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As boundary-spanning supply chain members, truck drivers are important to the efficient and effective flow of goods throughout the supply chain. However, costly truck-driver turnover rates have plagued the industry for years. While previous research has focused on a variety of factors that can contribute to a driver leaving his or her current organization and/or the industry, long-haul turnover rates remain unacceptably high. Using a phenomenological methodology, this research explores psychological aspects of truck drivers' experiences in order to better understand the challenges and stressors that may lead to dissatisfaction with their careers and ultimately their decision to leave their company and/or the industry. Data was collected from drivers through face-to-face interviews and Internet blogs. The findings identify both controllable and uncontrollable psychological stressors that truck drivers experience and how these stressors manifest in their jobs. The themes identified include stress from loneliness and loss of family life, stress due to health-related issues and uncertainty from health-related support, lack of respect from multiple parties, and the stressful impact of government regulations. Identification of these themes may help organizations develop strategies to address these important stressors and improve the retention and performance of their drivers.

PurposeTruck drivers keep supply chains moving, but driver shortages and high turnover levels plague the industry. The purpose of this research is to examine the three dimensions of Maslach's job burnout model: exhaustion, cynicism and professional inefficacy, as it relates to role stressors and turnover intention. Logistics boundary spanners such as truck drivers appear to be especially susceptible to job burnout. Role theory and organizational support theory were used to develop hypotheses.Design/methodology/approachIndividual level survey data were collected from 190 truck driver respondents (not owner operators) at two large truck stops. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsFindings suggest that the relationship between role stressors and the dimensions of job burnout are not all the same. Role conflict significantly impacts exhaustion and cynicism. Role ambiguity significantly impacts cynicism and inefficacy. Results support a progression through burnout dimensions that begins with exhaustion and ends with inefficacy. Inefficacy was significantly related to intention to stay. Organizational support is a way to help drivers mitigate feelings of inefficacy.Practical implicationsManagers in trucking organizations can track burnout levels in their drivers using the Maslach Burnout Inventory with a specific focus on monitoring feelings of inefficacy, which may help lower turnover levels.Originality/valueThe findings support that the burnout dimension of inefficacy is the strongest indicator that a driver is considering leaving his current organization or the industry. This is contrary to other studies that have focused on the other two burnout dimensions.

In a highly competitive price-driven industry, carriers are continuously searching for opportunities to differentiate their offerings, minimize operational costs, and appeal to shippers. At the same time, environmental sustainability has evolved from being trendy jargon into a requirement for competitive supply chain management. It is at the intersection of these two modern topics that the current study identifies a new carrier selection attribute based on a specialized type of green management information system. We apply social exchange theory to hypothesize carrier price and green technology adoption effects on shipper purchase intent. The hypothesized direct and interaction effects are tested by way of a vignette-based experiment, with a sample of full-time working professionals. The supported hypotheses collectively suggest that the adoption of weigh station and tollbooth bypass technology, as a type of environmentally sustainable information system, positively affects transportation carrier selection and attenuates the negative effect of a carrier’s price on shippers’ purchase intentions. These research findings offer unique theoretical, practical, and policy implications surrounding the trucking carrier selection decision.

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