Driver logs retention

Insights by Role. Insights by Industry. HNI works with high-performing companies to help them address the hidden risks in their business and avoid The Insurance Dependency Trap. HNI also offers the basic services of insurance and employee benefits. Search this site on Google Search Google. Start or expand your incentive programs to improve driver retention. Listen to your drivers when it comes to equipment.

Take a look at your driver benefits package. Give your managers the tools and training to be successful. Topics: Transportation. Bill's a good man and a truck driver with twenty-two years of experience out on the road.

Bill loves to talk and is like Yogi Berra in the humorous way he can twist a sentence. He loves driving a truck, logs tons of hours, and is a wise sage of the road.

I called Bill the other Saturday to see how he's doing and pick his brain on the topic of driver retention. I wanted to get his perspective on the question of how trucking companies can reduce driver turnover. We talked for a long time, and our conversation covered a lot of ground. If you're looking for ways to avoid driver turnover at your trucking company, pull up a chair. I've distilled the highlights of my discussion with Bill down into what we can call the Big Five components of driver retention.

Bill's the type of guy who's big on self-responsibility, so I knew he'd have a balanced take on things. Put another way, if a trucking company can master the Big Five, it won't have a problem with driver retention. But on the other hand, drivers must hold up their end of the bargain too. Like Bill says, "You might think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but really it all depends on where you water. There's a lot a driver can do to help himself or herself, his or her situation, and his or her company—all at once.

It's a truism that your attitude is the one thing you can control. Therefore, drivers, fleet managers, and business owners all must reciprocate in order for the Big Five components to work.

Bill's a testament that things can work great if everyone pulls their weight in the same direction. Trucking's all about relationships—just like every business. That said, let's dive into the Big Five of driver retention.

Or better. When Bill isn't driving, he's reading. And when he is driving, he's listening to audiobooks or podcasts. He's still learning, despite his 65 years. That means Bill's pretty well-rounded. He's observed good driver treatment and summarizes it simply as "treat 'em like family. Get to know your driver's name. Get to know about his or her family. We're all here to make a living, but what are your driver's motivations or interests?

On the flip side of the coin, get to know your driver's tendencies and quirks, and be open about trying to keep these in balance. For example, Bill said he was just offered the weekend off because the boss observed how much he'd been driving lately.

Bill appreciated the gesture, but he assured his dispatcher that he wanted to drive now, while the sun is shining. He prefers to save up his downtime for bad weather and vacations. That's an example of good communication on both ends. Meanwhile, Bill has also watched drivers with bad attitudes make regretful decisions over minor issues.

The problem for some drivers, as Bill put it, is: "No matter where you go, you go with yourself. In summary, drivers have to have some perspective about things. But if a trucking company doesn't know a driver's name, it's a bad sign for turnover. Don't treat your drivers like a truck number. The FMCSA was created mainly to improve public safety, so it makes sense that their biggest focus is driver hours, also called hours of service.

You want to make extra sure that you keep a lot of records about driver hours of service and that you keep them around for a while. Drivers must perform a daily vehicle inspection report DVIR of certain required parts and accessories at the completion of each work day. These must be retained for three months at the place of business or where the vehicle is housed.

There are varied amounts of retention length for various drug and alcohol test records. The most important ones are:. If there is an audit or investigation, you are expected to produced records quickly: within 48 business hours. This means you want to stay organized. You want to file your records well and know where they are at all times. Scanned documents are acceptable, as are microfiche and photocopies. They must be high-resolution enough and legible enough to authenticate signatures if that is required.

For the most part, you can destroy original documents once you scan them, but double-check with FMCSA to be completely clear before you do that. Remember: this article was just an overview of some of the most important aspects of FMCSA for owner-operators and small fleet owners and managers.

See the complete list of FMCSA regulations for more in-depth information, or contact them with questions.