The Trucking Retention Council is designed to help carriers stabilize their workforce by comparing recruiting and retention data honestly and learning from peers' successes and failures.
Imagine a group of transportation professionals focused on recruiting and retaining professional truck operators. Participants disclose what has worked, what has failed, and how they have addressed challenges shared across the industry.
The KSM Transport Advisors Trucking Retention Council
KSMTA developed the Trucking Retention Council, or TRC, as a service for carriers confronting a problem that has persisted for years. A manageable group of carriers compares information and experience in a forum intended to reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly—the areas where meaningful progress can be made.
The council includes two in-person meetings and 10 monthly virtual group check-ins.
One Plus One Plus One Equals Seven
The phrase “one plus one plus one equals seven” describes the value of collective problem-solving. One participant may present an idea that most of the group rejects, while another sees a useful element within it.
Through open and honest discussion, that small element can become a stronger process or a solution to an existing problem. Not every idea will work, but a weak idea may still lead to a better one.
Learning From Like-Minded Peers
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” but a falling tide can sink them. Driver turnover had been a falling tide in trucking for too long, yet some carriers continued to operate with turnover below 20% while the industry average reached triple digits.
Those outliers may compete directly with other council members, but their experience creates a learning opportunity. The TRC examines:
- Hiring processes and associated costs
- Turnover rates and reasons drivers leave
- The role of technology
- Onboarding and training practices
- Other factors affecting recruitment and retention
The recurring question is what perennial safety, retention, and Best Fleets to Drive For award winners possess that other carriers do not. Their equipment and basic function are not fundamentally different. Their culture is.
Outlier carriers create an environment in which drivers become comfortable, take pride in their work, and ride for the brand. They follow a repeatable formula without losing sight of their core values or the importance of the person behind the wheel.
How the Council Can Help
Participation alone does not solve a carrier's recruiting and retention problems. The companies that contribute the most effort will receive the greatest benefit.
The council provides a place to test ideas, compare results, and learn from carriers that have already created the stable workforce required to become preferred employers and preferred carriers in their markets.