While industry experts generally agree on the existence of a troublesome truck driver labor market, there is no consensus on what is causing the problem.
Many publications point to an overall truck driver labor shortage. Other experts, including MIT research scientist Dr. David Correll, cite pervasive inefficiencies such as dwell time and detention. While the debate on the existence of a driver shortage is complicated at best, the only way carriers can ensure their trucks will be full is to produce a net positive recruiting and retention program.
To accomplish this, it is vital to understand the root desires of truck drivers and the dysfunctions preventing those desires from being met. In a doctoral study conducted at Indiana Wesleyan University, those desires and dysfunctions were closely examined.
Prior to conducting additional research, it was essential to lean on existing research to provide a firm knowledge foundation. The main takeaway from the review of previous studies was the existence of three broad domains of driver desire: pay, home time and respect. These domains were consistently represented in a number of industry surveys, including CCJ's What Drivers Want Survey. It may seem elementary to ask, but what causes the desire for more pay? Why do drivers crave more home time? What does respect mean to truck drivers, and why are they demanding more of it? The answers were quite astounding.
The research study involved interviewing 12 current and former long-haul truck drivers using an in-depth and semi-structured format with reliance on Socratic questioning. This format encouraged participants to explore the underlying thoughts and meanings of their initial responses and allowed the researcher to conduct more precise questioning. The interviews varied in length from one to almost two hours. Following the completion of all interviews, transcripts and audio recordings were thematically analyzed for common responses and sentiments.
Reviewing the analysis of the study through the lenses of the three desire domains of pay, home time and respect revealed some surprising findings.
