More professional truck drivers are looking for new driving jobs now than they were in November, according to newly released driver survey data from Conversion Interactive Agency and People. Data. Analytics (PDA).
Spring 2022 survey results showed 37.4% currently are looking for a job, up almost 3% from November, when 34.6% of drivers indicated they were looking for a job. This was the highest percentage of drivers who indicated they were looking for a new job since Conversion Interactive and PDA began asking this question last spring.
“This is a pivotal moment for the trucking industry,” said Kelley Walkup, president and CEO of Conversion Interactive. “We are living in the digital age of driver recruiting and carriers that have not adopted innovative technologies are going to fall behind. Truck drivers are creating online communities and basing their career choices on the reviews of other drivers.
“They are using social and digital media to look for new driving jobs—and the technology is constantly evolving.”
Conversion Interactive and PDA asked drivers about a variety of concerns to gather insights into everything from equipment and parts shortages to truck parking, what they’re looking for in job descriptions, and what online content influences their search.
When asked about the most influential factor in choosing an employer, 71.6% of drivers pointed to online reviews, according to the survey.
“Monitoring and responding to online driver reviews is essential to the success of any driver recruiting effort,” Walkup said. “Articles, blogs, and social media content are an underutilized strategy by carriers today.
“Drivers are consuming content online, so why shouldn’t it be about your carrier?”
While technology is becoming a crucial factor, there remains a desire for human interaction in recruitment. Almost 60% of drivers claimed they prefer a phone call when communicating with recruiters during the hiring process.
“Driving a truck can be a lonely operation, so it’s no surprise that drivers have a strong need for human interaction,” Walkup said. “However, employing advanced technology to nurture your leads can drive an increased amount of connection between your recruiters and prospective drivers.”
While the equipment shortage and parts supply chain issues continue to affect carriers, most drivers aren’t feeling the impact, with 55% of drivers indicating the equipment/parts shortages are not affecting their job.
“While a majority of drivers do not seem to feel the effect of the equipment shortage, a significant number of drivers indicated the shortage is affecting their pay via a decrease in miles, as well as having to keep trucks longer,” said Scott Dismuke, vice president of operations for PDA. “Aging fleets mean more maintenance, and more maintenance means drivers are in the shop more frequently.
“If drivers are in the shop and not logging miles, their pay will suffer, so maintenance departments will be key to driver retention throughout the rest of the year.”
In the survey, drivers also weighed in on the parking shortage and how long it normally takes them to find parking. Over half of the drivers surveyed indicated it takes them 30 minutes or less to find parking, while 45% said it takes more than 30 minutes.
“While we clearly know from other data and surveys that parking is a problem, the results of this survey seem to indicate that drivers who don’t plan ahead are the ones who have the biggest issue finding parking,” Dismuke said. “These results do show that drivers would appreciate some assistance with parking in the form of paying for parking or providing parking locations.
“When it comes to parking, carriers could do more to set their drivers up for success by offering additional training on trip planning.”