US TRUCK driver turnover rate at large truckload carriers increased to 89 per cent in the third quarter, after turnover rate increased from 79 per cent in the second quarter, hitting its highest point since early 2008, reports American Trucking Associations.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration initiative that ties carrier safety scores to driver behaviour, is tightening carrier requirements on drivers. High driver turnover is largely a truckload carrier problem. Less-than-truckload carriers have a turnover rate of only 10 per cent, according to the ATA.
The driver turnover rate at small truckload carriers jumped 10 points to 57 per cent, the highest level for those companies since the third quarter of 2008, said the ATA, reported Newark's Journal of Commerce. The rapid increase is expected to push up driver pay and truckload rates in 2012.
Higher driver turnover forces trucking companies to spend more on hiring and recruiting. "Due to the economic recovery, as well as regulatory factors like CSA, we are seeing the market for good, quality drivers tighten," said ATA economist Bob Costello.
