Developing interventions for truck drivers retention at Vicmo transport.

Abstract

Drivers’ turnover in the Trucking industry continues to remain a challenge that every Trucker grapples with. In Zambia, this predicament is exacerbated by a worsening shortage in the drivers’ market, a growing number of Trucking businesses and a largely inefficient Railway system, which heightens the pressure on trucking companies to deliver better services. This entails that there’s a present challenge of every Trucking/Haulage company to attract and retain the best of employees so as to remain competitive and reduce the usually high costs associated with having to recruit new drivers every so often and eventual loss of business that may result from inefficiencies associated with having an unreliable pool and/or driver work force. This study tested Two-Factor Theory as explained by Herzberg et al. (1959). A descriptive research design embracing a mixed methods approach was employed in this study. The researcher considered using a self-administered standard structured questionnaire and interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 17. Employees were rather ambivalent to leave the job as they scored between 6 and 7 which scores were within the somewhat agreed category. The highest probability impact of leaving as such is very low. The leading demotivators were related to poor promotion opportunities’, non-provision for Group insurance schemes given in this firm like death. The leading dissatisfiers were failure by the firm to provide a serene environment to work from and this included ‘VICMO policies relating to work not being Ok’ and ‘insurance schemes provided by the organization to being available or not being good’’. However, correlation tests showed that employees would leave because of not being happy about supervisors as they spend less time in listening to employee’s ideas, not being happy with the salary as it compares well elsewhere, not being honoured or respected at work, poor working conditions of work (leave, sickness, and housing) which are not ok and supervisors not lifting up subordinates. Given the growing needs for VICMO to retain its best employees in the face of competition, it is only a comprehensive blend of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational variables that can enhance retention and reduce the high rate of employee turnover in VICMO. Management as such should instigate further programs to understand why employees quit the organization and identify other issues that what this study has found out that attract and retain them in the organization. Key words: Turnover Intentions, Truck Driver Retention, Job Satisfaction, Employee Motivation