Industry

Trucking

Worker Satisfaction

7.2 / 10

Resolution Rate

89% Retention

“Sometimes, it’s these really simple solutions that can make such an impact and show drivers that we care,” Rea says.

“It’s not one big thing that happens — it’s a lot of smaller things that make them feel like they’re being heard, and those add up over time. We love the metrics provided in the WorkHound dashboard, because it lets us see what drivers we’ve retained 30 days after their reveal,” Rea says. 

Melton Truck Lines was established in 1954, carving out a presence as one of the nation’s leading flatbed and stepdeck trucking companies. The business that started out with humble origins and only a couple of trucks has transformed into a large organization that covers routes throughout North America. 

With this advancement in services also came an expansion in the number of employees, including drivers, as the company services more than 5,000 shippers. Keeping those employees satisfied with their work for Melton has been an ongoing commitment — and one that has evolved over time.

When working with truck drivers who are spread across the country, it’s important and invaluable to keep a finger on the pulse of how they’re doing and what they need. That’s what led Melton to WorkHound, an innovative tool that captures real-time feedback from drivers, allowing businesses to take prompt action to resolve issues.

“We were looking for a way to gain driver insight more regularly,” says Delaney Rea, Driver Services Manager for Melton Truck Lines. “We were conducting one big survey, where we got a mass of information all at once, and we’d come up with actions from that. But we were interested in a way to get feedback on more of an ongoing basis.”

Capturing Feedback in Real-Time

One of the biggest benefits of WorkHound is that it’s an ongoing feedback mechanism. It allows drivers to share their feelings and concerns as they’re occurring, presenting Melton with a way to quickly develop solutions, both big and small.

“Sometimes, it’s these really simple solutions that can make such an impact and show drivers that we care,” Rea says. “It’s not one big thing that happens — it’s a lot of smaller things that make them feel like they’re being heard, and those add up over time.”

While small solutions can make a world of difference, gaining continual feedback also allows companies to gather data over time. This provides them with information about the areas of most concern and frustration for drivers.

In Melton’s case, one of the most consistent areas of negative feedback was related to repowers.

“Repowers are a tough thing for everyone involved, because you have to get the drivers in the same place at the same time,” Rea says. “It can be a big pain since you’re taking over a driver’s equipment and such. We kept hearing the frustration come up about not being able to hold other drivers accountable — so we came up with a system where our drivers can report things like that and we can hold the other drivers accountable.”

While Melton can’t always completely “solve” every issue raised by drivers, demonstrating to them the company’s willingness to step in and enact real change due to feedback is an important part of building trust.

“We kept hearing the frustration come up about not being able to hold other drivers accountable — so we came up with a system where our drivers can report things like that and we can hold the other drivers accountable.”

Delaney Rea Driver Services Manager

5,000

Shippers Nationwide

With expanding service offerings came an expanded workforce with lots of drivers to keep happy.

“We love the metrics provided in the WorkHound dashboard, because it lets us see what drivers we’ve retained 30 days after their reveal,” Rea says. “That statistic is very meaningful, because in the comments where drivers are unhappy, we’re fixing the issue and they’re staying around.”

Delaney Rea
Driver Services Manager

Feedback That’s
Improving Satisfaction

Having a feedback mechanism that drivers are willing to engage with is important, but seeing measurable increases in satisfaction and retention based on that mechanism is a definite win — for both Melton and their drivers.

“Melton takes driver feedback seriously and drivers are showing their gratitude with positive reviews,” said Max Farrell, WorkHound CEO. “Carriers like Melton experience success with WorkHound because they are communicating in a way that’s efficient for drivers and they’re seeing real-time results.”

Melton maintains neutral or positive ratings from drivers in all 12 comment themes, which include common areas of concern such as logistics, equipment, and communication. That satisfaction is also displayed through the overall satisfaction score from drivers, which has consistently held around 7.20 since Melton teamed up with WorkHound.

While satisfaction is important, it’s also very important that drivers feel their issues are being resolved when they have something negative to share. This is measured through the “post-reveal” data, which shows whether drivers are still with the company 30 days after they’ve been asked to reveal their names and provide more information about the issue they’re facing.

For Melton, this score shows exceptional success — with an outstanding 89 percent of drivers remaining with the company for at least 30 days post-reveal.

The Results:
A Feedback Mechanism Drivers & Companies Love

All too often, what works well for a company in HR matters may not feel comfortable or optimal for its employees — and vice versa.

Melton has found that’s not the case with WorkHound.

“The biggest benefit is the anonymity available to drivers,” Rea says. “Even when we were calling to get feedback and check in with drivers, it was still a Melton number and a Melton employee calling. With WorkHound, drivers have a chance to share real-time feedback that they can give immediately when they feel something, and they can be anonymous. We are getting raw information we’ve never been able to tap into before.”

Beyond giving drivers anonymity and the ability to share real-time feedback, using WorkHound to share feedback is also an easy process for drivers.

“Usually when we roll out anything new that’s technology-related, we get complaints,” Rea says. “We have not received any related to this, and this is a case where not getting feedback is a positive. It seems to mean that it’s easy to use and helpful.

1954

First Year of Operation

As a leading flatbed and stepdeck company, Melton has a reputation to maintain

5,000

Shippers

With expanding service offerings came an expanded workforce with lots of drivers to keep happy

7.2

Satisfaction Rate

Melton maintains positive ratings from drivers in all 12 comment themes

89%

of Drivers Stay for 30+ Days

Almost 9 times out of 10, Melton retains a worker for 30+ days after resolution

“A few drivers who have participated frequently have given us feedback that they really like having this way to provide us with feedback and share concerns.”

Interested in seeing how WorkHound can enhance your company’s driver retention strategies?

Let's Build Better Workplaces Together

Revolutionize your company culture and your worker retention rates by improving communication and engagement.

Book a Demo