Trucking companies adopt a family-oriented business model

When Lisa Crump started driving a truck 20 years ago, she was the only black female truck driver in a 300 mile radius. She recalls the time as rough, as the male dominated industry didn’t care about your wants and needs, just that you reported for your shift and drove your miles.

Crump is a single mother to three daughters and one son and has since become a grandmother. When she started driving, she envied men with wives at home to take care of their children. Crump had to rely heavily on her family members to help care for her children when she set out on the road.

“It was a struggle. There was no support at the companies I worked at back then,” said Crump. It was especially difficult starting out, as a new employee you have to put your time in to get your time off, she explains. This negatively impacted her relationship with her youngest daughter, who experienced emotional and physical stress when her mom had to leave late at night for work. “It was probably more stressful for my family than for me,” she said. Crump loves her job and encourages families, especially single mothers like herself, to get behind the wheel.

Conforming to the drivers

The trucking industry has made significant changes since Crump started 20 years ago. “Companies are learning that they have to conform to us,” she said.

Eric Hoffman, recruiter for Dedicated Transport Systems (DTS) in Davenport, Iowa, started driving in the 1980s when routes were mostly coast to coast with very little regional work. Since 2011, there are less and less drivers wanting to stay out on the road. Companies are reconfiguring their business models for their most important customers — the drivers.

Hoffman says that for them, a large part of driver retention is making sure mom or dad can afford the day-to-day things like groceries. DTS guarantees every driver $1,000 gross pay per week. On top of guaranteed pay, they have developed programs to balance home time and compensation while ensuring their fleets meet the demands of their customers.

“Giving anyone a choice is powerful. We have week work, weekend work, weekends available to make up missed hours if you have an appointment or a commitment with your kids,” said Hoffman. The power of choice is changing the trucking industry for the better.

Carol Millam, safety director at Amhoff Trucking Inc. in Eldridge, Iowa, says that everyone wants to be home, whether you have five kids or none at all. Amhoff Trucking is a core carrier for some of the largest shippers in the world: Arconic, John Deere, Nestle, to name a few. They have local crews that pick up and load freight to make it easy for drivers to be on the road and get home in the evening.

Millam explains that the trucking industry is competitive. You can find what companies pay the most or offer the most miles, but what really keeps a driver at a company is being heard and valued. “If [our drivers] need to be home, we get them home,” said Millam.

Amhoff Trucking boasts a high retention rate, with many second generation drivers and employees that have been with the company for 30+ years. The secret to their success is treating every employee like family. At Amhoff, truck driver appreciation isn’t just one day or one week, it is all year. They have a weekly drawing to reward their driver’s dedication to the company, featuring the winner’s on their Facebook page.

Local companies are following suit

DTS and Amhoff Trucking are not the only local companies adjusting their business model to be family-oriented. Don Hummer Trucking, based in Cedar Rapids, offers five job options ranging from guaranteed regional driving, which offers guaranteed pay and scheduling with a promise to get you home on time, every time, to over-the-road driving, which gets you home every other weekend.

JM Swank, based in North Liberty, promotes their daily driving runs with good end times for drivers looking to stay close to home. In addition to weekend home time, they offer a $5,000 sign on bonus, guarantee 2,300-2,400+ miles weekly, and offer benefits like paid vacation, wellness and personal days, holidays and sick time.

Heartland Express, also based in North Liberty, follows suit with six driving options to attract and retain drivers. They offer over-the-road, regional, short haul and team driving jobs in addition to refresher routes for drivers who have been off the road for a while.

CRST, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, offers team and solo driving jobs with impressive flexibility. With local, regional and home daily routes, they encourage prospective drivers to get in touch with any concerns, whether that be more home time, a larger paycheck, a change of pace or new location.