DHL Supply Chain, the Americas leader in contract logistics andpart of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is honoring its nearly 2,000 truckdrivers with celebrations throughout the week, which is recognizedas National Truck Driver Appreciation Week by the American TruckingAssociation.
From September 8 through 14, DHL Supply Chain management teamswill host various appreciation events and recognize each driver atfacilities across the country.
“This week gives us the opportunity to show our appreciationfor the men and women who help DHL Supply Chain provide unmatchedcustomer service every day,” said Anthony Eber, Human ResourcesDirector Automotive, Engineering and Manufacturing at DHL SupplyChain. “Our drivers are critical to our ability to think beyond thenext shipment for our customers. Because of them, we are able tocontinuously 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 forits drivers. The week-long celebrations include prize raffles fordrivers for everything from gift cards to big screentelevisions.
“When our drivers are out on the road, we don’t get the chanceto see them face-to-face or to tell them how much we appreciatethem,” said Maria Rowland, General Manager, Atlanta DedicatedFleets, DHL Supply Chain. “National Truck Driver Appreciation Weekgives us the opportunity to celebrate them and to make sure theyknow how much we value their contributions to the business.”
The talent gap remains a critical issue in the transportationsector, with stiff competition for attracting and retainingdrivers. In 2018, the industry was short nearly 70,000 drivers, up20 percent from 2017 (American Trucking Association, Truck DriverShortage Analysis 2019), making the search for quality driversparamount. Additional incentives can often make all the differenceto drivers, who spend days at a time on the road away from theirfamilies. However, DHL Supply Chain’s transportation and talentacquisition teams recognize that gifts are only a small componentof maintaining a strong and talented team of drivers.
