Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate and contribute to the understanding
of the critical issue of “driver turnover” in the USA long-haul trucking environment which is
becoming a malaise in the transportation sector not only in the USA but also worldwide. Most
importantly, it accomplishes this through an exploration of the perceptions of the “drivers”
themselves regarding the external customer-base in the trucking industry. This, to the best
knowledge of the authors, has not yet been done and so becomes the missing angle in focus on
driver turnover research.
Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory study employs a qualitative research
methodology via in-depth interviews of a select sample of drivers in a field setting followed by
content analysis of the responses. This methodology, by and large, is the most suitable for this type
of exploration.
Findings – A content analysis of the perceptions of drivers reveals several important reasons
(or causes) for driver turnover. This paper elaborates on those and offers customer-centric solutions to
alleviate the plight of the driver and improve overall performance in the trucking sector.
Research limitations/implications – Needless to say, this exploratory research should be
replicated in several other locations within the USA, other settings (e.g. trucking in extreme
conditions), and other countries in order to enhance the external validity of the findings and
recommendations.
Practical implications – All implications of this research are practical as they have direct
managerial significance.
Originality/value – The value of this research lies in the fact that, to the best knowledge of the
authors, this is the first study that explores the perceptions of long-haul drivers regarding the external
customer-base of the trucking industry. The findings have direct implications for management in the
trucking sector.
Keywords Dispatcher, Driver scam, Driver turnover, External freight customer, Internal processes,
Long-distance trucking
Paper type Research paper