My thoughts on what I would do if I were in charge...
First, I would look at recruiting and training like it was dead head miles and try to eliminate as much driver turnover as possible. And here is how I would do it....
Johnny Cash said to other musicians that there is nothing wrong with any of us that a #1 hit song won't cure....
In our business there is nothing wrong that MILES of loaded freight won't cure. If we were kept busy we wouldn't have time to read and write in message forums and check our records for errors....etc.
So my first move would be to do what Harvey McCay did in his business and wrote about in the classical business book "How to Swim with the Sharks without being Eaten Alive"
Harvey put a sign over the door at his employment department that said "if you know where we can get more business, come on in."
That would be on a billboard for all company employees to read when they came to work and turned on Panther Driver. It would also have a psychological effect of putting everyone on alert that their job was replaceable by anyone who could get more freight for the company.
I would close half of the recruiting and training staff and move them over to make calls and find more freight so drivers don't sit for an average of 2 and a half days for every load.
Next, there wouldn't be a "driver appreciation day" instead, company employees could just sit a week in their car in the parking lot. They could have some water and crackers and a milk jug to pee in. And they should go straight to work looking like hell to remind everyone what it's like to be a driver. Ok... so a week is kinda harsh.... let's let them off with a weekend every 3 months. I'm SURE they would appreciate drivers after that.
Next, I would improve the eyesight of the payroll department by randomly withholding half their paycheck once a month so they get a reality check on what it's like to have pros put on hold when bills need to be covered.
Finally I would remind everyone that we are not the Post Office. I designed and built and sold and shipped 100 roofing hoist over the internet and they were cheaper to ship through the Post Office... but they didn't deliver them... they would get them to the local Post Office and notify my customer to come pick them up. Since drivers have to deliver the freight ALL the way, door to door, there is no reason for anyone else doing a partial job. We can't say... we got the load to the customer's city... that's good enough. The folks in payroll and accounting and recruiting need to find out why the deductions on my weekly settlement doesn't match my contract... and why so many numbers keep getting changed from what is sent over qualcomm and email... and fix it. That would be professional.
And finally finally.... drivers like me need to stop complaining and instead, wash our trucks, kick the tires and watch the sunset and remind ourselves that life is more exciting from a truck seat in a Walmart parking lot!
First, I would look at recruiting and training like it was dead head miles and try to eliminate as much driver turnover as possible. And here is how I would do it....
Johnny Cash said to other musicians that there is nothing wrong with any of us that a #1 hit song won't cure....
In our business there is nothing wrong that MILES of loaded freight won't cure. If we were kept busy we wouldn't have time to read and write in message forums and check our records for errors....etc.
So my first move would be to do what Harvey McCay did in his business and wrote about in the classical business book "How to Swim with the Sharks without being Eaten Alive"
Harvey put a sign over the door at his employment department that said "if you know where we can get more business, come on in."
That would be on a billboard for all company employees to read when they came to work and turned on Panther Driver. It would also have a psychological effect of putting everyone on alert that their job was replaceable by anyone who could get more freight for the company.
I would close half of the recruiting and training staff and move them over to make calls and find more freight so drivers don't sit for an average of 2 and a half days for every load.
Next, there wouldn't be a "driver appreciation day" instead, company employees could just sit a week in their car in the parking lot. They could have some water and crackers and a milk jug to pee in. And they should go straight to work looking like hell to remind everyone what it's like to be a driver. Ok... so a week is kinda harsh.... let's let them off with a weekend every 3 months. I'm SURE they would appreciate drivers after that.
Next, I would improve the eyesight of the payroll department by randomly withholding half their paycheck once a month so they get a reality check on what it's like to have pros put on hold when bills need to be covered.
Finally I would remind everyone that we are not the Post Office. I designed and built and sold and shipped 100 roofing hoist over the internet and they were cheaper to ship through the Post Office... but they didn't deliver them... they would get them to the local Post Office and notify my customer to come pick them up. Since drivers have to deliver the freight ALL the way, door to door, there is no reason for anyone else doing a partial job. We can't say... we got the load to the customer's city... that's good enough. The folks in payroll and accounting and recruiting need to find out why the deductions on my weekly settlement doesn't match my contract... and why so many numbers keep getting changed from what is sent over qualcomm and email... and fix it. That would be professional.
And finally finally.... drivers like me need to stop complaining and instead, wash our trucks, kick the tires and watch the sunset and remind ourselves that life is more exciting from a truck seat in a Walmart parking lot!
