Sylectus, a business unit of Omnitracs Canada and provider of web-based, transportation management software (TMS) for progressive fleets, announced the results of its eight-year analysis illustrating industry-wide changes in the average age and tenure of the driver workforce. Using data accumulated from its TMS system, including driver-related information, Sylectus identified an increase in driver age and a decrease in tenure for both male and female drivers.
Sylectus said the findings point to a strong need for progressive technology solutions to help fleets keep their drivers in light of significant retention issues. Some of the key findings from the analysis include:
- The average age of male drivers went up by two years—from 46 to 48-years-old—and the average age of the females increased by three years—from 48 to 51-years-old.
- Female drivers are about one to three years older than their male counterparts.
- Post-recession, the tenure of male drivers decreased to less than two years at a carrier. Similarly, the tenure of female drivers has decreased to about one year and three months. The parallel fluctuation in tenure is due in part to husband and wife teams, in which one spouse resigns after the other.
- The driver pool remains largely male dominated, with 92 percent male drivers and just 8 percent female drivers.
“In its current state, the trucking industry is in need of a complete refresh of its recruitment efforts,” said Ellen Voie, CEO and founder of Women in Trucking. “It’s paramount that carriers start tailoring their recruiting materials and tactics to attract and retain more women to the trucking industry.”
The analysis also found that, on average, fleets will experience a fleet-wide turnover every 18 to 24 months. Combined with the all-time high shortage of qualified drivers, monitoring shifts in driver demographics has become essential for carriers’ recruitment and retention purposes.
Sylectus also announced that it experienced 32 percent growth in sales during the 2013 fiscal year, compared to 22 percent during the 2012 fiscal year, signaling growth, year-over-year.
“Our continued growth further validates the power of competitive cooperation, and the value of a web based TMS software among our trusted fleet alliance,” said Stuart Sutton, president and general manager of Sylectus. “Fleets across the country are realizing the benefits of advanced fleet management solutions and we look forward to further expanding our business—offering our customers innovative tools to help them reach their full potential.”
In 2013 Sylectus launched a mobile application for Android and iPhone devices, Sylectus Mobile. To support a growing mobile workforce, the Sylectus Mobile application enables drivers and dispatchers to view, update and track loads and shipments in real-time. Sylectus Mobile natively integrates Omnitracs’ Driver Workflow application.
To date, more than 42 percent of Sylectus’ Alliance Virtual Fleet and Alliance Pro customers are either actively using or testing the Sylectus Mobile application.
Sutton added, “With the rapid growth of mobile technology in the transportation industry, Sylectus will continue to fulfill the needs of customers by delivering even more powerful and productivity-enhancing features, to improve business efficiency and driver satisfaction.”
Sylectus’ 2013 fiscal year ran from October 2012 to September 2013.
