Sometimes you have to change companies. This is nothing new in the trucking industry.

Wendy Leavitt writing for Fleet Owner says in part:
Driver turnover rates vary hugely across the trucking industry. Private fleets have an average employee turnover of 16%, for instance, while large for-hire carriers see average annual turnover rates in the neighborhood of 130%. Small truckload carriers average 96% turnover, while LTL fleets enjoy an annual turnover rate of only about 15%. Swings this wide can make a statistician airsick, but for years trucking has taken them largely for granted.

Seeing it in print is one thing. Actually being involved is something else. I hate it.

I guess I’d be classified as rather stable….by industry standards at least. This last carrier I was leased to I’ve been with for over four years.


But…….. what with the slow down in the economy and reasons I’ve not been able to pin down I’ve not been receiving sufficient loads lately to suit me. I had to move on.

Hate that.

How to find a better place? How to have some assurance that I wasn’t moving from the pot into the fire?

Research.

Google is your friend. With the Internet today it’s possible to find a LOT of information on just about anything. Information can be found that various trucking companies just might NOT be too willing to share. For example there is SAFER by the FMCSA.

Also it’s possible to run a google search string on whatever company that you are considering. For example ( xyz trucking, safety, lawsuits). Try many things. Try it often.

Research some more.

Use the other network.. ..personal networking. Talk to drivers. Talk to a LOT of drivers, the more the better.

Then when you get all the information together evaluate it. Set priorities and determine how well various carriers relate.

Things like pay, home time, agents/brokers or in-house freight, safety… safety… safety, area of operation. Make a list.

That’s the hard part.

The harder part is doing it.

I did it. I’m on my first load with a new carrier.

Wish me luck