Trucking is vital for global supply chains. Today, it faces challenges, especially with keeping drivers. This issue spans both long-haul and short-haul transport. Long-haul truck drivers spend days or weeks on the road.
In contrast, short-haul drivers cover shorter distances. However, they often have intense schedules. Most of their shifts must be done before they can head home for the day or week. Besides fatigue, they share challenges related to work-life balance and compensation.
Industry players must develop effective employee retention strategies. This is key for long-term success. This article compares long-haul and short-haul transport. It highlights the unique challenges each faces and suggests ways to keep drivers engaged.
What is Long-Haul Transport?
Long-haul transport refers to the movement of goods over long distances. Typically, this distance exceeds 250 miles per trip. It often involves crossing state or international borders. These drivers frequently spend days or weeks on the road. They use sleeper cabs for legal reasons. This is usually defined by the Hours of Service (HOS) rules.
This industry is crucial for local and international supply chains. The demanding lifestyle—long hours, irregular schedules, and health issues—makes it challenging to retain drivers. Long-haul trucking is still the backbone of commerce. It helps goods reach distant markets efficiently.
Key Challenges of Long-Haul Transport
Long-haul trucking is key for moving supplies over long distances. It also poses significant challenges for maintaining the safety and health of drivers. Challenges lead to high turnover rates. Therefore, companies that hire and retain drivers must understand and address these issues.
According to Scott Chesarek, Co-founder of J&S Transportation, “Long-haul drivers are harder to find, and a big reason is the stiff competition from other companies. Many businesses are expanding, and everyone is looking for drivers to cover long distances. This means drivers have lots of options and often go where the pay and benefits are best.”
Some of the most common challenges also include:
Challenge 1: Long Stays Away from Home
Long-haul drivers must often be separated from their families and friends for extended periods. Family-oriented local and regional drivers do well because they go home every day. OTR drivers, however, can be away for weeks or months at a time. Isolation causes loneliness and strains relationships. It also worsens mental health issues and contributes to high attrition rates. Many drivers leave the industry. They often struggle to achieve a work-life balance. No one wants to miss family events.
Challenge 2: Driver Fatigue and Health Issues
Long-haul trucking is inevitably associated with severe physical and mental health problems. Irregular sleep patterns result from alternating schedules, nighttime driving, and tight deadlines. Truck-stop food is often unhealthy.
This can lead to weight gain and cause chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Sitting for extended periods can lead to problems. These include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and back pain. Hours of Service (HOS) rules aim to reduce fatigue and promote driver safety. Still, the demands of the trade can harm well-being.
Challenge 3: Stressed Environment & Job Dissatisfaction
Stress is the rule of the day for a long-haul driver. Daily pressure includes bad traffic, tight delivery windows, and inclement weather. Drivers face detention time. This is when they wait unpaid for hours or even days at shipping docks due to slow loading and unloading.
Rules like ELD (Electronic Logging Device) compliance and roadside checks can make workers unhappy. Left unaddressed, these stressors lead to driver burnout and early retirement from the industry.
What is Short-Haul Transport?
Short-haul trucking involves moving freight over a limited distance, typically within a radius of 150 miles. This allows drivers to deliver goods and return home on a daily basis. It covers local deliveries and drayage, which means port or rail transfers. It also includes regional distribution.
Short-haul trucking offers a more favorable work-life balance compared to long-haul trucking. This is mainly due to the increased frequency of home time. Drivers have tight schedules.
They often make many stops on their routes. Urban traffic situations arise. Last-mile delivery challenges short-haul businesses. Drivers must strike a balance between efficiency and personal time.
Key Challenges of Short-Haul Transport
Short-haul trucking offers daily home time, but it also presents operational and personal challenges that impact job satisfaction and retention.
Challenge 1: High Workload & Tight Schedules
These short-haul drivers have busy schedules. They make 5 to 10 stops a day. There’s no time to rest between these stops since all deliveries are time-definite. Mixing loading and unloading with city traffic can cause many aches and pains.
These may be both physical and mental. Short-haul performers gain nothing in conditioning. Their experts focus on “just-in-time” efficiency, so they can’t afford mistakes. Any delay in the chain can be a serious problem.
This work environment causes fatigue, safety issues, and burnout. Drivers deal with urban issues at home. They struggle with few parks and heavy traffic. These problems make it tough to keep this vital job.
