Operations

Your Sept. 23 Pre-Trip: App created to help fleets keep drivers

Sept. 23, 2015

Two Arkansas men have developed a tool that they believe will help trucking companies retain drivers.

Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. Two Arkansas men have developed a tool that they believe will help trucking companies retain drivers. According to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the app, called WorkHound, is designed to serve as a line of communication between drivers and their employers. The app allows drivers to share their experiences anonymously, according to the report. Data are collected and then aggregated for the company. “WorkHound provides an outlet by first asking drivers how happy they are on a scale of one to 10,” according to the report. “The platform then leaves room for open-ended responses for drivers to explain why.”2. Trucking jobs are among the highest number of openings in South Carolina, according to the Jasper County Times. Currently, there are 27 job openings for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Jasper County, according to the report. In Beaufort County, the total number of occupational openings for truck drivers is 124. According to the report, Rick Todd, president and CEO of the South Carolina Trucking Association, said: “The shortage of truck drivers is a statewide problem, made worse by retirements. There is not a member that I talk to that does not tell me they could use about 10 or 20% more drivers right now.”3. Trucking companies are in need of more computer-savvy technicians and mechanics to work in maintenance yards, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to the report, “Industry experts say negative perceptions about trucking as a career option are sending potential hires to other professions.” Trucking groups estimate there will be more than 100,000 technician jobs to fill over the next seven years.4. The New Jersey Department of Transportation has launched a Twitter account, @511NJ_Papal, to keep motorists informed of traffic conditions during the Papal visit to Philadelphia this weekend, Sept. 26 and 27. According to DOT, the feed will Tweet real-time traffic conditions on all state roads in Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic and Salem counties to help followers make informed decisions and avoid congestion as much as possible. Followers will also get information about the Delaware Memorial Bridge, Commodore Barry Bridge, Walt Whitman Bridge, Ben Franklin Bridge, Tacony Palmyra Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge.5. South Dakota has raised millions of dollars for road and bridge projects from tax and fee increases that went into effect this year, KDLT reports. The infrastructure has been projected to raise about $85 million this year, according to the report. KDLT has more.

About the Author

Cristina Commendatore

Cristina Commendatore was previously the Editor-in-chief of FleetOwner magazine. She reported on the transportation industry since 2015, covering topics such as business operational challenges, driver and technician shortages, truck safety, and new vehicle technologies. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.