The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association Mixer Driver Recruitment & Retention Survey shows an improved, year-over-year outlook for ready mixed concrete producers to maintain a healthy delivery professional pool. In 2019, 47 percent of respondents turned away orders due to lack of mixer truck drivers, down from 60 percent in 2018. The number of producers citing mixer driver vacancies dropped from 95 percent to 87 percent over the same window.
In 2018, the survey closed with approximately 10,000 open mixer driver jobs; as of April 30, 2020, the last day of 2019 data collection, the number of openings was down to 6,000. Finding drivers with ready mixed concrete experience remains the biggest hiring challenge. In response, more producers were willing to hire 18- to 21-year-old drivers (51 percent) and newly-licensed commercial drivers (56 percent) in 2019. Approximately 7 percent of new hires were new commercially-licensed drivers, about the same as the previous year. Finally, more producers (65 percent) rehired former employees in 2019, equating to 8 percent of the new-hire mixer driver pool.
“This year’s solid findings show the survey’s continuing importance to producer members as well as the industry at large,” says NRMCA Executive Vice President of Compliance and Operations Gary Mullings. “Mixer driver shortages are a longstanding issue and this report offers insight on how to steadily reduce if not eliminate the lack of qualified drivers.”
Mixer Driver Recruitment & Retention Survey results show turnover remains a concern. About one third of the mixer driver population quit or was released in 2019. Within the approximate 25,000 drivers who left, 74 percent had more than one year’s tenure. Turnover rate in 2019 increased for the fifth year, to 33.4 percent. And for the first time, the survey found more drivers quit to work for a company competitor, though the perennial leading factor—landing a short-haul driving job outside concrete—was just 1 percent behind. For the fifth year, higher pay elsewhere and inconsistent daily schedules remained the top two reasons drivers quit. The quit/released ratio stayed at 66:33.
NRMCA QUALITY AWARDS
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association has named 20 members in the 2020 Excellence in Quality Awards program, which honors ready mixed concrete producers who have demonstrated that they follow and exceed quality management principles over a broad range of activities—from commitment to quality, materials management, managing production facilities and product quality control while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction:
Category A (annual production exceeding 1 million cubic yards)
Argos USA LLC – Carolinas, Florida, Georgia Divisions
CalPortland Arizona Division
Cemex Florida Region
Cemstone Products Co.
Concrete Supply Co.
Irving Materials, Inc. – Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, Tennessee Divisions
Martin Marietta Southwest Division
Maschmeyer Concrete Company of Florida
Preferred Materials Inc.
Thomas Concrete Georgia Division
Category B (250,000 to 1 million cubic yards)
Anderson Concrete Corp.
Bayou Concrete, LLC
Buckeye Ready-Mix, LLC
CalPortland Nevada, Oregon & SW Washington Divisions
Chandler Concrete Co.
Dolese Bros. Oklahoma City Metro Division
Graniterock
MMC Materials Inc. – Central Area
Quality Concrete
Thomas Concrete – Charlotte, Raleigh, Coastal, Upstate Divisions
Category C (< 250,000 cubic yards)
Conewago Ready Mix
Dolese Bros. Co. Tulsa Division
MMC Materials, Inc. – Delta, Hattiesburg, Golden Triangle, Memphis/North Mississippi Areas
United Companies
Per NRMCA Research, Engineering and Standards Committee criteria, producers apply for Quality Awards a single entity or a division within a company and respond to a multiple-choice type application form. A minimum score of 75 percent with supporting validation qualifies for an award.