The trucking industry has mastered one thing.
Hiring.
We hire harder.
We hire louder.
We hire with bigger bonuses, flashier ads, and promises that sound great on paper.
And yet, fleets are still losing drivers faster than they can replace them.
That should tell us something.
Because if hiring were the real problem, all this effort would be working by now.
According to CCJ’s latest What Drivers Want survey, pay still ranks as the top reason fleets struggle to find and keep drivers. Eighty-one percent of drivers said compensation matters most.
No argument there.
But right behind pay, at seventy-three percent, sits a far more uncomfortable truth.
Lack of respect.
Not dispatch systems.
Not ELDs.
Not fuel prices.
Respect.
That single data point should change how this entire industry talks about retention.
When Drivers Talk About “Problems,” They’re Talking About Respect
Drivers did not stop at one answer.
They went on to list the reasons fleets struggle to keep people behind the wheel:
⭐ Lack of support dealing with shippers, law enforcement, and roadside issues
⭐ Not enough home time
⭐ Inconsistent miles or unreliable loads
⭐ No clear career path
⭐ Poor or outdated equipment
At first glance, that looks like an operations list.
To drivers, it feels like a respect list.
Each item sends the same underlying message.
You’re on your own.
And when drivers feel like they are navigating problems alone, day after day, respect does not feel like a value. It feels absent.
Michael Lasko, assistant general manager and vice president at Boyle Transportation, captured it perfectly during CCJ’s What Drivers Want webinar.
He said that professional drivers simply do not hear “please,” “thank you,” or “good job” nearly as often as they deserve.
That statement hits because it is painfully accurate.
Most drivers do not quit because of one bad day.
They quit after hundreds of quiet moments where they felt invisible.
Retention Is Built Before the First Load Ever Moves
Fleets with strong retention numbers understand something most still overlook.
Retention starts before the truck ever rolls.
At Boyle Transportation, leadership shows up at orientation. Not a prerecorded message. Not a corporate slide deck. A real leader, face-to-face, starting a relationship on Day One.
That matters, especially for over-the-road drivers who may not see the terminal often.
Boyle does not disappear after orientation either. Drivers stay connected during their first months through regular check-ins and virtual communication. The goal is simple.
Do not let small problems grow in silence.
This approach does not require fancy software or massive budgets.
It requires leadership.
Mentorship Turns Retention Into a Relationship
Nussbaum Transportation understands that retention is not about policies. It is about people.
That is why new drivers are paired with seasoned mentors. Not to micromanage them. To support them.
Mentorship creates trust.
Trust creates honesty.
Honesty reveals problems early.
Instead of waiting until a driver is burned out, frustrated, or halfway out the door, leadership gets insight while there is still time to act.
Brendon Nussbaum, director of culture and development, understands that retention is not reactive. It is proactive.
Recognition is another key piece of the culture.
Drivers who complete training are recognized publicly and receive a ring that earns a new diamond for every year of safe driving. That recognition comes with added pay and rewards that actually mean something.
Drivers are also recognized for fuel efficiency, on-time delivery, and professionalism.
And they are invited into the conversation.
Through podcasts and open forums, drivers share real experiences and talk about real challenges. Not corporate fluff. Real life on the road.
That kind of involvement builds something no bonus can buy.
Belonging.
Respect Sometimes Means Admitting Your Way Isn’t Working
At J&R Schugel Trucking, respect is treated as a core value, not a buzzword.
The company uses a fleet manager model to build relationships, but leadership understands a simple truth.
Not every pairing works.
If communication styles clash, they change the fleet manager. Quickly.
Some drivers want frequent updates.
Others want direct answers and space.
Matching communication styles shows respect. Forcing mismatches creates resentment.
Like Boyle and Nussbaum, J&R Schugel also provides driver support around the clock. Someone answers the phone when things go wrong. Someone owns the problem.
That matters more than any retention slogan ever will.
Equipment Comfort Is About Dignity, Not Perks
Drivers are not asking for luxury.
They are asking not to be physically worn down by the job.
According to the What Drivers Want survey, a comfortable seat has been the No. 1 most important cab feature every year the survey has been conducted.
That should not be surprising.
Drivers live in these trucks.
Boyle takes driver feedback seriously and shares it directly with equipment manufacturers to improve future designs. Nussbaum explored premium options and balanced comfort with return on investment by selecting high-quality alternatives drivers responded positively to.
Across these fleets, comfort includes:
⭐ Heated and air-conditioned seats
⭐ Satellite radio
⭐ Premium mattresses
⭐ Auxiliary power units
⭐ Bunk heaters and sleeper amenities
As Lasko explained, comfort allows drivers to focus on safety and service instead of dealing with constant discomfort.
Comfort is not a perk.
Comfort is respect in physical form.
Detention, Delays, and Daily Friction Add Up
Drivers consistently point to detention time, lack of parking, and poor communication as major frustrations.
To a fleet, these may look like industry challenges.
To a driver, they feel personal.
Every hour waiting at a dock is an hour not earning miles.
Every unclear instruction creates stress.
Every unanswered call chips away at trust.
Respect is not tested when everything goes smoothly.
It is tested when things go sideways.
The Cost of Ignoring Respect Is Enormous
Driver turnover at large truckload carriers has hovered near or above ninety percent for years.
That means many fleets are replacing nearly their entire driving workforce annually.
Recruiting costs money.
Training costs money.
Operational disruption costs money.
But the real cost is cultural.
Burned-out leadership.
Disconnected drivers.
A constant cycle of onboarding instead of improving.
Fleets keep pouring money into hiring while ignoring the hole in the bucket.
That hole is respect.
Respect Is Not Soft. It Is Operational.
This is where many leaders get it wrong.
Respect is not about lowering standards.
Respect is not about avoiding accountability.
Respect is not about being “nice.”
Respect is about clarity.
Clear expectations.
Consistent communication.
Support when problems arise.
Accountability that runs both directions.
At Eclipse DOT, we see this connection every day when working with fleets on compliance, training, and leadership development.
Strong retention cultures and strong compliance cultures are built the same way.
When drivers feel respected, compliance improves.
When leadership is consistent, safety improves.
When expectations are clear, performance improves.
Everything improves.
The Question Fleets Need to Ask
If your fleet struggles with retention, stop asking how to hire faster.
Ask this instead.
Do drivers feel respected once they arrive?
Respect shows up in dispatch conversations.
Respect shows up in home-time promises.
Respect shows up at two in the morning when a driver needs help and someone actually answers the phone.
You cannot regulate respect.
But you can lead it.
And fleets that do will never stop winning the driver retention battle.
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Sources
📌 CCJ: What Drivers Want Survey — Respect Near the Top of Driver Concerns
📌 ATRI: Ongoing Driver Shortage and Retention are Top Industry Issues
📌 FreightWaves: ATRI Survey Shows Drivers and Carriers View Top Issues Differently