
THE DRIVER SHORTAGE: UNIFORMS AS A SOLUTION
4 Opportunity Areas to Bridge the Gap
INTRODUCTION
Did you know, according to the American Trucking Association that in order for the trucking industry to overcome the driver shortage, fleets will need to hire roughly 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade, or an average of 110,000 per year? That is a lot of new drivers, and as aging drivers continue to retire coupled with industry growth that number grows even more. Some fleets are reporting that they could do four times the amount of work they are doing, if only they had qualified drivers. As the national economy recovers from the effects of COVID-19, industry revenues are expected to grow by up to 3.0% through 2025.
Despite the economic impact of the pandemic, the U.S. transportation industry is projected to continue growing in terms of revenues, establishments, and number of jobs, until 2025. Likewise, as other transportation dependent sectors grow (Accommodation & Food Services, Retail Trade, etc.) the demand on trucking will continue to grow which represents the continued opportunity to attract and retain quality talent. This is where a uniform program from Red Kap can help. Read on to find out more.
COVID-19 rose U.S. unemployment levels, which before the pandemic were at 4% and during 2020 Q3 increased to 11.1%. Even with such high unemployment levels, there’s still a need for drivers. Even once the economy recovers, businesses will need to double their efforts to attract more talent. How will fleets find and retain quality drivers?
THE DRIVER SHORTAGE: AN UPHILL BATTLE
According to a recent survey by HireRight, the top three recruiting challenges in the transportation industry are:
1. Finding qualified job candidates (78%)
2. Making the recruitment process more efficient (35%)
3. Creating an employment brand that attracts talent
As far as retention, the NPTC Annual Survey for 2020 reported that retirement, another driving job, and discipline are the top reasons why drivers leave. Another sobering fact, as reported by Ryder in its “Voice of the Driver” white paper, revealed that 60% of drivers do not feel loyal to their employers. If a fleet is able to retain a driver in the first six months, the likelihood that they will stay is tripled.
To overcome these challenges, fleets are spending more money on advertising, increasing referral incentives, revamping their compensation/benefit packages, partnering with schools, and using social media platforms to expand their reach and engagement with candidates. But what else can be done?

THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF A UNIFORM
You might ask yourself, why do uniforms matter? A multitude of teams, companies, fleets, and organizations would tell you that while uniforms are not always top-of-mind to executives, they are to drivers who wear them every day and to customers who interact with your drivers. Because uniformed drivers are often easily recognized by a customer at the time of a pick-up or delivery, “the customer not only has a greater sense of security seeing a uniformed driver but is more likely to interact with the driver quicker versus one that is not in uniform resulting in a much easier and efficient transaction,” according to Cathy Morrow Roberson, president and founder of Logistics Trends & Insights.
Furthermore, according to Jim Bisaha, President of Logistics Trends Inc. and former Group Manager at YRC, “A well groomed uniformed driver is key to making a good impression for the company and its customers. Drivers are often the first line of contact with the customer.”
Drivers want to look good, feel good, and be empowered to do their job without worrying about their uniform. Did you know 55% of first impressions are based on overall appearance and people often decide whether or not they like you and will do business with you within 10 seconds (Source: Bianchi Ariana B. Editor, and writer in the portal The Human Equation in the article First Impressions: What Does Your Workplace Say About You?)?

UNIFORMS ARE ESSENTIAL TO KEEP YOUR DRIVERS SAFE
Driving trucks for a living whether long-haul, private fleet, or other can be a very dangerous job that requires drivers to encounter a multitude of weather, traffic, and other difficult situations that can be stressful and downright scary.
According to Understanding Truck Driver Need-Based Segments: Creating a Strategy for Retention by Williams, Z., Garver, M.S., & Stephen Taylor G., drivers reported that one of the key reasons they chose to stay at their company was because they felt safe and supported by their employers. One way fleets can support and protect their drivers is by providing them proper uniforms to keep them safe, no matter the situation.
For example, we offer a wide range of Red Kap® Hi-visibility safety garments to meet all ANSI / ISEA 107 Types & Classes.
A safe driver is a happier driver, and a happy driver speaks volumes to new driver recruits.

