People.Data.Analytics (PDA) has released key findings of its annual Driver Retention Report.
“2025 was a year defined by uncertainty across the trucking industry,” PDA noted in a statement. “Freight conditions fluctuated, costs remained elevated, and carriers were forced to balance efficiency, equipment investment, and workforce stability in a challenging environment. Through tens of thousands of direct conversations with professional drivers, PDA gained a clear view of how drivers experienced these conditions in real time. Across all four quarters of 2025, drivers were remarkably consistent in what they shared. They were not asking for promises. They were asking for predictability.”
Specifically, they asked for:
- Predictable miles.
- Predictable pay.
- Reliable equipment.
- Clear Communication.
Predictability Beats Promises
“This report brings together insights from PDA’s Quarterly Data Downloads and retention conversations conducted throughout 2025,” PDA said. “The findings reveal that retention outcomes were shaped less by isolated events and more by persistent execution patterns. The defining insight of 2025 is clear: Predictability beat promises.”
The Year of Uneven Conditions
“The freight market in 2025 did not follow a linear path,” PDA said. “While periods of stabilization emerged, uncertainty persisted throughout the year. Inflationary pressure, shifting freight patterns, delayed equipment trade cycles and global economic uncertainty influenced carrier decision-making and driver experience alike.”
According to PDA, for drivers, this environment created variability in miles, schedules and earnings. In response, drivers recalibrated what they valued most. Rather than prioritizing upside or incentives, they focused on stability.
What Did Not Change
According to PDA, despite quarter-to-quarter fluctuations, the same core concerns dominated driver feedback throughout 2025:
- Equipment reliability.
- Miles and earnings predictability.
- Operational execution and communication.
- Personal issues remained present but secondary.
“Drivers were not reacting to individual disruptions,” PDA said. “They were responding to sustained patterns. That consistency is one of the most important takeaways from the year.”
Key Findings for 2025
The Most Consistent Retention Risk
“Equipment-related issues ranked as a top driver concern in every quarter of 2025 and appeared repeatedly in voluntary turnover data.
Equipment Issues = Compensation Issues
“Drivers experiencing equipment downtime consistently reported reduced miles and unpredictable pay, linking operational reliability directly to compensation satisfaction,” PDA said.
Compensation
Compensation Dissatisfaction Was Driven by Predictability, Not Pay Rate
“Miles-related issues accounted for the majority of compensation complaints across all four quarters,” PDA said. “Pay rate concerns rose at times, but rarely appeared in isolation.”
According to PDA, drivers evaluated compensation based on their ability to anticipate earnings, not advertised pay rates.
“61.7% of drivers that had compensation issues said miles was the biggest contributor to their pay dissatisfaction,” PDA said.
Equipment Issues Became Compensation Issues
“Drivers experiencing equipment downtime consistently reported reduced miles and unpredictable pay, linking operational reliability directly to compensation satisfaction,” PDA said.
According to PDA, equipment, miles and pay functioned as a connected system rather than independent issues.
Operations and Communication
“Operational issues increased in prominence in the second half of 2025, with communication and planning challenges emerging as key frustration points,” PDA said.
According to PDA, as driver patience declined, operational and communication gaps surfaced faster and carried greater retention risk.
Retention Conversations and Turnover Data Aligned
“The same issues identified early in retention calls later appeared in voluntary exit data,” PDA said.
According to PDA, early driver feedback reliably signaled future turnover risk.
Drivers of Retention 2025
“Rather than viewing retention challenges in isolation, 2025 data shows that outcomes were driven by three interdependent factors,” PDA said.
- Equipment reliability.
- Miles and Earning Predictability.
- Communication.
Equipment Reliability
“Equipment issues were persistent throughout the year, including tractor breakdowns, maintenance delays, trailer issues and equipment assignment concerns,” PDA said. “Recurring equipment problems reduced productivity and disrupted schedules, creating uncertainty around earnings and planning. Equipment assignment, particularly for newer drivers, shaped early perceptions of respect and long-term stability.”
According to PDA, reliable equipment enabled predictability. Repeated failures eroded trust quickly.
