The trucking industry has always relied on part-time and seasonal drivers to fill critical gaps — whether handling holiday freight surges or stepping up for peak harvest season. These pinch-hitting employees play an essential role in keeping operations smooth and efficient, but they can often miss out on the benefits available to full-time employees. If they feel disconnected or undervalued, it can make it much harder to retain or rehire this qualified talent the next time your organization needs them.
Given the fluctuating nature of their schedules and eligibility constraints, integrating part-time and seasonal drivers into your benefits framework can seem complex. However, taking the time to do this is a strategic move to create a more engaged, loyal workforce.
With the right benefits and engagement tools in place, companies can build meaningful connections with every driver, ensuring that everyone feels supported and valued.
The Unique Challenges of a Temporary Workforce
Supporting part-time and seasonal employees isn’t as simple as copying the full-time benefits package. These drivers face unique challenges, and companies must balance operational needs, regulatory compliance, and budget considerations to create effective solutions.
Here are some key challenges to address:
Benefits Eligibility Variability:
One of the biggest hurdles is that many part-time or seasonal employees may not meet the eligibility thresholds for traditional benefits like health insurance. For instance, ACA mandates require offering health coverage to employees working 30+ hours per week on average, which creates a compliance challenge for companies with irregularly scheduled drivers. Failing to track hours properly can snowball and lead to penalties, making it essential to have the right tools for managing eligibility.
With Selerix BenSelect, companies can customize benefit offerings to accommodate drivers with varying classifications, locations, or schedules. From prorated health benefits to limited-scope coverage, companies can ensure compliance while still providing meaningful support to seasonal employees.
Administrative Complexity:
Seasonal drivers are often hired on short notice, with high turnover rates and varying work patterns, which makes tracking hours and managing enrollment a logistical challenge. HR teams need to be able to adjust benefit eligibility in real-time to avoid delays in coverage.
Leveraging Selerix’s ACA experts can help you streamline payroll tracking and compliance reporting. By monitoring eligibility status through automated systems, companies can avoid surprises during audits and ensure that employees receive the coverage they are entitled to.
Engagement Gaps:
Because part-time and seasonal workers are not always fully integrated into the day-to-day culture, they can feel disconnected from the company. This detachment makes it harder to retain seasonal employees and may lead to disengagement on the job. Ensuring that all employees—no matter their status—feel connected and informed — something that is essential to fostering loyalty and building a cohesive workforce.
Selerix Engage bridges this gap by providing real-time communication tools. Companies can automate and send targeted updates, announcements, and surveys to seasonal drivers — via email, text, etc. — ensuring that they stay connected and informed throughout their time with the organization. Engage lets you prepare event-driven communications and instant messaging with set-it and forget-it technology that does the heavy lifting for you Whether it’s a reminder about benefits enrollment or recognition for their contributions, Engage ensures that everyone feels seen and valued.
These three challenges can overwhelm even the most seasoned benefits pro, but with the right tools and strategies, companies can overcome them and create a supportive benefits framework that works for every driver. Let’s talk about how to build a specific benefits and policy strategy for part-time and seasonal workers.
8 Part-Time and Seasonal Benefits Strategies
Integrating part-time and seasonal drivers into your benefits framework requires a mix of flexibility, compliance, and accessibility. Below are some key strategies to consider, to create a seamless, supportive environment for these drivers.
1. Tailor Benefits Packages Based on Employment Status
Providing customized benefits for part-time and seasonal employees ensures that all workers have access to meaningful coverage, regardless of their schedules. While full-time benefits may not always be feasible, offering proportional packages — such as accident insurance, lifestyle benefits, or voluntary life insurance — can make a significant impact.
Tip: Use Selerix BenSelect to deliver personalized benefits packages that align with varying job classifications. This approach ensures seasonal workers are covered with benefits that meet their specific needs, from short-term health insurance to wellness programs that help employees feel valued.