BE A CHAMPION BRAND
Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of people who love the Patriots football team, even when they have no direct tie to the are or team? Why is that? Because the Patriots for the majority of the last decade have been a championship team; they win a lot of games, players want to play for them, fans want to root for them and proudly don the Patriots jersey.
In the same way, drivers want to drive for a ‘winning’ fleet and customers want to root for (partner with) the ‘winning’ fleet. Outfitting your team in quality, innovative uniforms helps portray a professional, positive brand image and is a key step to becoming a champion brand. The correct uniform selection should adequately express the aesthetic and graphic attributes that characterize your brand.
Your drivers are the face of your fleet and whether they are interacting with a customer or simply walking down the sidewalk, you want them to represent your brand in the best light possible. In fact, uniform programs are 50% more effective than most forms of advertising: Internet, TV, Radio, Billboard, Yellow Pages and Newspaper (Poojary A. (2011) Are Uniforms An Effective Marketing Tool). For example, you could provide your drivers with new work shirts that feature a more tailored fit and wrinkle resistant fabric, or you could update your brand image with custom work shirts featuring the drivers name. A uniform program gives your drivers a sense of identity and pride that promotes a positive team culture. It also helps your brand differentiate itself from the competition while leaving a positive, lasting impression with your customers. A driver who looks good, feels good, which equates to improved self-confidence and appreciation for working for a winning fleet.
How a Uniform Program Can Help Recruit and Retain Quality Drivers


RECOGNIZE YOUR DRIVERS
A recent survey published by HireRight revealed that the second most important need for drivers is appreciation from their employer. A creative way to show your drivers that they are appreciated is to implement a uniform-led benefit program. Start by welcoming new-hires to the team with a custom uniform made specifically for them, which shows them that you care about them and value them as an important member of the team. Little details like having their name on their uniform can go a long way in helping them feel recognized and valued.
In fact, a uniform indicates membership of a group in a social environment (Sterman S.(2011). The protective role of uniforms and their communication power in society). For a truck driver, that ‘group’ and environment is made up of the individuals they work with and around every single day at their respective company. That environment greatly influences their job satisfaction and desire to stay or leave that respective job. By providing a quality, innovative uniform that is made to keep them comfortable, safe, and confident you show them that you care about them – which in-hand goes a long way in making them feel a part of a team.
At Red Kap, we view uniforms as an extension of the worker and should work with the worker and not against them. It should enable them to move without restriction, stay comfortable throughout the day, and be durable to withstand any situation. Providing your drivers with the right uniform is paramount. For example, you can offer new uniforms as milestone rewards to drivers who perform well. It motivates drivers to perform better and is an added benefit. Meet the needs of your drivers and show them appreciation with a uniform-led benefit program.

REACH THE LARGEST UNTAPPED POOL OF TALENT
Did you know, according to the ATA’s “Truck Driver Shortage Analysis 2019” the average age of drivers is 46 in the over-the-road sector and 57 in the private fleet sector. As drivers age, they retire leaving behind unfilled positions.
Where do fleets go to fill those positions? They can entice drivers from other fleets which only furthers the void for the industry, or they can look to the largest untapped pool of driver talent, millennials.
According to Pew Research millennials make up the largest demographic in the U.S. labor force and could make up roughly 75% by 2025, but currently only account for a small percentage of truck drivers. You can attract millennials by creating a uniform program that showcases innovative and stylistic uniforms that set you apart from the competition. In fact, a recent survey from HRExecutive.com revealed that 40% of millennials say they would rather spill coffee on themselves before a meeting than show up wearing the same outfit as their boss.
That tells us that millennials care about their image and they want to present themselves as updated and fashionable, the “old school” look isn’t appealing to them. One of your greatest tools for recruiting millennials is your brand image. For example, millennials want a uniform that they want to wear, including styles that they are accustomed to wearing from retail. Millennials want a uniform that doesn’t look and feel like a uniform. At Red Kap, we’ve intentionally created workwear that isn’t your grandfather’s uniform. In fact, one recent online product review revealed that a customer of ours loved the stylistic features and updated image of our work shirt so much that they wore it to a wedding.
Improve your brand image with a uniform program that sets you apart from the competition and appeals to the largest pool of driver talent.

CONCLUSION:
At Red Kap, we cannot solve the driver shortage alone, but as experts in the workwear industry we can help you take a tangible step towards a solution by starting with what we know – we know uniforms, workers, and the importance that uniforms play in the day-to-day lives of our drivers.
We make purpose-built uniforms based on the needs of transportation workers, from drivers, warehouse workers, managers, sales, to every team member in between. We offer a wide-range of innovations such as MIMIX, OilBlok, and SafeCinch® to satisfy all those needs such as comfort, mobility, temperature regulation, image, safety, and more.
Make the decision to improve your recruiting and retention efforts by partnering with us. We will utilize our full portfolio of products to develop a uniform program to keep your drivers safe, elevate your brand to a championship level, recognize your drivers, and reach the largest untapped driver pool.
