In industry terms, it’s quite an accomplishment. While trucking companies continue to struggle with high turnover, Hayes Transport is retaining 92% of its drivers on a regular basis.
“Our retention rate is easily less than 10%,” said Kyle Vidlock, a former driver with the carrier who now serves as its safety manager. “Most of our driver needs are due to retirements. In the recent past, we’ve only had one driver leave to pursue other career options.”
That success is no mystery, Vidlock noted. “Our founder, Tim Hayes, prioritizes maintaining a family-friendly work environment where employees want to stay for a career,” he told FleetOwner. “He’s actively involved, and his phone is always on, so any driver can call him at any time. We also have a range of scheduling, pay and benefits programs, and equipment and technologies that show our drivers just how much we’re invested in them.”
Verona, Wisconsin-based Hayes Transport provides 48-state truckload, LTL, local, and dedicated services with 60 company-owned Volvo VNL 860 power units and 180 Utility, Stoughton, and Wabash trailers.
“We’re replacing tractors about every four years, or 500,000 miles, and spec’ing the largest sleepers and every safety feature the manufacturer offers,” Vidlock related. “We also assign new drivers to new trucks because we believe these things will show them that we anticipate they will stay.”
Salary programs ensure drivers earn the same wage every week, and there is also pay for vacation, holidays, detentions, and layovers. Drivers who load their own outbound freight are paid for the pickup, and if they need to load more than one load to get home, they are compensated for the additional pickups and drop-offs. The company provides health and life insurance as well as a 401k retirement savings plan.
Hayes drivers also receive safety bonuses for no moving violations and no property damage, fuel bonuses for meeting mileage standards, and East Coast bonuses to compensate for lower mileage in that region. In addition, they receive expense money on company-issued EFS fuel cards.
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“We also route all drivers home weekly, and there are no forced dispatches,” Vidlock said. “When drivers are returning, they discuss with our outbound dispatcher when they are available. It’s all about understanding what drivers need and offering options.”
When Vidlock became Hayes Transport’s full-time safety manager, he immediately began addressing drivers’ challenges based on his experience behind the wheel. The first changes he made were to facilitate the switch to Geotab ELDs and telematics systems and to install Netradyne dashcams to better support driver safety and training.
Vidlock was also eager to have Hayes drivers use a weigh station bypass solution. Soon after, the company implemented Drivewyze PreClear as a paid-for service for all over-the-road drivers in the fleet.
“A service that reduces the amount of time drivers spend at inspection sites means they can continue their routes and get home sooner,” Vidlock explained. “Not only does Drivewyze reduce driver downtime, it also helps cut operating expenses associated with idling at weigh stations and better supports on-time deliveries.”
Vidlock noted that the bottom-line benefits to Hayes Transport and its drivers were immediately apparent. In one month, at an average of nine bypasses per truck, the carrier cut drive time across the fleet by 28 hours. Hayes also estimates that the cost savings associated with bypassing weigh stations saved more than $2,870 in operating costs in that month alone.
Vidlock also sees consistency in a customer base as key to the company’s ongoing success. “Hayes Transport has been developing partnerships with customers to meet their transportation needs for 42 years,” he said. “With each delivery, we strive to provide excellent, professional, on-time service. Our business model allows us the flexibility to be creative in the solutions we offer while also providing personal attention with services that are customized to meet each shipper’s unique requirements.”
Founded in 1980, Hayes Transport has grown from a single-truck operation into a large fleet with a well-deserved reputation for being a reliable transportation services provider and a company that customers want to do business with.
