12 Kentucky Trucker of parts and people. Fuel costs are more than double what they were last year. Equipment costs more, too, and everyone wants to find talented and qualified people. We all have to become more efficient. Many of your long-term employees have worked for the company for over a decade. What’s your secret for employee retention? I hope everyone who works for us feels like part of the family. In addition, we pay employees a percentage of the revenue, and they make a great living working for us. Some drivers make $80,000- $90,000 per year and more. Drivers make more if they are on the LTL side or do specialty hauling. It can be a lot more; we have some drivers who earn six figures. Since they can make more than the industry standard, their earnings give them a leg up. Have you had a hard time recruiting drivers? Hiring has been extremely challenging because the market is challenging. No one wants empty trucks, and every transportation company is looking for drivers. Sometimes other companies can be more competitive than we are. How can trucking companies solve the driver shortage? We must engage with potential employees and change their perspectives so they don’t view transportation as a secondary employment option. Changing that perspective has to start at the school level. Getting the younger generation interested in transportation will ensure the industry stays relevant. continued from page 11 Transportation is about more than driving. It involves logistics, too. In addition to drivers, there are also many job opportunities for dock workers, office driver managers, load managers and mechanics. Our company isn’t currently doing outreach, but several nonprofits are trying to change that. They are on the right track. If classes can be taught about woodworking and small gas engines, schools can also teach classes about transportation logistics. Have you had a hard time recruiting mechanics? It’s harder to get mechanics because we are competing against everyone. Engines are engines. As a result, mechanics have versatile skills and lots of opportunities. Competitive diesel shops are partnering with schools to fill the need. Is there anything the trucking industry should do to encourage young people to become mechanics? Reach into schools and let students know about the high pay. We need people to start pursuing transportation as their first option instead of a secondary or fallback option. What would you like readers to remember about Kivi Brothers Trucking when they finish reading this article? The trucking industry is so important and we really need people to start seeing it that way. We are committed to cultivating an environment for our employees that make them feel cared about and give them a sense of family while they are away from home. We do our best to offer new, topof-the-line equipment and despite the parts and manpower shortage across the nation, we have a great fleet department who do their best to keep the trucks moving. Our entire team is dedicated to the safe transport of freight and we appreciate the communities who support us in doing that! I hope everyone who works for us feels like part of the family.
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