Driver recruiting and retention is perhaps the industry’s oldest issue, but its severity has seemed to only increase since the start of the decade. As we enter a new year, perhaps it’s time to rethink hiring strategies.
Jeremy Reymer, CEO and founder of DriverReach, chats with Page Siplon, CEO of TeamOne Logistics, about his company’s interesting approach to driver retention on this episode of Taking the Hire Road.
TeamOne utilizes a unique business model to eliminate workforce risk, reducing the cost and complexity involved with staffing challenges, thus allowing its asset-based transportation and logistics clients to refocus on revenue and on improving customer relationships.
Siplon describes TeamOne as a third-party logistics provider that’s focused on the people side of the business. “We partner with asset-based companies all over the country: trucking companies or 3PLs with assets, whether that be a truck and/or warehouse, private fleets, manufacturing companies, distributors that have private fleets of their own where transportation is potentially just a cost center.”
The Alpharetta, Georgia-based team of workforce experts considers TeamOne’s services to be a long-term enhanced alternative to traditional driver staffing and leasing companies. TeamOne offers solutions in logistics recruiting, employee retention, workers’ compensation and liability coverage, administrative systems and support, custom safety and compliance training, among other areas of expertise.
Siplon is passionate about the people side of trucking. This involves developing a strong company culture to boost retention. His answer to struggling companies: Don’t ever stop recruiting — even after drivers sign on with you.
“You’ve got to act like you’re still trying to get them to join your team, so never stop recruiting even when they start after day one,” Siplon said, explaining that it all comes down to communication. He added that many CEOs claim to have open-door policies, but only a few actually take advantage of such opportunities, which Siplon said is a shame.
“Culture is driven by listening,” Siplon said. “People want to follow people, they don’t want to be led; they want to be around someone that they want to follow and that they believe in. That doesn’t come by you telling them that they need to believe and follow you; that’s earned, not taken.”
He continued, “When you say ‘open-door policy’ … the worst thing you can do is say that but not act on those things.” Siplon acknowledged that managers can’t act on every employee request but that you should lend an ear to issues of all sizes, especially to the ones you think are most actionable.
“I don’t care if you own 100% of the company, it’s your employees’ company,” Siplon said. “If you don’t treat it like that and listen to what your company has to say, you’re going to fail.”
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Netradyne creates solutions for real-world problems using computer vision and deep learning technologies. Its mission is to transform road and fleet safety through advanced vision technology to change the way drivers interact with the road around them, creating safer roadways in the process.
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