forgotten. In the long term it’s likely to reduce the cost of damage and fuel, not to mention contributing to greater customer satisfaction.
Perhaps good drivers are worth their weight in gold, after all.
