As a tow truck business, it’s important that you have a stellar team. You need people who are hard-working, good-natured, and committed to getting the job done safely. Towing is not an easy job, and when you’ve got a great team, it can be a real wrench if people start leaving your business. Running a successful towing business is hard work, and you depend on your drivers. How are you supposed to replace the great tow-people that no longer work for you? Well, that might not be the question to ask yourself. Maybe a different approach is to ask how to retain your best tow truck drivers. We’ve got a few tips to help you keep your top talent.
8 ways to retain tow truck drivers at your business.
1. Try to understand why your drivers are leaving.
If you’ve had a tough time keeping drivers at your business, ask yourself why your drivers are leaving. Are you letting people go because it’s not working out? Are your drivers leaving your business to pursue other opportunities? Or are there specific things that are causing your drivers to leave?
It might be hard to know exactly why people are leaving because they might not feel comfortable telling you as they’re handing in their two weeks, but you can ask yourself a few questions. Were the expectations of the job not communicated clearly? Was the workload getting overwhelming? Are other businesses simply offering what seems like a better place to work?
By trying to identify the problem, you can take steps to correct it and retain tow truck drivers at your business.
2. Ask your current employees about their jobs.
Having clear lines of communication between you and your employees can also help you when it comes to keeping your best drivers onboard. They should feel free to express what they like about their jobs and what they dislike about their jobs – and if they don’t say it in as many words, you can ask them.
By asking what they like about their jobs, you can take steps to make those things even better. And by asking what your employees aren’t so crazy about, you can make changes to alleviate those things. Basically, ask how you can make your employees’ lives better while they’re at work. How can you help them and support them? What changes (reasonable changes) would they like to see that would make your business the best place to work ever? It’s important to show your people that you want to create an ideal work situation for them.
3. Tell and show your employees that they’re appreciated and valued.
Okay, this one might seem a little simplistic, but it’s important to show your drivers that you care. People want to work somewhere that they feel valued. They want to know that you appreciate the work they put in for the business. Aside from telling them that you appreciate them, what can you do to make employee appreciation a thing at your business?
Could you provide lunch every so often as a thank you? Could you bring donuts and coffee on Friday mornings? These gestures show your employees that you care. Towing is hard work. It’s important that your drivers know that their efforts are noticed and validated by someone who understands what it’s like to be a tow truck operator.
Even the little things can make your towing business a great place to work and help you retain tow truck drivers.
4. Make your expectations clear.
This is a big one, both when you’re hiring new tow truck drivers and when you’re managing your long-time employees. You have to make sure that your expectations are clear. Communication is key. Your drivers won’t know what kind of behavior you expect of them and what goals you expect them to meet unless you tell them.
If a driver falls short of an expectation because they weren’t aware of it, that would be extremely frustrating for them. Poor communication can lead to stress and aggravation, so make sure that you’re being very clear as you give instruction, guidance, and so on.
Pro tip: Make sure your job description clearly and accurately describes the demands and expectations of the job. That way no prospective employees get a nasty surprise if the job isn’t quite what they thought it would be.
5. Work with drivers who aren’t meeting your expectations.
If there are any drivers who just aren’t measuring up or meeting your expectations, work with them. Talk to them. Be honest about the fact that they’re not quite hitting the goals you’ve established for them, and then provide them with training, support, and resources to help them succeed. Make it clear that you really want them to succeed. By helping a driver grow and improve early on rather than not dealing with the problem, you avoid blindsiding them when the issues get too big for you to ignore.
6. Spend lots of time on training and onboarding.
Towing is not an easy job. If you’re hiring new drivers and they have little or no experience towing, you need to make sure to spend lots of time training them and taking them through the onboarding process. This shows them that you’re invested in them and that you want them to succeed. It also helps them grow in confidence, knowing that they’re equipped with the know-how and tools they need to conquer difficult towing jobs safely.
If you don’t really invest in the people you’re bringing on board, they probably won’t feel like they need to stick around, especially if they don’t have the right training to help them feel like a success at their new job. This will help you retain tow truck drivers down the line.
(And of course, you need to make sure you have the right insurance to protect your business and your drivers. Get started with tow truck insurance quotes today and work with our tow truck insurance professionals.)
7. Emphasize safety.
Safety is extremely important for towing. You need to make sure that your drivers understand the risks of the job and how to manage those risks. Spending lots of time discussing safety and improving safety in your tow truck business also helps your people know that you value their wellbeing and their health over profit and financial gain, which can help you retain tow truck drivers and earn their loyalty. They should know that you would rather them take their time and get the job done right rather than rush and jeopardize their safety. Drivers probably wouldn’t want to work for someone who seems to value the money in their pocket over the people who work for them.
8. Have one-on-one meetings with your employees.
By taking the time to regularly meet one-on-one with each of your drivers, you’ll get to know them. It gives them the chance to express their thoughts, concerns, and struggles. You can’t count on people coming to you when they have a problem – sometimes you have to present the opportunity for them to speak up. One-on-one meetings let you touch base with everyone and see how they’re doing. These meetings can show you ways to retain tow truck drivers.
In an industry like towing, experience and knowledge are important. You don’t want to lose your best drivers, so you have to be proactive and make sure that you’re setting up a great place for them to work. Your business should be the job that they don’t want to ever leave because they like it so much. Retain your tow truck drivers by communicating with them.
Need to get tow truck insurance quotes? We can help. We have an entire team of tow truck insurance professionals who both make insurance easy and help towing businesses save money on their rates. All you have to do to get started with some quotes is fill out our online quote form or give us a call today.