With a driver shortage nearing epic proportions, small wonder that driver retention tops the list of carrier objectives.

A new report by employment screening firm HireRight offers insights into why drivers leave their jobs, and sometimes leave the industry altogether. Among the list of top reasons for driver turnover is company culture. In fact, about 1 out of every 5 drivers who leaves the industry does so because they don't feel like the organizational culture is right for them.

Let's take a closer look at why driver retention depends heavily on company culture and how you can better increase engagement and buy-in with drivers and other employees who spend a majority of their time away from corporate offices.

Driver turnover is a serious problem. The Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute estimates it costs more than $8,200 on average to replace a truck driver. Not only does it drive up costs across the organization, but it's also likely to impact the customer experience negatively. Clients may even stop doing business with carriers when they feel like they have to "break in" new drivers on a regular basis.

It's no surprise that carriers participating in the HireRight study recognize the importance of addressing driver concerns, including improving company culture. In fact, 59 percent of study participants said finding, retaining and developing talent was their biggest challenge, more than twice as many as any of the other challenges identified in the study.

Improving company culture is a complex issue, especially in the case of a trucking business where drivers may be on the road for days, weeks or even months at a time before coming in to a carrier's offices. Here are some ways to make your culture relevant to drivers and other employees whose work is done from outside your company's physical location.

1. Hit the ground running

For 90 percent of drivers, the first six months on the job determine whether they will stay or go. Instead of focusing on how quickly you can get new drivers out on the road, your trucking business may become more profitable if you focus on getting new drivers integrated into company culture so they feel their success and your company's success are intertwined.

2. Employ a marketing mindset

When you want to land important customers and retain them for the long term, you take the time to find out what matters most to them — where their pain points, concerns, wants and needs lie. The more you are able to demonstrate concern and develop solutions that meet their needs in the here and now and over time, the more likely they are to sign on and stay on as customers.

The same principles can be applied to driver retention. Looking beyond the hiring and onboarding process, make it a priority to find out what is and is not working well for them. Minimize their on-the-job pain points. Discover and address their concerns. Repeat this process over time so your company culture continues to evolve in alignment with changing driver needs.

3. Maximize communication

Drivers don't have a chance to catch up with other employees in the break room or at the water cooler, and they are often out of town when employee and departmental meetings are taking plac. However, today's technology eliminates many of the logistical problems corporate communications used to face.

Expand the number of communication channels drivers can use to find out what's going on in the company so they stay connected to company news, changes that will affect their work or impact compensation and benefits, and enable them to attend important meetings and corporate events virtually when they cannot attend in person.

4. Deputize liaisons

The benefits that follow success when integrating drivers (or any remote workers) into company culture are significant. Appoint company culture liaisons whose job is to interact with drivers on a daily basis, ensuring their voices are heard within the company and that they are getting the information they need from the organization.

Not only will it give drivers a direct line in to your trucking business, it will let them know they matter, as individuals, to the company.

Study after study demonstrates the direct correlation between employee engagement and retention. Carriers who improve driver retention rates aren't just cutting expenses, they are creating competitive advantages that will set them apart from the rest.