SiriusXM has fleets rocking coast to coast

“Here’s the pitch. A swing and a drive to right field! Going, going —.” Static.

This game’s had you on the edge of your seat since Chicago. But approaching Indianapolis, the signal abruptly fades.

For long-haul drivers, it’s often the little things that make or break their day.

But fleets are taking note. As many reassess their recruiting and retention strategies, carriers are taking a longer look into what drivers want most. A growing number are tuning the dial to SiriusXM Radio.

With over 165 channels, including Commercial-Free Music, Talk, Sports, Comedy and News, SiriusXM’s coast-to-coast coverage keeps the music going and the conversations flowing, and it ensures drivers never miss a second of any game. SiriusXM’s Platinum subscription gives drivers access to their favorite programming while parked or in a hotel room, via the SXM mobile app. 

That definitely beats the days of old when drivers had to remember to keep a list of their favorite radio stations as they moved between regions.

“As one station would fade away at night, they’d look at their list to see what market they’re in to pick a new station,” said Stephen Scheu, SiriusXM’s director of sales, trucking. “Now they can literally go from Vermont to San Diego without any problems.”

Jeff Smith, senior director of specialty markets at SiriusXM, encourages fleets to reimagine the drivers’ experience with a satellite radio upgrade. With SiriusXM’s new fleet program rates starting below $5 per month, it’s a cost-effective fleet investment in driver happiness, (thus retention). 

CFI, XPO, J.B. Hunt and Hirschbach have already made the satellite switch, and their fleets now sing a different tune. Fleets of all sizes, from two trucks to the largest fleets, can access SiriusXM’s fleet program rates with monthly billing and no long-term commitments.  Fleets like the billing flexibility and transparency that SiriusXM has put together — just for the trucking business.

“Drivers with over 165 channels of entertainment are more than happy, they’re safer too, as fiddling with the dial and tuning between markets becomes a thing of the past,” Smith said, noting SiriusXM’s coast-to-coast and Canadian coverage.

SiriusXM has the exclusive programming that drivers want most: Fox News, CNN, Willie’s Roadhouse (Country), Howard Stern and Comedy Central Radio. In addition, sports talk, live play-by-play channels from ESPN, MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, College Sports and NASCAR and more keep drivers on top of the action.

There’s a channel for everything, including trucking. SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Radio is the  only 24-hour channel geared exclusively to the trucking industry, featuring a daily lineup of news and entertainment.

New to the lineup is FreightWaves’ “Drive Time” with host Grace Sharkey. Airing weekdays at 5 p.m. ET, the program explores the freight markets, forecasts and trends and answers burning questions from listeners.

With over 1.3 million listeners daily, Road Dog’s growing audience has made it the go-to place for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation to effectively reach drivers immediately, Scheu said. 

Drivers tuned to Road Dog Trucking Radio can regularly hear directly from some of the biggest names in logistics, such as U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and FMCSA administrators.

These are the conversations that many drivers are longing for. Joe Knuckley, director of fleet sales at SiriusXM, said that when you’re on the road for days or weeks at a time, it’s reassuring to hear that your peers have similar questions, concerns or experiences when they call in to these shows.

“A lot of drivers are new and feel like they’re on an island out there,” Knuckley said. “You’ll hear truckers call in to Road Dog Radio saying that they’ve been out there for a couple of weeks but feel like they’re on an island. Having SiriusXM provided for them helps them get through the week more comfortably and feel more at home.”

Fleets of all sizes can go to www.siriusxm.com/fleet to sign up or get a personalized quote from SiriusXM. 

Interested in advertising on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking? Contact Stephen.Scheu@siriusxm.com

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Source: freightwaves - SiriusXM has fleets rocking coast to coast
Editor: Jack Glenn