The Value of Hiring Veterans in Transportation

How military personnel make your workforce stronger, smarter and uniquely capable

Hiring military veterans has proven time and time again to be a win-win situation for both transportation companies and the veterans themselves. For our returning servicemen and women, our industry provides a good job, a stable career path and an opportunity to utilize much of the skills and training gained during the course of military duty. For trucking companies, recruiting veterans provides a pipeline of highly trained, dependable workers to help ease the industry's current professional shortage.

In fact, more than 10% of veterans start careers in transportation after leaving active duty; industry-wide, it's estimated that nearly a quarter of all transportation employees have military experience.** As of 2015, more than 146,000 enlisted military personnel were working in the transportation and materials handling industry, and nearly 50,000 of them were officers.*

Now, let's take a look at just a few of the reasons why veterans are an invaluable resource to the transportation and supply chain industries.

Veterans are natural leaders

At all levels of the military, people are expected to lead: leading by example, instructing others, managing peers or stepping up in a crisis. A natural leader is a major asset to your existing team and a smart personnel investment in the long term.

Veterans are skilled workers

We live in an age where our military is smarter, better educated and more capable than ever thanks to cutting-edge technology and expert training. Our veterans not only gain unparalleled technical and mechanical skills during their time of service, but they also cultivate qualities that make them strategic thinkers, disciplined managers and extraordinary leaders. They're accustomed to working non-traditional schedules, they often need minimal on-the-job training, and many are experts at operating heavy equipment, having been trained to do so from a very young age.

Veterans are dedicated employees

When a person joins the military, they make a commitment to sacrificing everything necessary to serve their country. Back at home, this mindset means a sharpened understanding of their personal responsibility to their employer, their peers and the world when it comes to safety, accountability, punctuality and efficiency.

Veterans are teamwork experts

Few professionals in this world know more about teamwork than military personnel. From day one, soldiers are trained to not only work seamlessly with their peers toward a shared goal, but to respect and value their peers' contributions and abilities as well.

Veterans represent you well

Just as military personnel represent our country's values at home and abroad, so do your employees represent your carrier's image and values. Our veterans have been immersed in a culture built on discipline, loyalty, respect, pride and accountability, and are trained from day one to take pride in their work and respect their role in something larger.

Averitt Salutes You

Here at Averitt, hundreds of our current associates - including drivers, members of our executive team, people in supply chain and logistics roles, logistics and operations leaders, and administrative professionals - have served or are currently serving in the military. Hiring military personnel is more than a practical HR trend for us. It's a natural fit.

We know firsthand the value of welcoming veterans into our workforce, and we're passionate about encouraging others to do the same. We're honored to be recognized as a "Patriotic Employer" by the U.S. Department of Defense's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program, or ESGR.

As a part of our ongoing commitment to hire veterans, we are engaged in several initiatives, including:

• A company-wide pledge to hire 1,200 veterans by 2020. (We are already nearing that goal, well ahead of schedule!)
• GI Bill funded training programs for drivers and mechanics, providing a monthly financial incentive to veterans in addition to their Averitt salaries.
• Award-winning employment practices recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and Victory Media.
• Participation in the "Yellow Ribbon" campaign, welcoming veterans arriving home from active duty.
• CDL skills waiver assistance for veterans with military driving experience.
• Tuition assistance for CDL driving school for veterans who do not have driving experience.
• Driver-to-leadership career paths, encouraging veterans to move up through the ranks to leadership positions.

Watch the video below to hear what some of our veteran drivers have to say about working for Averitt.

To find out more about bringing veterans into your workforce, visit hireheroesusa.org, recruitmilitary.com or any of the many other online resources available.

*U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center
** Bureau of Labor Statistics