Challenge 2: Compensation Disparity
Short-range pay protocols can hurt drivers. Hourly wages miss unpaid wait times. Per-mile rates are often too low for short trips. Plus, some companies don’t offer overtime pay. Long-haul drivers earn bonuses based on miles.
In contrast, short-haul drivers pack more stops into their days to earn a decent living. This makes their work exhausting. Frequent loading and unloading create a challenging situation for drivers. This gap in compensation adds physical stress, which leads to frustration. It’s a key issue that often goes unnoticed.
Challenge 3: Urban Operational Stressors
Urban trucking comes with many challenges. Chronic congestion takes up 20-30% of shift time. Parking is hard to find, which forces drivers to risk heavy fines. Truck drivers must navigate low bridges and adhere to weight limits. They also watch out for pedestrians and aggressive drivers.
All of these multiplying difficulties eat productivity while doubling up on stress. They make routine deliveries feel like war every single day. Metropolitan routes can confuse even seasoned experts. Constant delays and hazards make transit frustrating instead of easy.
Does the Average Hourly Rate or Payment Per Mile Fluctuate Based on Driving Distance?
Long-haul and short-haul compensation models differ from one another. Scott also added, “There’s probably a small difference in hourly pay, I’d say around 5%. However, typically long-haul drivers are paid based on miles driven. For shorter distance hauls we see more of the hourly rate.”
However, it can fluctuate due to changes in fuel prices and seasonal demand. Such variations can hurt income stability. They may also create a false idea of higher earnings. As a result, long-haul trucking isn’t always the top choice.
Bobby Hoffman from Ship A Car Inc. said, “Long-haul drivers tend to earn more overall, as they are often compensated by mileage or receive a percentage of the total load payout. This performance-based structure can significantly increase earnings, especially for cross-country or specialized transports. Long-haul drivers may also benefit from additional incentives such as fuel surcharges, layover pay, and bonuses for timely deliveries. Benefits are less common for short-haul drivers.”
Short-haul drivers typically earn an hourly wage, providing them with a predictable income. They often earn less money at the end of the year. This happens because they drive shorter distances and cover fewer miles. Urban routes with many stops may give drivers better hourly rates or stop bonuses.
To address these issues, many fleets use a mixed model to pay their drivers. This model combines hourly rate guarantees with mileage pay and performance bonuses. Some companies offer detention pay and safety bonuses. This can lead to higher income, no matter the route length. Pay structures should meet operational needs. They must also ensure drivers are fairly paid for their time and effort.
How to Retain Your Long-Haul Drivers as a Business?
To attract and keep long-distance drivers, you need a strategy. This strategy should focus on both financial and quality-of-life factors. Salary packages that truly satisfy include performance bonuses and a guaranteed minimum pay.
These keep drivers feeling valued in their challenging roles. Flexibility in scheduling is also key. This means creating set routes. It also includes providing drivers with regular home time, such as weekly or bi-weekly rotations. Drivers should also be able to share their route preferences when possible.
Investing in driver comfort pays off. Newer trucks should have ergonomic designs. They also need quality hotels for sleeping and other helpful amenities. Wellness initiatives should support this effort. These include telehealth services, fitness programs, and mental health resources. They help reduce the health burdens associated with being on the road.
Recognition programs that value safety records, years of service, and fair detention pay also respect a driver’s time and effort. Many top fleets offer advancement paths. This enables experienced drivers to transition into trainers or advance into management.
These policies can significantly reduce turnover costs, especially when combined with driver feedback. They create a loyal and happy workforce that wants to stay for the long term. The most successful retention programs view drivers as partners and not just employees.
Conclusion
Retention problems in the trucking industry vary across different sectors. Long-haul drivers often feel isolated and face health issues due to their long hours. Local drivers deal with tight schedules and pay gaps. To keep their employees, companies need specific solutions. These include:
- Competitive pay and predictable home time for long-haulers.
- Fair hourly pay and route optimization for local drivers.
Wellness programs and new equipment will boost job satisfaction. However, they might not meet every need. Carriers can address key pain points in the sector by implementing relevant policies. This method builds a stable work environment. It reduces turnover costs and facilitates the smooth movement of freight from point A to point B. Driver satisfaction is also key to success.