6 Reasons Why Truck Drivers Leave Their Jobs

It may not always look like like it from the outside, but trucking is tough. Life on the road with the radio blaring might seem a bit fun, but along with some of the perks can unfortunately come a lot of downsides. According to recent studies, here are the top reasons a truck driver might leave a trucking job. It won’t come as a surprise that most truckers cited more than one reason when asked about their biggest job complaint.

1. Pay and Perks

Roughly half of drivers surveyed say that making more money was their number one consideration when leaving one job for another. Benefits are also a huge consideration: 34% of truckers surveyed succumb to the lure of better health coverage.

2. No Time at Home

This is another big factor—roughly 41% of drivers say more time at home becomes a huge priority. Even if money is a major motivating factor for most people who do leave, only about 20% leave for that reason. Time at home is often much more of a factor.

3. Not Jiving with a Supervisor

People leave people—not companies. If a driver doesn’t mesh well with his supervisor, that can be a very difficult situation to sustain. Personalities are important and finicky, but the workplace is surprisingly about relationships. Make these work, and people will be more likely to stick around.

4. Dispatch Dissatisfaction

If a driver is not getting dispatched or scheduled the way they prefer, this can be a huge annoyance. A lot of this can be solved with new computer technologies that streamline the process.

5. Not Being Paid Fairly

Perhaps a driver didn’t get paid for detention time or other “duties,” this can really drive an employee to frustration—even quitting—especially if it happens multiple times per month.

6. Overregulation

Service rules for when a driver is allowed to drive, sleep, etc. can really put a cramp in a trucker’s style. Single rules don’t always universally make things better for truckers. When these get too onerous, even experienced veteran doctors can turn tail and leave—and the profession suffers. Those are just the main reasons. Sometimes truckers just want to retire, or leave the transportation industry for something else to get a change of pace. For some, health problems require a different kind of working style. Trucking is one of the most common jobs in every state, and one of the most physically and emotionally grueling, at times. For those who stick it out, the benefits can be rewarding. But sometimes, when the bad outweighs the good, it's time to look to another path.