How to Boost Driver Retention in 2025

Driver retention is a critical component to the success of any fleet operation. Studies have found that each year, fleets struggle to retain experienced drivers. Some major truckload carriers experience annual turnover of more than 90 percent. The ongoing driver shortage throughout the trucking industry only adds to the pressure for trucking companies.  

To help increase driver job satisfaction and morale while reducing costly driver turnover, we've compiled our best tips on how to manage and retain truck drivers this year.  

5 Truck Driver Retention Strategies

Recognize Positive Driving

Create a driver safety culture that recognizes truck drivers for their positive behavior. When drivers get positive reinforcement, they're likely to repeat their positive behavior. This will eventually lead to long-term safety compliance that benefits your fleet and ensures your drivers complete every journey safely.  

Be sure to create a driver retention program that tells drivers what they're doing right. The AI-powered dash cams of Driver•i record and add up each driver's best behaviors. Every good act adds to their GreenZone Score, which they can use to understand what they do well and determine how they can improve. Truck drivers who see their efforts recognized and their growth tracked through the system will experience higher job satisfaction and be likely to stay longer in your company.

Reward Top Performers

If you're serious about improving driver retention, it's crucial to reward your best drivers for their positive behaviors and high GreenZone Scores. You can start simply by announcing their wins and high scores in the company newsletter. It also helps to treat them to lunch or provide them with awards such as employee of the month, or anything related to their best driver achievements from the past month or so.  

If you have the budget, reward your best-performing drivers with gift cards, cash bonuses, or anything that can help them save money in an age of rising expenses. When drivers see they'll be rewarded for doing well, they'll be more likely to repeat these positive driving behaviors until they become habits. A little recognition can go a long way in retaining drivers.  

Invest in Proper Training

Set a budget for training new drivers. Using a solution such as Driver•i, which records both positive and negative behaviors through a dash cam, will give you video footage to serve as a foundation for a driver training program that boosts driver retention.  

You can use these videos to show new hires what they should and shouldn't be doing. Positive behavior records will give them specific examples they can emulate. Footage of risky driving behavior will warn them of what they should be avoiding. Managers can even use these videos to coach drivers remotely. Drivers also have access to the videos and can self-coach whenever their time permits. Giving your truck drivers the tools to keep improving can reduce your driver turnover rate by engaging them in their work.  

Ask for Driver Feedback

Involve your drivers as you develop your training programs and incorporate technology in your vehicles. Ask if the programs help in improving their skills and what else you can do better to suit their exact needs. As you introduce technology such as Driver•i's dash cams, be sure to brief drivers beforehand on how it will help them. After some time, open the floor for their feedback and ask if they're experiencing a difference in driving with the new technology. Be sure to open all conversations in a way that makes drivers comfortable expressing their honest opinions.

Develop a Strong Safety Culture

All your driver retention efforts are building blocks towards a strong safety culture. All driver-related efforts such as training, technology, and incentives should share the same goal of proactively preventing accidents. With this goal in mind, training must educate drivers on safety, including basic rules we tend to forget over time, defensive driving, and any mistakes or bad habits that are common among beginners.  

Aim to base your training, driver retention programs, and safety culture on your fleet's operations. It's best to take off from actual examples and align your safety strategies around what your drivers experience each day. This approach will make your safety culture more relatable and useful to the work drivers do, which is another way to increase driver retention.

Final Thoughts on Driver Retention Strategies

Because truck drivers are an integral part of the transportation industry, we must prioritize their safety and satisfaction. By following the five driver retention strategies above, your trucking company can boost its driver retention rate and reduce driver turnover. You'll also gain peace of mind through greater safety and efficiency on the road.  

Investing in proper training for drivers is essential for creating a strong sense of trust and reliability that helps minimize truck driver turnover. Ultimately, recognizing positive driving with rewards and developing a robust safety culture are key pieces to maintaining job satisfaction for truck drivers. Take the time to explore Netradyne's Fleet Safety platform or book a demo, so you can implement these driver retention strategies today!