From within the trucking industry, there are companies that stand out from the rest. Their workplace environments are considered exceptional because they feature attractive compensation and benefits, an enviable company culture, or perhaps unique perks and incentives for their employees. To identify and recognize them, Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and CarriersEdge offer Best Fleets to Drive For, an annual contest and survey now in its ninth year.
Nominations must come from professional truck drivers and can be made online. The nomination period is open through Oct. 31, 2016.
Once a company accepts the nomination and agrees to participate, CarriersEdge will contact them for more details through an electronic questionnaire and telephone interview, the company explained. They will speak with senior management and a random sampling of the company’s drivers to learn more about the company’s compensation, safety practices, benefits, equipment, training, etc. Ultimately, the survey answers reveal the innovations that have proven successful in attracting and retaining skilled personnel in the trucking industry.
According to Jane Jazrawy, chief executive officer of CarriersEdge: “This year, in addition to our usual questions, we’re going to be asking fleets about how much time their drivers spend on the road, whether they provide guaranteed pay and paid waiting time, and what in-cab amenities they offer. We’ll also get into the topic of diversity, asking what fleets are doing to bring a more diverse driver pool to the industry. For the first time, this will have its own scored section.”
John Lyboldt, TCA’s president, added: “Through our questions to the nominated fleets, we will unearth and publicize the most popular benefits and perks that are being implemented right now. These are the things that are keeping current drivers happy, while enticing potential new drivers to join our industry.”
To be eligible, a for-hire fleet must have 10 or more trucks and operate in the U.S. or Canada. TCA membership is not required. The top 20 finishers will be identified as Best Fleets to Drive For and will be announced in January 2017. From this pool, companies will then be divided into both “small” and “large” categories, and two overall winners will be recognized March 26-29, 2017, at the TCA Annual Convention in Nashville, TN.
In late-October, companies that have been nominated (or believe they will be nominated) and are considering participating are invited to learn more about the survey requirements through a free Webinar. More details will be released as they are finalized, but the event will outline the questions that surveyors will ask, data requirements, and methods for collecting better information more easily.
To view best practices from last year’s survey as well as profiles of the overall winners, visit BestFleetsToDriveFor.com. To view the program’s Facebook page, visit www.facebook.com/BestFleetsToDriveFor.
