Why Trucking Companies Are Losing Drivers Over Family Care — And How to Fix It

Upwards

Mar 09, 2026

Childcare,

Childcare Benefits for Employees,

You’ve optimized your routes. You’ve tightened your scheduling. And yet, the call still comes. “I can’t make it in, our daycare’s closed.” “My babysitter cancelled.” “My mom fell and I have no one to check on her.”

Family care isn’t a personal problem your drivers are bringing to work. It’s a business problem sitting in your dispatching queue, costing you coverage, compliance, and drivers you can’t afford to lose.

The Retention Crisis Nobody in Trucking Is Talking About

The trucking industry has a driver shortage problem that everyone knows about. What fewer people talk about is why drivers leave — and what’s causing so many of those no-call, no-show mornings that are costing small fleets thousands of dollars every year.

The U.S. trucking industry is already short more than 64,000 drivers, and long-haul driver turnover rates are 79%-94%. Even for smaller fleets and Amazon Relay carriers, the cost of replacing a single truck driver cost around $8,200 when you factor in recruiting, drug testing, background checks, onboarding, and lost productivity while the seat is empty.

But here’s what the industry studies rarely break down: a significant chunk of that turnover and those daily call-outs aren’t about pay at all. They’re about family care — whether that’s a child with no backup coverage or an aging parent who needs help.

The good news: this is a solvable problem, and it’s cheaper to solve than most Relay operators realize.

What Is a Care Benefit and Why Should a Trucking Company Offer One?

If you’ve never heard the term “employee family care benefit” before, you’re not alone. This type of perk has historically been reserved for tech companies and corporate offices. But that’s changing fast, and trucking operators who move first are winning the retention battle.

A care benefit is a program an employer provides that helps their workers find, afford, and secure reliable child care or elder care. Think of it like health insurance, but for the thing that keeps your driver from showing up to work when their care arrangements fall through.

Here’s what a modern care benefit program like Upwards actually includes:

24/7 Backup Child Care Support — When a driver’s regular care falls through at 4 a.m., they have a dedicated Care Concierge to call — not Google. That concierge helps them quickly find a backup provider so they can make their shift.
Access to 260,000+ Vetted Providers Nationwide — Upwards gives employees access to the nation’s largest child care network, with over 260,000 vetted and licensed providers. For carriers with drivers spread across multiple states, that’s 50-state coverage built in.
Elder Care Assistance — It’s not just young kids causing call-outs. Drivers who are also caring for an aging parent need support too. Upwards provides expert care advisor support through Helper Bees, with solution matching to vetted in-home care providers.
Government Subsidy Navigation — Many working families qualify for child care financial assistance programs and never know it. Upwards includes a 2-minute subsidy eligibility check and navigator support through applications — reducing out-of-pocket care costs for your drivers without costing you anything extra.
A Simple Mobile App — Drivers can request care, chat with providers, tour in-home daycares, enroll, and more — all from their phone. No paperwork. No HR middleman. Just help when they need it.

Give your Relay team access to all of this

The Math Is Simple

Cost to replace one driver: $8,200. Cost of Upwards care benefits (annual plan): $12.95/month per seat.

For a 10-driver Relay team, the entire program runs $1,554 a year. Retain just one driver and you’re up $6,646 — net, after covering the full program cost for your whole team. That’s a 4x return on a single hire.

Upwards data shows a 30% average reduction in employee call-outs and 5x less turnover among employees who use their care benefits. For a carrier running 4, 10, or 20 trucks, even a 10% improvement in shift coverage changes everything.

One California carrier owner who rolled Upwards out to his team put it simply:

“I actually was the one who pushed the child care benefits program to my associates once it was announced, and we did notice that there was a downturn in the call-outs because of it.”

And There’s a Tax Incentive You’re Probably Leaving on the Table

As an employer, you may qualify for a 10% federal corporate tax credit on the amount you invest in this program through the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit (IRS Form 8882). One forum member pointed out there may also be a more substantial credit available under Section 45F for employers who offer cost assistance — worth consulting your accountant about.

That means the real net cost to your business could be even lower than the already affordable seat price.

Why This Matters Especially for Amazon Relay Carriers

Amazon Relay teams face a unique challenge: routes don’t wait, schedules are tight, and the ripple effect of one missed shift runs straight through the whole network. Upwards is purpose-built for carrier teams, offering 50-state consistent care support for drivers across every market you operate in.

The program is already being offered to Amazon Relay teams and their families. If your competitors start offering care benefits before you do, you’ll feel it at hiring time.

“My Drivers Didn’t Ask for This. Do They Actually Want It?”

Fair question. The TruckersReport forum debate on this topic is instructive. Some veteran operators push back, arguing drivers chose this profession knowing the demands. But the responses from actual drivers tell a different story:

“I could give two [cents] about any truck. Kids always come first.”

“It’s a real problem. I know a guy that quit driving and took a good pay drop to take care of his kids more.”

Successful carriers concentrate on cultivating a culture of driver respect and understanding drivers’ daily challenges. Offering a care benefit doesn’t coddle drivers. It removes a random, unpredictable obstacle that was costing you both.

How to Get Started in Under 5 Minutes

Here’s what the setup looks like for a fleet owner or HR manager:

Pick your plan — Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual. Choose what fits your budget.
Select seats — Start with as many or as few drivers as you want. You can add more anytime.
Confirm and pay — No hidden fees. You’ll see a clear breakdown before committing.
Invite your team — Share a simple onboarding link. Drivers activate their own benefits in a few steps.

No IT setup. No benefits administrator required.

Start enrolling your Relay team now

The Bottom Line for Transportation & Logistics HR

If you’re in HR at a trucking company, a logistics firm, or a last-mile carrier operation, here’s what you need to walk into your next leadership meeting with:

Driver turnover costs your company at least $8K per replacement.
Child care and elder care disruptions are a primary, documented cause of trucker callouts and turnover.
A care benefit program costs as little as $12.95/seat/month — less than a tank of DEF.
You may qualify for federal tax credits that offset the program cost.
Upwards reduces call-outs by 30% and turnover 5x among enrolled employees.

The competition for qualified drivers isn’t going away. The ATA estimates the industry will need to hire nearly 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade to keep up with retirements and demand. The fleets that retain their people will win. Care benefits are one of the highest-ROI tools available to do exactly that.

Upwards partners with employers and governments to make child care and elder care accessible to all working families. Learn more at Upwards.com.