Miles and Earnings Predictability
“Miles consistency was the dominant driver of compensation dissatisfaction in 2025,” PDA said. “Poor scheduling, loads not available, and last-minute changes undermined drivers’ ability to plan their finances and personal lives. Drivers tolerated lower or average earnings when outcomes were consistent. Variability, not rate, drove frustration.”
According to PDA, predictable earnings stabilized retention more effectively than higher earning potential.
Operations and Communication
“Communication was the most frequently cited operational frustration across all four quarters,” PDA said. “Drivers cited slow or absent responses, lack of follow-up, and inconsistent messaging. Customer delays and planning issues further compounded frustration when not proactively managed.”
According to PDA, communication did not eliminate challenges, but it prevented challenges from becoming exit decisions. 68.2% of drivers said no/slow response from their driver manager was their biggest frustration with operations.
Voluntary Turnover
“While retention conversations reveal what frustrates drivers, voluntary turnover data reveals what ultimately drove them to leave,” PDA said. “In 2025, the story told by drivers who exited their positions closely mirrored the feedback collected
through PDA’s proactive retention calls. The alignment between these datasets is significant. It confirms that the issues
surfaced early in retention conversations were the same issues that later resulted in turnover when left unresolved.
Drivers who exited their positions most often cited:
- Miles inconsistency and poor planning.
- Equipment breakdowns and assignment issues.
- Pay rate concerns tied to productivity.
- Communication failures.
- Personal issues remained present but were rarely the sole driver of turnover.
- Drivers did not leave after one bad experience. They left after multiple unresolved disruptions.
According to PDA, turnover in 2025 was driven by compounding execution failures rather than singular events. While one singular event may have pushed them over the edge, it was a pattern of events that got them to the point of a voluntary separation.
Top 10 Root Cause Issues From Drivers Who Voluntarily Quit in 2025
- Tractor – Mechanical/Breakdown.
- Pay rate – Not Competitive/Better Offer.
- Personal – Family.
- Miles – Poor Scheduling/Planning.
- Miles – Inconsistent.
- Trailers – Mechanical Issues/Tires/Damaged.
- Equipment Assignment – Mechanical/Breakdown.
- Planners – Scheduling Issues.
- Customers – Detention.
- Communication – No response.
Looking Ahead – What 2025 Says About Retention
“Turnover will surface faster in a more competitive market,” PDA said. “Throughout 2025, many drivers tolerated recurring challenges due to limited alternatives. As competition for drivers increases, that tolerance will decline. Unresolved issues do not reset when market conditions improve. They resurface faster when drivers perceive more options.
According to PDA, in 2026, truck driver capacity is tightening due to the prolonged post-pandemic freight recession, widespread carrier bankruptcies and the federal government’s enforcement of CDL regulations.
“This shows no signs of slowing throughout the year and according to the American Trucking Associations, it could impact as many as 200,000 drivers. Are you ready for a tightening driver market in 2026,” PDA said.
Retention is an Execution Discipline
“Retention strategies are necessary—but in 2025, outcomes were determined by execution,” PDA said. “Drivers did not experience retention strategy in theory.”
According to PDA, they experienced it through:
- Equipment Uptime.
- Miles Consistency.
- Response Time.
- Follow-through.
“Where execution aligned with stated strategy, retention improved,” PDA said. “Where it did not, trust eroded.”
According to PDA, strategy sets direction. Execution determines outcomes.
Recruiting Cannot Replace Retention
“Some carriers continue to rely on recruiting volume to offset turnover.,” PDA said. “While this may mask retention challenges in the short term, it does not resolve underlying issues. In 2025, the same problems that drove early retention risk later appeared in voluntary exits. Late in the year, early signs of labor pool contraction emerged as drivers exited the
industry altogether.”
According to PDA research, it costs carriers as much as $13,000 to lose one driver. Trying to out recruit turnover will cost more than investing in a solid retention program.
Final Takeaway
“The story of 2025 is not one of sudden disruption,” PDA said. “It is a story of persistence.”
Drivers consistently told PDA what they needed:
- Reliable Equipment.
- Predictable Pay.
- Clear Communication.
- Consistent Miles.
“Drivers stayed when predictability existed,” PDA said. “They left when it did not. As the industry moves into 2026, the lesson from 2025 is both clear and actionable: retention will be built on predictability.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
