Drivers Are Key

Finding Fikes Truck Line Chairman and CEO Gary Salisbury behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler or mingling at a truck stop isn't out of the ordinary. It's part of what has earned Salisbury, himself a former driver, a positive reputation among his employees and others within the industry.


Salisbury's willingness to hit the road, and his insistence on keeping his commercial driver's license, has been a good way to build goodwill. It also serves as a means of gathering information on how drivers are being treated and what challenges they're facing.


Based upon his most recent travels, Salisbury sees a need for industrywide improvement. It was a message he communicated during the recent Arkansas Trucking Association convention in Branson.


"None of us have a job if it's not for that guy behind the wheel. Think about it," Salisbury said. "It's those guys who make me feel passionate about being here today. Pure and simple. No matter what rules, what laws, what policies that we make through this association, through companies, if we don't respect the truck driver, we're all going to continue to struggle. We're all going to have empty trucks."


Salisbury delivered the remarks on driver respect during one of his final appearances as chairman of the Arkansas Trucking Association. J.B. Hunt Chief Operations Officer Craig Harper, who replaces Salisbury as chairman of the association, had a similar message in his first address to the 300-plus in attendance at the conference.


Companies have for years faced high turnover rates among drivers. Some factors, such as government regulations, are essentially beyond the control of a company or executives.


Where Harper, Salisbury and others are hoping to make an impact is how drivers are treated within their own organization. Pay, for example, is a relatively easy fix. It is also imperative, they said, to get shippers and receivers to understand their impact on the industry, especially those responsible for making pickups and deliveries.


Harper began his introductory remarks during a convention luncheon with a word on safety, but quickly shifted the focus to drivers. Changing the attitude of shippers and receivers, especially when it comes to having loads ready for drivers, is a must, he said.


"Drivers for too long have filled the void of all the inefficiencies of the supply chain," Harper said. "They can no longer wait on the shipper and the receiver and burn their precious time. You've got to continue to get that message across. ...
"How on earth can you tell somebody you respect them and then tell them to go out back and wait for three hours? Seriously. It's gone on too long. So it's about time. It's about time that we fight for our drivers' time to continue to push our entire industry forward."


Arkansas Trucking Association Vice President Shannon Samples Newton said focusing on drivers isn't just happening among the state's companies. Across the country, trucking and transportation companies are beginning to understand the importance of treating drivers well.


Nationally the driver turnover rate for large truckload carriers was above 90 percent for an eighth consecutive quarter, according to figures from the American Trucking Associations . Some trucking companies have such a difficult time retaining drivers that their turnover rate exceeds 100 percent.


As the economy improves, trucking companies are finding capacity tightening. Without a dependable stable of drivers, companies will have a difficult time meeting the needs of customers and meeting the demand that exists.


"There is more freight to haul than drivers to haul it, so the trend across the industry, small or big, is to focus on the drivers," Newton said. "Companies are going to shorter routes, more home time. They're investing in better driver facilities. Everyone that works for the trucking company works for the driver. Without the driver, there are no other jobs."


Newton said the association is planning a summer seminar focused on driver retention. Topics will include the cost of hiring drivers and ways to communicate to shippers the impact that leaving driers waiting around on loads can have on their bottom line.
Getting employers to understand the role drivers play in their success is critical, Salisbury said. It isn't a coincidence that some of the state's more financially successful companies are leading the way in driver treatment.


"If you want to be successful, [respect your drivers] and all your trucks will start getting filled," Salisbury said. "I'm telling you the truth. We've done that this year. We've been very blessed and very fortunate."