%20(65).png)
7 Things Truck Drivers Hate (and How Fleets Can Fix Them)
Quick Summary:
Drivers hate busywork → Solution: Automate tasks and eliminate redundant entries.
Drivers hate clunky tech → Solution: Ensure your tools are fully integrated.
Drivers hate compliance confusion → Solution: Simplify and automate tasks like HOS tracking.
Drivers hate unreliable trucks → Solution: Optimize preventive maintenance & real-time response.
Drivers hate inspection delays → Solution: Use streamlined and helpful digital DVIRs.
Drivers hate bad routes → Solution: Implement truck-specific navigation for route planning.
Drivers hate poor fleet culture → Solution: Explore better communication & driver recognition.
Commercial truck drivers are the backbone of commerce in North America; every year, they move more than 11 billion tons of freight according to the American Trucking Associations. It’s no surprise that fleets are always looking for ways to keep their drivers safer, happier, and healthier as they play this critical role in the supply chain.
In honor of this year’s National Driver Appreciation Week (September 14-20, 2025), we’re highlighting the top 7 things drivers hate and what fleets can do about them.
1. Busywork
Question: Why do truck drivers hate busywork?
Answer: A major pain for commercial drivers is busywork and redundant tasks. While regulations are in place to keep fleets safe and efficient, forms and procedures can slow a driver’s day down, especially if their tools are not optimized.
Today’s fleet management software and driver interfaces should be streamlined and simplified, with drop-down menus and progressive flow to reduce busywork. Fleets should work to ensure that a driver never has to enter the same info more than once, and that a single login allows them to navigate between all their necessary tools and apps. This cuts down on both the likelihood of data entry errors and the time required before a driver can get back on the road.
2. Clunky Technology
Question: Why do drivers get frustrated with poorly integrated technology?
Answer: Asking drivers to work within a collection of tools and processes that don't work well together can lead to frustrating workarounds, time wasted navigating between tools and apps, and annoying bugs that can result in data gaps and errors. When a fleet attempts to piece together tools that haven’t been proven to integrate smoothly, the driver is the one to pay the price in both frustration and a lack of efficiency.
Fleets should choose fleet software that is open and flexible, with built-in processes to ensure all add-on tools and features work well together. The driver’s experience when using the tools should be prioritized, supported by ride-alongs and open communication between management and drivers.
3. Confusing Compliance Rules
Question: What makes compliance difficult for drivers?
Answer: Compliance regulations designed to keep truckers safe — like Hours of Service (HOS) rules and rest period guidelines — can add stress to truckers’ days if the rules are difficult to understand or the tracking tools are cumbersome. HOS and other compliance violations can result in significant financial losses for a fleet, including fines and lost productivity. They can keep a driver off the road, missing out on miles of earnings.
Fleets can reduce this headache by choosing HOS tracking tools that are automated and helpful, giving advanced warning before hours are surpassed and making it easy to implement special FMCSA provisions like the sleeper berth split.
4. Unreliable Trucks
Question: Why is unreliable equipment a major issue?
Answer: No one wants to be broken down on the side of the highway or put in a dangerous situation while driving due to equipment malfunctions. Fleets with poorly maintained trucks get a bad reputation among drivers and have a hard time recruiting and retaining good talent.
Help ensure your drivers feel confident that they will complete every route safely by automating your preventative maintenance schedules and using telematics data to monitor your fleet sensors in real time. Other fleet management tools can expedite the repair process by optimizing maintenance schedules, allowing for digital sign-offs, and enabling drivers to share images with the maintenance team from the road via DVIRs. A driver who climbs into a vehicle they feel is in top shape has one less thing to worry about during their route.
5. Inspection Slow-downs
Question: Why do inspections slow drivers down?
Answer: Most drivers earn their money based on the number of miles they complete. The longer it takes them to get on the road, the more their earning potential diminishes. A slow or clunky pre- and post-trip inspection process can cause stress and annoyance for drivers who are tired from a long day or ready to get back on the road.
Fleets can utilize automated tools like optimized DVIRs to make inspections more efficient. The ability to add photos to the DVIR can help drivers communicate more efficiently with the back office or maintenance teams. At the same time, drop-down menus and specialized forms can make completing required steps more consistent and error-free.
6. Bad Routes
Question: Why are non-optimized routes dangerous for truck drivers?
Answer: When a driving route is not tailored specifically for commercial trucks, drivers have to pay the price. Low bridges and overpasses, load-restricted roads, steep inclines, and road construction can all put trucks in dangerous situations and cause drivers to have to reroute and backtrack. This not only can add significant time to a route, but it can also put the truck and driver in risky settings.
Fleets can utilize truck-specific navigation tools that help plan routes based on truck specifications, including adding key stops like loading docks, fuel stations, and yards. Similarly, in-truck navigation tools can offer drivers turn-by-turn directions, lane guidance, and audio alerts, all optimized for commercial trucks, making routes safer and more efficient.
7. Poor Corporate Culture
Question: How does fleet corporate culture affect driver job satisfaction?
Answer: Fleets continue to battle high turnover rates within the industry, and many are proactively looking for ways to improve their corporate culture by increasing communication between drivers and management. This includes forming feedback committees where drivers can share openly, providing proactive coaching for both positive and negative driving events, offering performance rewards and recognition, and enhancing internal communications.
Drivers want to feel heard and valued for the insight they can bring to fleet operations. Fleets are also working harder to keep their promises to drivers regarding safety and well-being by using technology to distribute work evenly, plan the most efficient routes, and help drivers arrive home safely every time.
Watch the webinar now: “Improving the Driver Experience: A Fleet Leader Panel”
By taking steps to make the driver experience safer, more efficient, and more fulfilling, fleets can ensure drivers can focus more clearly on their task at hand: completing each route on time and safely for everyone on the road. Fleet technologies, specifically tailored for commercial drivers, play a crucial role in making this a reality.
Looking for ways to keep your drivers happy and safe? Explore Platform Science’s fleet management tools.
