NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Driver recruiting, hiring and retention continue to be the top concern for private fleet operators, the 2019 Private Motor Truck Council of Canada benchmark survey has revealed.

Equipment and maintenance issues have also moved up the list of concerns, the poll showed.

Partial results of the monthslong survey, which was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. National Private Truck Council, were released at the PMTC annual conference in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Thursday.

“The study creates a working dashboard of standards to measure, monitor and improve individual private fleet performance,” said Tom Moore, senior vice-president, NPTC.

In his presentation, Moore focused on various labor issues including an aging workforce and the need to retool the hiring process. He warned against lowering hiring standards, saying that would compromise safety.

The full results of the survey will be released to PMTC members next month, Moore said. A special webcast will also be held to explain the results.

Benchmarking allows operators to validate their performance based on comparative peer data, identify areas of improvement and opportunity and to highlight significant trends affecting fleet operations, PMTC said.

The study was sponsored by Bell Mobility.