DHL Supply Chain, the Americas leader in contract logistics and part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is honoring its nearly 2,000 truck drivers with celebrations throughout the week, which is recognized as National Truck Driver Appreciation Week by the American Trucking Association.
From September 8 through 14, DHL Supply Chain management teams will host various appreciation events and recognize each driver at facilities across the country.
“This week gives us the opportunity to show our appreciation for the men and women who help DHL Supply Chain provide unmatched customer service every day,” said Anthony Eber, Human Resources Director Automotive, Engineering and Manufacturing at DHL Supply Chain. “Our drivers are critical to our ability to think beyond the next shipment for our customers. Because of them, we are able to continuously innovate to enhance the customer experience.”
In addition to the DHL-branded gifts each driver will receive, each site will also host its own celebration event or luncheon for its drivers. The week-long celebrations include prize raffles for drivers for everything from gift cards to big screen televisions.
“When our drivers are out on the road, we don’t get the chance to see them face-to-face or to tell them how much we appreciate them,” said Maria Rowland, General Manager, Atlanta Dedicated Fleets, DHL Supply Chain. “National Truck Driver Appreciation Week gives us the opportunity to celebrate them and to make sure they know how much we value their contributions to the business.”
The talent gap remains a critical issue in the transportation sector, with stiff competition for attracting and retaining drivers. In 2018, the industry was short nearly 70,000 drivers, up 20 percent from 2017 (American Trucking Association, Truck Driver Shortage Analysis 2019), making the search for quality drivers paramount. Additional incentives can often make all the difference to drivers, who spend days at a time on the road away from their families. However, DHL Supply Chain’s transportation and talent acquisition teams recognize that gifts are only a small component of maintaining a strong and talented team of drivers.