2. Track ACA Compliance and Eligibility
Companies employing seasonal drivers must navigate Affordable Care Act (ACA) rules, which require offering healthcare to employees working 30+ hours per week on average. For businesses with fluctuating seasonal schedules, keeping track of hours and ensuring compliance can add to an already complex compliance landscape.
Tip: Selerix helps you simplify this process by automating hour tracking and reporting. With the help of our ACA experts, HR teams can stay on top of eligibility requirements and easily and automatically adjust coverage as hours fluctuate. This central source of data helps you to integrate benefits seamlessly, avoid manual heavy lifts, and reduce compliance issues while ensuring drivers get the benefits they are entitled to.
3. Offer Short-Term and Flexible Enrollment Periods
Seasonal drivers often join with little notice, making it essential to provide flexible enrollment windows. This ensures they can opt in to benefits shortly after they start, even if they join outside the traditional open enrollment period.
Tip: With Selerix BenSelect, drivers can enroll in benefits remotely—whether from home or on the road. Flexible enrollment options ensure no one misses out on coverage, even with shifting work schedules.
4. Voluntary Benefits and Wellness Programs
Voluntary benefits such as accident insurance, dental coverage, and telemedicine are easy ways to engage part-time workers. Pairing these offerings with wellness incentives, like fitness apps or telehealth support, ensures drivers feel valued without significant added costs for employers.
5. Retirement Savings Options for Seasonal Workers
Providing part-time employees with immediate access to retirement savings plans—such as 401(k) options or IRAs—encourages loyalty. Some companies also offer matching contributions on a prorated basis, incentivizing drivers to stay longer.
6. Keep Communication Channels Current
Clear communication ensures seasonal and part-time drivers stay connected with company updates and expectations. Drivers who receive regular, meaningful communication are more likely to feel informed and engaged. Timely updates about schedules, policy changes, and benefits also prevent misunderstandings and improve job satisfaction.
Tip: Selerix Engage makes it easy to deliver targeted, automated messages, surveys, and announcements over text or email to these employees—whether it’s an onboarding message, enrollment reminder, or recognition for their contributions.
7. Incorporate Seasonal Drivers into Company Culture
Integrating part-time employees into your culture builds loyalty and reduces turnover. Consider hosting virtual appreciation events, recognition programs, or holiday bonuses for seasonal staff to show that their efforts are valued. For example: Some companies offer “return bonuses” for seasonal drivers who come back for consecutive peak seasons, further reinforcing their connection to the company.
8. Create Feedback and Engagement Strategies
Regular feedback from seasonal and part-time workers helps identify areas of improvement. Use surveys and open communication channels to gather input from drivers about their experiences, and adjust policies accordingly.
Tip: Through Selerix Engage, HR teams can collect real-time feedback and monitor sentiment, ensuring seasonal workers’ voices are heard. This proactive approach fosters trust and strengthens the relationship between drivers and management.
With the right mix of customized benefits, ACA compliance, and effective engagement strategies, companies can create a seamless framework that supports every driver—whether they are full-time, part-time, or seasonal.
Building a Benefits Framework for Every Driver
Integrating part-time and seasonal drivers into your benefits framework is essential for building a well-rounded and resilient workforce, leading to improved retention and rehires, better operational efficiency, and increased compliance with ACA regulations.
A comprehensive benefits strategy also strengthens a fleet’s reputation as an employer of choice — attracting better talent but also building long-term loyalty, reinforcing the company’s brand as a caring, supportive employer. Positive experiences shared by seasonal drivers foster word-of-mouth referrals, making it easier to recruit top-quality candidates year after year.
With the right tools and strategy, trucking companies can build a benefits framework that ensures every employee—whether part-time, seasonal, or full-time — feels connected and supported.
Selerix’s flexible benefits platform and communication solutions empower companies to offer personalized, seamless experiences for all employees, maintaining engagement and driving long-term success. Discover how Selerix Engage, BenSelect, and ACA expertise can help you build a benefits strategy that supports every driver — no matter what their employment status is.
Contact us today for a tour of the Selerix platform and explore how we’ve partnered with transportation companies to create a culture where every driver feels valued, engaged, and empowered.
