It's a Team's Life

Making Decisions

Making Decisions

In the truck driving universe and in particular the expedite trucking world, decisions are being made all day, every day. Decisions such as which loads to take, which routes to drive, when to get maintenance done on the truck or even when to go home.

Making decisions is a fundamental human skill that can be improved with structured approaches, self-awareness, and practice. Clarify the decision by determining what type of decision it is. For example, is it a routine or high-stakes decision. Quick choices like what to eat rely on habits or intuition. Decisions on equipment changes require investing time in analysis. Is the decision easy to undo or not? If it is, have fun experimenting. If not, be more cautious. Is it an individual decision or is a group involved? Watch out for groupthink or biases.

Once the decision is clarified, information needs to be gathered. Research facts. Use data, expert opinions, or past experiences. Ask why. Avoid over-researching, which can lead to analysis paralysis. Think of the worst case scenario and how to prevent or recover from such a scenario. This makes scary decisions feel manageable. Some people fear regretting a decision made or not made. Will you regret NOT doing something more than failing? If you freeze when trying to make decisions, set a timer for two minutes and write down the pros and cons as they come to you. Or, flip a coin. If you wanted heads but ended up with tails, then you know which outcome you wanted. Finally, if it’s a major decision, ask three people you respect what they would do in the same situation. You should still do what feels right to you; however, others can give you new ways of thinking through the decision.

There are decisions that we make that can affect us over the long term too.  Deciding to buy a new truck versus keeping the old truck for one or more years can have a financial impact both on the business and personal life. Think about how a decision will make you feel over the next 10 minutes, 10 months or 10 years.  This instantly kills short-term emotion and reveals long-term impact.

Put decisions in virtual boxes. The boxes could be labeled as “Urgent”, “Not Urgent”, “Important-Do Now-Schedule”, and “Not Important-Delegate-Delete.” Keep track of the decisions you make by writing them down in a journal. Look back on your journal entries several months later to see possible blind spots such as crutches you use to make your decisions. 

There is a say that tells us, “Do not go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.” Do not make decisions when hungry, angry, lonely, tired or mentally incapacitated. Wait 24 hours. Sleep changes everything. 

Remember, no decision is perfect—focus on progress over perfection.

Here’s to millions of safe, profitable and DECISIVE miles.

Kelly Plumb