Leah Shaver, radio host and president of The National Transportation Institute (NTI), appeared on the latest episode of Taking the Hire Road to discuss whether society will forget that truck drivers have kept the economy moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Someday we’re going to get beyond this period of time that we’re in and the level of awareness that folks have related to the essentiality of truck drivers may wane,” she told host Jeremy Reymer, founder and CEO of DriverReach.
Shaver helps raise awareness about the national driver shortage and NTI’s data to better recruit and retain. She cautions against using sign-on bonuses as a recruiting tool, saying, “A lot of them are poorly implemented and poorly managed.”
For drivers to remain with a company, they need “honesty, transparency and knowing exactly what to expect in their paycheck,” Shaver said. “That’s what they are looking for and that’s why they stay with you.”
The host of “Payday with Leah Shaver” is happy to see “I Love Truckers” merchandise alongside “I Love Trucks” pins and caps.
“We should love trucks, absolutely, but more importantly, we need to love the trucker behind the wheel,” she said.
Shaver invites listeners to join her in expressing their love for truckers on LinkedIn and tagging @ntidriverwages. NTI’s newsletter is available at driverwages.com.
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