The driver turnover rate among truckload carriers increased during the 2006 third quarter after improvements in the first and second quarters of the year, the American Trucking Associations said.
ATA reported higher annual driver turnover rates for both large and small truckload carriers during the 2006 third quarter. Large truckload carrier line-haul driver turnover rose to 121% from 110% in the second quarter. Small truckload carrier turnover, meanwhile, jumped to 114% from 100%. Large truckload carriers generate at least $30 million in annual revenue. A small carrier earns less than $30 million in annual revenues.
Less-than-truckload line-haul driver turnover was 14%. Small truckload carrier driver turnover topped 100% during the past four consecutive quarters for the first time since ATA began collecting driver turnover statistics in 1995.
Year-to-date through October, and compared with the same period in 2005, the average length-of-haul for large truckload carriers dropped 1.5%, while the small truckload carriers saw a gain of 12%.
The difference between large and small truckload carrier driver turnover rates was seven percentage points in the third quarter, versus a difference, on average, of 17% from 1995 through 2005. During 2005, large truckload carrier driver turnover was 34% higher than small carrier driver turnover.