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Attract and Retain Drivers: 4 Creative Strategies

Driver Shortage Affecting your Business? You’re Not Alone.

Happy Driver

Unfortunately, 2026 is not unlike previous years when it comes to driver recruitment and retention. The driver shortage remains a persistent issue for the commercial trucking industry with current drivers aging out, and new entrants having a very different view of life on the road. Turnover rates often exceed 90% at large fleets, and if you’re a smaller fleet, securing drivers is an even greater struggle. Simply offering a higher cents per mile (CPM) rate isn’t enough anymore. To win over today’s top talent, fleets must shift from passive hiring to creative, proactive, and relationship-driven strategies that meet the needs of today’s drivers.

Here are a few ideas on how to attract and retain the next generation of professional drivers.

1. Creative Recruitment: Finding Drivers Where They Live (Online)

It’s going to take more than job postings to engage today’s drivers. They’re not just looking for work in the papers or even online job boards; they are on their phones.

  • “Day-in-the-Life” Video Content: 54% of drivers use YouTube for entertainment on the road. Create authentic, short-form videos to showcase your trucks, your staff, and your routes to build interest and trust. When they spend the majority of their day in the truck, make them feel safe and comfortable. When they talk to their managers sometimes more than their family, make them feel a connection.
  • Leverage Social Groups and Discussion Platforms: Actively engage in Facebook driver groups and trucking discussion threads like Reddit. But don’t just post jobs; engage in conversations and showcase your company culture. Today’s drivers want to feel like part of the solution, not just a means to an end.
  • Turn Referrals into Competitions: Consider upgrading your flat-rate referral program into a high-stakes competition. Sure, you can keep a small financial gain for individual referrals but think of the increased engagement if you offered a substantial reward for the top referring driver, such as a paid vacation to Cancun or a UTV.

2. Streamlining the Hiring Process

A slow, complicated application is the fastest way to lose a candidate, especially drivers who only have so much time for considering a job change.

  • 5-Minute Mobile Applications: If a driver cannot complete your application on their smartphone in under 5 minutes, you’re losing candidates.
  • AI-Powered Engagement: While talking to a real person is optimal, there are times when using AI chatbots to pre-screen applicants, answer questions in real-time, and schedule interviews instantly can remove administrative bottlenecks.
  • “Test Drives”: Offer “try-out” days where potential hires can meet managers, schedulers and others they would interact with on a daily basis. Get them in to meet other drivers, and if possible, even spend some time in a truck before signing a contract.
Driver on phone out of truck

3. Inspiring Retention: Building A Driver-First Culture 

When it comes to truck drivers, retention is the new recruitment. Keeping a driver is far more cost-effective than finding a new one. Find ways that fit your culture and procedures that show that you value your drivers.

  • Prioritize True Work-Life Balance: Use route optimization tools to guarantee consistent, predictable home time. For many drivers, being home on time matters more than another penny per mile.
  • Reward Driver Performance: Use telematics to track safety and reward drivers with bonuses for positive, safe driving behaviors—not just punishments for bad ones. Even simple “Driver of the Month”, safety milestones and years of service recognition go a long way.
  • Create a “Pet Friendly” Policy: A very high percentage of drivers are pet lovers and want to bring their fur family along. Offering pet-friendly trucks, routes and schedules significantly increase your appeal.
  • Support Wellness on the Road: Install in-cab telematics that support health and consider covering the cost of fitness apps or gym memberships.
Pets on the Road

4. Reaching Non-Traditional Talent

Today’s drivers have many different faces, with many different backgrounds.

  • Women and Veterans: Actively create, market, and advertise to women and veterans. Highlight safety measures and comfortable, well-maintained equipment. Add mentoring programs, and a welcoming environment and you can expand your hiring audience with these niche groups.
  • Warehouse-to-Road Programs: If you’ve got trucks, you probably have ‘driver adjacent” roles in your organization, creating a natural internal talent pipeline. You can find some of the best future drivers from your existing payroll. Warehouse workers or yard spotters could be open to new driving opportunities if given a clear career path and paid training.

It’s About Respect

The key to improving driver recruitment and retention in 2026 is treating your drivers with respect. Value their input as partners, not just employees. You don’t need to re-vamp your entire hiring strategy to make a difference. Implementing even one of the above tactics into your program will be the start of building a stronger, more inviting program. Remember that technology and money must be accompanied by genuine appreciation for the driver’s role and their time. Create a culture that listens to driver feedback and acts on it, and you’ll see how you can turn a job into a rewarding long-term career.