Truck Driver Turnover Falls to 8.65% in July 2026: What the Data May Be Telling Us
Published: August 10th, 2026
Executive Summary
The Superior Trucking Payroll Service Driver Turnover Index fell to 8.65% in July 2026, down sharply from 14.21% in June and the lowest monthly turnover rate recorded so far in 2026. After a surprisingly high June, July returned to a level more consistent with the healthier months seen throughout the past two years.
While one month never establishes a long-term trend, this data suggests that many trucking companies retained more drivers in July than they did in June. For fleet owners, this is encouraging news. Lower turnover generally means lower recruiting costs, less disruption, and a more stable workforce.
Who Is This For?
This article is designed for:
- Trucking company owners
- Fleet managers
- CFOs and controllers
- HR professionals
- Anyone responsible for payroll for trucking
- Companies evaluating trucking payroll services
- Operations leaders interested in improving Truck Driver Payroll processes and driver retention
July 2026 Driver Turnover Index
The Driver Turnover Index measures the percentage of drivers who were paid in one month but were no longer being paid by the same company the following month.
July 2026 Turnover: 8.65%
That means approximately 1 out of every 12 drivers who were on payroll in June were no longer being paid by that employer in July.
Compared to recent months:
| Month | Turnover |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | 10.12% |
| April 2026 | 9.64% |
| May 2026 | 9.23% |
| June 2026 | 14.21% |
| July 2026 | 8.65% |
July not only erased June’s spike but became the lowest turnover month of 2026.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
Since the beginning of 2025, monthly turnover has generally ranged between 9% and 11%, with two notable exceptions.
The first occurred in September 2025, when turnover reached 15.06%.
The second was June 2026, when turnover climbed to 14.21%.
Both spikes were followed immediately by significant improvements.
This pattern reminds us why it’s important not to overreact to a single month’s data. Looking at trends over time provides much more useful insight than focusing on one unusually high or low month.
What Could Explain the July Improvement?
Our data measures what happened, not why it happened. However, several possibilities could contribute to lower turnover.
Some factors related to payroll include:
- More accurate pay
- Faster payroll processing
- Better communication about driver compensation
- Clearer pay stubs showing how pay was calculated
- Proper administration of truck driver per diem
Other factors may have nothing to do with payroll:
- Seasonal freight patterns
- Changes in freight demand
- Fewer competing hiring opportunities
- Improved dispatch operations
- Better equipment availability
- Increased driver satisfaction
- Company retention initiatives
- Reduced hiring after heavy recruiting earlier in the year
Without additional research, we cannot attribute the change to any single cause. The value of this report is that it identifies trends worth investigating.
Why This Matters to Trucking Companies
Driver turnover is expensive.
Every driver who leaves creates costs that extend far beyond recruiting.
Companies often incur expenses related to:
- Recruiting
- Orientation
- Training
- Idle equipment
- Lost productivity
- Administrative work
- Reduced customer service
Even modest improvements in retention can have a meaningful financial impact over the course of a year.
Payroll Can Influence Driver Retention
Payroll is rarely the only reason drivers stay or leave.
However, payroll is one of the few experiences every driver has every single week.
Drivers expect to be paid:
- Correctly
- On time
- With clear explanations
- Without surprises
Many trucking companies focus heavily on pay rates but overlook how pay is communicated.
Simple improvements like detailed pay stubs showing loads, miles, bonuses, deductions, and per diem can build trust and reduce payroll questions. Trust doesn’t guarantee retention, but losing trust can certainly increase turnover.
For providers of trucking payroll services, helping carriers improve payroll transparency may contribute to stronger driver relationships over time.
One Question This Data Raises
One interesting question this report cannot yet answer is:
How many individual drivers actually earned more money in July than they did in June?
That’s different from asking how many companies increased driver pay.
A single 500-truck fleet increasing pay affects far more drivers than several small carriers doing the same.
This is an area we hope to explore in future research because it could provide another valuable view of the trucking labor market.
What Trucking Companies Should Watch
Instead of reacting to one month’s turnover number, owners should monitor longer-term trends.
Questions worth asking include:
- Is our turnover consistently above industry norms?
- Are new hires leaving within their first few months?
- Are payroll questions increasing?
- Are drivers expressing concerns about trust or pay accuracy?
- Has freight volume changed significantly?
- Are operational changes affecting retention?
Looking at turnover alongside payroll accuracy, recruiting, freight demand, and driver satisfaction provides a much more complete picture.
Methodology
The Superior Trucking Payroll Service Driver Turnover Index is calculated using anonymous payroll data processed through our Truck Driver Payroll platform.
Each month we identify drivers who:
- Received payroll during the prior month.
- Did not receive payroll from the same company during the current month.
- Worked for companies that processed payroll in both months.
- Were classified as drivers.
Owner-operators are excluded.
Companies beginning or ending payroll service during the comparison period are also excluded when appropriate to avoid skewing the data.
The index is designed to measure month-to-month driver turnover trends across participating trucking companies while protecting the confidentiality of every client.
Conclusion
July’s Driver Turnover Index provides encouraging news.
After June’s elevated turnover rate, July returned to one of the lowest levels we’ve measured in the past two years. Whether this represents the beginning of a sustained trend or simply normal month-to-month variation remains to be seen.
What is clear is that consistent measurement helps trucking companies ask better questions. And better questions often lead to better business decisions.
As additional months are added to the index, we’ll continue watching for trends that can help trucking companies better understand the changing labor market.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Driver Turnover Index measures the percentage of truck drivers who were paid by a company in one month but were no longer paid by that same company the following month.
No. The index measures turnover, not the reasons behind it. It helps identify trends that companies can investigate further.
Not necessarily. Many factors influence retention, including freight demand, equipment, dispatch, company culture, compensation, and payroll accuracy. Payroll is one important piece of the overall driver experience.
Monitoring turnover helps identify workforce trends, measure retention efforts, estimate recruiting costs, and evaluate operational improvements over time.
Professional trucking payroll services help ensure drivers are paid accurately, on time, and with transparent pay documentation. While payroll alone won’t eliminate turnover, building trust through consistent Truck Driver Payroll practices can improve the overall driver experience.
The index is updated monthly using payroll data from participating trucking companies to provide an ongoing view of retention trends within the industry.
Written by
Mike Ritzema
Mike Ritzema founded Superior Trucking Payroll Service after years as a trucking CFO — so he knows the industry from the inside out. He writes about payroll, per diem, and driver pay with one goal: making life easier for trucking families. When he’s not solving payroll problems, you’ll find him crossing another MLB stadium off his bucket list.