New Company Owner

[hbfinc]

I have had 3 trucks on with Panther and now Landstar, I have the same problem everyone does, "How to keep drivers". I guess what I'm asking for is any help or opinion on where to spend the money to find drivers. What are the best sources?

PLEASE HELP! I love the business and we are making a little money, but a stable of good dependable drivers would help me grow and prosper.

Thanks so much!

 

[cheri1122]

First question: why are the drivers leaving you?

 

[x06col]

Second question. Why don't you not worry about drivers and do it yousef. Much, much more rewarding. Trust me.

 

[hbfinc]

First answer: it's usually money, they are told by other recruiters with inflated pay rates and it seems in my case, they don't want to stay out long enough to make good money. I have 6 drivers, one is me, and 2 others stay out 3 weeks at a time and seem to generate good money for the company and the driver.

Second answer: I do drive, as does my business partner, but we would like to grow our company and be owners that offer better equipment. To do that we need to cultivate good drivers who will stay at work.

 

[cheri1122]

Seems to me, if they're inexperienced enough to believe "inflated" promises of recruiters, they wouldn't be your best bet, anyway.
As a driver, I can tell you what keeps me with an owner: honesty, fairness, and reliability. (The same things I offer in return, BTW).
The best advice I can offer is to get rid of drivers who don't work for you, and reward those who do. As far as finding them, word of mouth has always been the best avenue for me. Drivers talk to each other, same as owners, and word gets around, amazingly fast, when one is looking for the other.

 

[Suds43]

better equipment?? what do you have in your fleet right now?? year/make/model/sleeper size, etc....What are your pay percentages?
I'm looking to get back into driving, straight truck, with a company that allows a rider, my bride, and a pet, my small dog............let's see I have them in the correct order, right? lol
Or should it be a rider-my dog, and a pet-my wife..........somehow that doesn't sound right...hahahaha
Good thing she doesn't read my posts...........or I'd be building a dog house, for ME!!!
Anyhoo, I can't get qualified with Landstar for some unknown reason, I've applied to them twice and turned down twice with no explanation. And Panther just doesn't ring my bell, not a good fit for me........
I like to stay out for at least 3 weeks at a time, longer if the freight is moving.

 

[arrbsthw]

Hmmmm..how to keep drivers.. 1st you have to buy 120" sleepers on trucks with auto transmission with shower. Pay
them most of the money u make. Let them go home every
2 weeks, be off on all holidays, lets see...what else are they
demanding in the classifieds?

Just kidding.. don't pay me any attention..

 

[mrgoodtude]

We are not owners but have been with the same owner for 2.5 years (with a short stint ((1mos)) to a super expediter) and I can tell you from my perspective we are treated as owners...
I NEVER get a call asking WTF....
I used to call and say what do you think? only to get the reply well what do you think?
When we make money it is insane money and when we don't well we are our own worst critic so what does a couple of "I am desperate verbiages add?"
Postscript
We are grown *** people and treated as such...
Not Micro managed we do what we do and if things happen in a great way everyone wins..
Disclaimer
The folks we run for don't wait for the sword of Damocles to fall meaning they have irons in many fires and if we fail we only let ourselves down..
Not a bad place to be as a team.
Thanks and props due to Lucas and Tammy Wells

 

[nightcreacher]

In the past ive had a small fleet of trucks,and myself ive always had a co-driver,but ive found,its not the money,causing the drivers moving on.Most truck drivers hate sitting around.And as we all know in the expedite business,we do sit around,some more than others.If your on with a compny that will run a team 5000 miles aweek,and have them home every week end,you will never loose a driver,but until that time,good luck

 

[FIS53]

Biggest problem in this industry is attitude. The driver (or potential) really has to have the right attitude. I've hired many a driver and only those with the right attitude lasted and did rather well. I used to work in the office for a company that hired brokers and occasionally when they got a new big customer I was ordered to hire so many new brokers. it did not matter to management who I hired so long as quantity was met, so I hired as many good ones as I could and the rest were ...well just bodies. To me though attitude made the grade as much as appearance and knowledge. A broker with the right attitude and thinking processes can learn fast and do well in short time compared to the others. I have found those without good attitude and a sort of gungho type mentality usually get rather depressed when it's slow. If kept busy then they are usually fine. But this business is different and I know the depressing part of sitting and waiting for a load. It takes someone with a decent outlook to keep the right thoughts around during the bad times.

Just my two cents worth (ok dimes worth).
Rob