Why I Drive

We’re in the middle of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and as we’ve been scrolling through blogs and social media posts which thank our nations drivers for doing everything they do day in and day out. While doing this, we all start to wonder; Why do our drivers stay at Keller Trucking?

The most recent national driver turnover number I recall was in an article on truckinginfo.com that stated the 2015 average was 93%; the first quarter of 2016 was better, but still at a very high national average of 89% turnover.

Awhile back we asked our drivers, “Why do you continue to drive for Keller Trucking?” We analyzed the feedback and were able to come up with five core reasons our drivers keep choosing to drive for us, and we believe these reasons are why our driver turnover rate has consistently been less than half the industry average. That’s pretty impressive!

Here we go:

Responsive Maintenance:
Tom heads up the maintenance crew at Keller Trucking and sets the bar very high for customer service to our drivers – and at times, the office staff when we need to use the company cars. The crew treats all equipment issues as a priority and ensures we stay on track for scheduled maintenance to eliminate down time. As our driver Brian Varner stated,

“They bend over backwards to make sure your equipment is safe and comfortable for you. Things as simple as a lightbulb or a wiper blade, they’ll get right on it.”

Financial Security
Financial Security encompasses many variables, and depending on the person, can mean a wide variety of things. At Keller, we offer our drivers a guaranteed pay program that ensures you make the minimum weekly pay so you’re not penalized for slow freight, un-safe driving weather or mechanical issues. Additionally, our drivers receive health and retirement benefits for a holistic approach to financial security.

“The Financial Stability through their Driver Pay Program gives you peace of mind that you are able to bring home a steady paycheck for your family” – Eric Frost

My Safety Matters
The importance of safety in the work place does not stop at Keller Trucking, the culture of safety is visible through all of Keller Logistics Group and its affiliates. Whether it’s by providing all office workers high visibility safety vests to wear when walking around the yard or training all new drivers on Smith System, everyone at Keller has a part to play in workplace safety. Electronic logs have been an ongoing topic of conversation in the logistics industry to try to make the roads safer for professional drivers and everyone else on the road. Carl Dotson stated,

“Keller Trucking has a higher standard of safety. They’ve been on e-logs for over 10 years, 100% compliant. They don’t force you to go out there and drive non-compliant” – Carl Dotson

Less Stress More Miles
A truck driver relies heavily on their fleet manager to dispatch their loads in a timely manner and provide assistance with the customer when needed. Our fleet managers and drivers work as team to ensure our customer’s freight is delivered safely and on-time. Additionally, our fleet managers have a great track record of dispatching their drivers next load before they’ve delivered their current. This happens more that 90% of the time! As our driver Cary Fugitt stated,

“In over 20 years of driving, Keller Trucking is the highest paying, least stressful trucking job I’ve had in my career. You’re treated as a professional and driver input is taken seriously”

Family First Atmosphere
Lastly, and probably most important to many of our drivers is our family first atmosphere at Keller Trucking. Keller is a family company, our CEO Bryan Keller is the nephew of Tom Keller who started Thomas E. Keller Trucking in 1978 (Read more about our history in the blog post, Thomas E Keller Trucking History). Our customizable home time plan makes family time a priority in our drivers lives and we try to get you home as often as possible. Like driver David Graham stated,

“I have a wife and a 4-year-old daughter and I don’t like to be away from them. 95% of the time they get me home on the weekends, every single weekend. They go out of their way to make things work for you.”

That wraps up the 5 core reasons our drivers stay with us. We continue to thank them, not just during National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, but every time we see them.

To learn more about driving for Keller Trucking, check out the Drive for Keller page on our website to view the videos or call our Driver Relationship Manager, Lauren at 419.783.3252.

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