In logistics, people often leave without notice. A driver stops taking calls, a loader does not come back after a shift, a delivery executive moves to another platform. It is tempting to treat this as the nature of the work and move on to the next hire.
Some of it is. But much of it has reasons the organisation can learn from, and the cost of replacing drivers and hub staff is high. The purpose of asking is to understand their experience, respect their decision and see what could be better for the people who remain.
CIPD's guidance on employee turnover highlights the value of understanding why staff leave and addressing areas such as fair treatment, flexibility and employee wellbeing. Source: CIPD
Look beyond the first answer
"Better pay." "Family problem." "Going home." "Got another job." These can all be true. They can also be the polite version of something else: a route that was always the worst, trip payments that were late, a supervisor who shouted, or a vehicle that was not safe to drive.
Start with a simple question: "What made you start thinking about leaving?" Then ask what made the final decision. Keep the question open rather than offering a list of answers to agree with.
Not every exit is a complaint. Relocation, family responsibilities, a move to farming or a different trade, and wanting to own a vehicle are real reasons. Allow for them without assuming the organisation is blameless or at fault.
Explore the areas that shape life on the road and in the hub
Use these as prompts rather than assuming any one of them caused the departure.
- Pay, trip allowance and settlement: Were trip advances, allowances and detention payments clear, correct and on time? Were deductions explained?
- Route and duty allocation: Did people feel duties were shared fairly, or did the same people get the long or difficult routes?
- Hours, rest and time away from home: How long were people away from home? Were rest periods and weekly offs actually possible?
- Shift pattern and roster (warehouse and hub): Were shifts published early enough? Were changes at short notice normal? Was overtime fair and paid correctly?
- Supervisor and hub manager behaviour: Were instructions clear and respectful? Could people raise a problem without being punished?
- Vehicle, equipment and safety: Was the vehicle in good condition? Did people feel safe reporting a defect or declining unsafe work?
- Growth: Was there a route from loader to driver, or from driver to supervisor or trainer?
- Personal circumstances: Did family, health or relocation play a part?
Several of these usually combine, and the first one mentioned may not be the heaviest. Let the person tell the story in their own words.
Who should hold the conversation, and how
Where there is a notice period, invite the person to a voluntary conversation during it. Where there is not, a short, respectful phone call within a few days of leaving can still be worth making. Explain that the purpose is to understand and improve.
The best interviewer is someone the person trusts but who is not part of the problem. For a driver, that is rarely the dispatcher or the supervisor who allocated the routes. An HR representative, a senior driver or trainer, or an operations manager from another hub may be better. If the concern is about a supervisor, offer someone else. Many people are more comfortable speaking in their own language, so match it where you can.
Hubs are small and people talk. Do not promise complete anonymity. Explain who will see the answers and how they will be used. Do not make the person justify leaving, and do not chase them to reconsider during the conversation. For how to run the process around it, see exit interviews that produce action.
Questions that lead to useful feedback in logistics
- 1
What first made you think about leaving?
This finds the starting point, which may be different from the job you left for.
- 2
What were the main reasons you decided to go?
Let them order or connect the reasons themselves.
- 3
What did you like about the work or the team?
It shows what to protect for those who stay.
- 4
Was the job the same as what you were told when you joined?
Gaps point to hiring promises about pay, routes or hours that did not hold.
- 5
Were your trip pay, allowances and settlements correct and on time?
Listen for late payments, unclear deductions and unpaid detention.
- 6
How fair were the routes, duties and shifts?
Ask for a specific example rather than a general view.
- 7
How were your hours, rest and time away from home?
Listen for missed weekly offs and short-notice changes.
- 8
How did your supervisor or hub manager treat you?
Offer another interviewer if the person is uneasy answering this.
- 9
Did you ever feel unsafe or unsupported with the vehicle, load or equipment?
Take any safety concern seriously, whatever the person decided to do.
- 10
What should we change for the next person doing your job?
A forward-looking close that stays practical.
Let the person skip questions, and keep the conversation short. A thirty-question form will not be answered by someone standing in a yard.
Turn individual feedback into a pattern review
Record the main reason, any contributing factors and a short factual summary, keeping what was said separate from your interpretation. Add the hub, route or vehicle type, shift, supervisor and length of service.
Review exits over time by hub, route, shift and supervisor. Compare early leavers, those leaving in the first weeks, with longer-serving staff. Look for exits clustered around settlement dates, festival periods or a particular supervisor. A small number of exits should prompt more questions, not an immediate verdict. The attrition number that hides the problem explains why one headline rate hides this detail.
Compare exit feedback with attendance, overtime, complaints and incident records. Keep identifiable responses to those who need them.
Give each improvement an owner
Feedback that is filed away does not help the next driver. For each issue chosen for action, agree on:
- The specific change needed.
- The person responsible.
- A completion date.
- How progress will be reviewed.
For example, late trip settlements could be owned by accounts with a stated settlement time. Unfair route allocation could be owned by the operations manager, with a visible rotation. A supervisor concern could be handled by the hub or regional manager. Where appropriate, tell current staff what has changed without revealing anyone's private feedback.
Start listening before people leave
Do not wait for the resignation. Short, regular check-ins with drivers and hub staff, by phone where needed, can ask what is working and what is not. Ask: "What would make you think about leaving, and what could we fix now?"
Good moments are after the first month, after a difficult route or a long trip, after a pay dispute and around festival periods. Act on what you hear, or people stop telling you.
Every departure deserves a respectful response. The same approach, for all roles, is set out in why employees leave and how to understand their reasons.
