Mercer Turnover Significantly Below National Average
Most of us think that being below average is a bad thing. Usually that is the case, but not when you are talking about driver turnover. The ATA’s data from the third quarter of 2015 showed that truck driver turnover rose 13 points to reach an average of 100% for large carriers. How does Mercer Transportation consistently post turnover numbers that are less than 1/3 of the national average?
The Mercer Driver Coordinators are the first line of defense in combatting driver turnover. “Successfully managing driver turnover starts with our people that work with our Contractors daily,” says Jason Schaftlein, Director of Recruiting and Retention at Mercer. “We can teach someone our systems and processes but we can’t teach them to care about people. They either have that ability or they don’t. We want to hire the ones that do.”
Managing a group of four Contractor Relations Advocates, Jason and his team work daily ensuring that Mercer Owner Operators are receiving the support that keeps them running and profitable. “We communicate to Operations driver concerns and problems and work to find solutions to systemic problems,” Schaftlein said. “When considering changes in operations or policy we have to ask ourselves, how does this change effect our Contractors?” Throughout the company there is an open door policy that allows Contractors to meet with anyone to voice suggestions or solve problems they may have. “Unless there is a meeting going on, our Managers’ doors are always open to our Owner Operators,” said Schaftlein.
Another key component to keeping turnover in check is managing driver expectations during the recruiting process. “We want our recruiters painting a realistic picture of what an Owner Operator can expect when they lease on with Mercer,” said Mike Ernst, Mercer Recruiting Manager. “We are not going to make promises we can’t keep just to get a driver in the door.”
In an effort to assist their Owner Operators, in 2015 Mercer Transportation introduced the Mercer Mentor Program. Through this program, Mercer Contractors have 24/7 access to long term Mercer Owner Operators who have volunteered to become a Mercer Mentor. “The Mercer Mentor program has been received very well and is producing great results,” said Gerald Garrison, Mercer Contractor Relations Team Leader. “The program was created after receiving feedback from our drivers about the Mercer experience and what we could do to make driving for Mercer even better.” Mercer Mentor, Miles Johnson, a Mercer Owner Operator since 1992 agrees. “Giving an Owner Operator the ability to reach out to another Owner Operator for advice or to vent frustrations is important,” said Johnson. “I have had a lot of help during my trucking career and this gives me an opportunity to be able to pay that forward by helping other truckers.”
Driver communication and engagement is a priority at Mercer. “We are always looking for ways to improve communication with our drivers,” said Brian Helton, Mercer Marketing Director. To that end, Mercer will be launching a monthly newsletter that will feature information of interest to drivers. The first issue of the newsletter, The Mercer Minute, will be coming out during the first quarter of 2016. The newsletter will be informative and feature tips for Owner Operators, relevant Industry news, interviews with drivers, employees and agents and an update on upcoming company events. “It is our hope that the newsletter will provide our drivers with valuable information and will be something they look forward to reading.”
Ideally the only driver turnover a company would have would be turnover that occurs when a driver retires after a long and successful career. Mercer is not there quite yet, but as long as the company continues working on “being below average” they are certainly on their way.