How GPS Tracking Helps to Reduce Staff Turnover

According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), driver retention is one of the top issues facing the logistics industry. So when adding GPS trackers to your fleet, you’ll want to sell monitoring as something that benefits your employees as well. Fortunately, tracking devices can lead to positive outcomes for them, too.

Outfitting drivers with an app that connects to your GPS monitoring software can free them from having to fill out logs and other reports. By eliminating typically laborious tasks, drivers will feel more efficient and their overall satisfaction is sure to improve.

With a GPS tracker onboard every vehicle, you’ll be able to monitor idling time and dramatically reduce fuel costs. Recent surveys indicate that a fleet spends roughly 80% of its time idling, which can waste over 120 gallons of gasoline a month. When you reduce unnecessary costs like these, you can use what you’ve saved to increase driver compensation.

A great way to prevent driver turnover is by helping employees improve their driving skills. With insights gleaned from GPS monitoring software, you can create training sessions that encourage safer, more efficient driving habits. When drivers feel supported, and not chastised, they’re more likely to stick around.

Using the KPIs you’ve developed as part of your training initiatives, you can incentivize drivers to embrace behaviors that benefit the bottom line. Weekly, monthly or quarterly competitions can even inspire friendly competition amongst your fleet. Potential rewards could include additional PTO, gift cards or bonus pay.

Another advantage of GPS tracking is that you’ll have a record of completed jobs and safe driving. So when a driver is accused of not showing up at a customer location — or is said to be driving recklessly — the data you’ll possess will allow you to see what actually happened vs. reprimanding them for an unverified complaint. In instances where a driver is in the wrong, you can use the tracker info to help them understand what they can improve. But when a driver does everything right, they’ll feel the satisfaction of knowing you stood up for them.

When you announce the rollout of GPS trackers as a driver empowerment tool, you’ll have less risk of turnover. Hiring and training new drivers can pull you away from the things you truly need to be focused on, so it’s critically important that drivers view GPS tracking as a perk of working for you and not a deterrent. By properly messaging the benefits of tracking devices (and software), you’ll spare yourself the accidents, inefficiency and customer dissatisfaction that comes with a constant influx of new drivers.