Next week is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, so hopefully, you’ve been thinking of ways to show your gratitude to the hardworking people who drive over the road for you.
If you're scrambling last minute to come up with something good to do for your drivers, so here are seven great ideas you can use next week:
1. Free Lunch
Everyone likes free food, so find a window of time that works for your drivers and get a catered lunch delivered. Try to make it something that will keep so drivers can stop in whenever over the course of the day and then they can take leftovers home or on the road with them too.
2. Driver Family Night Out
This could be a variety of things, from a paid meal out with the family to a driver “open house” held at the terminal with food and drinks where families can attend. Anything that shows your appreciation extends to families, who also are a part of your company’s success.
3. Useful Gifts
You know your drivers best, so you know what they would want or need most. But little stuff like hats, heavy-duty thermos, audiobooks for the drive or even some winter wear for the coming chilly weather, goes a long way towards both thanking your drivers and making their job a little more doable.
4. Driver Awards
You should already have a driver recognition system in place to push drivers towards safer and more productive hauls. Think about hosting your annual driver awards during this week as a good way to reward your safest drivers, but also to thank all of your drivers in person at once.
5. Shout Outs on Social Media
Good content for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok is a never ending process. Show prospective drivers how you celebrate the hard work of your drivers - provide a window into your culture. And all of their family and friends will be able to see you bragging on their bread winner.
6. Hit Up The Phone Lines
This is especially important for those drivers and dispatchers that wouldn’t be able to make it to any other cool events you have planned for the week because they’re out on the job. Get on the horn with a personalized thank you with specifics. Don't say for "all that you do". Be specific!
7. Repeat
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week matters, but it should also serve as a reminder that drivers should be thanked and taken care of all the time. Treat every week like it’s appreciation week, and do little things throughout the year for your drivers and dispatchers. They put in the hard work every week and so should you in return.