Help me PLEASE!! Turning around a trucking business

Treating employees and business partners like family is the kiss of death. You made the number one worst fatal mistake in Trucking. This is a tough business and you're running it like a boy scout troop.

My advice is to hire the meanest, toughest and most experienced manager you can find. Someone with no feelings who could curse at the Pope and kick little dogs on cue. A real company man who can fire and hire real drivers. You hired sissy-boys and you managed them like a sissy-boy. Get out of the picture and get a mean clean up man in the picture. Clean house, tighten your drivers up and start running a trucking company with discipline.

NOW.

Because it may already be too late- you started out all wrong.

 

"more miles than they should" ? illegal?? that is a big no no, something happens they and/ or you can go to jail or be sued. a good driver needs only to be told the rules for the company and where to go. as a professional , I have a co. cell phone ,do my check calls as required, drive legal,(it's my CDL,not the co.). ask me when I can get it there and I will tell them straight up. you need prof drivers. truck has no gov, runs wide open. helps get there on time. tracking ? nope, ask and I'll tell ya where I am, got nothing to hide. routing? not needed, I call for directions on their phone and then get my map out. old school, no GPS.lol

 

you could hire me to help run business---aint nobody going to be wasting fuel or sleeping in then--that is bs--if the drivers truck is not producing a profit then it is time to take drastic measures--either can him/anti idle and dropped speed would work as well

 

anti idle ? not if I drive it. heat and air are on in my house and my truck when in sleeper. this ain't a camping trip in a pup tent. poor sleep = unsafe driver.

 

# 1 rule about being a boss and running a business in general to remember, if your not making money, you cant pay bills, meet payroll. You stated you have a few good drivers who are doing their job and respecting the boss who writes their paycheck.
Then wouldnt you think you owe it to good ones to get rid of the bad ones. They not only jeapordize your business but also put in jeapardy the paychecks that the good drivers and their familys depend on. Hire a good manager, but first get rid of the bad drivers, NOW!!! Put ads in news papers maybe in a 40 50 mile radius and hire new ones. Make sure they understand whats expected of them and put them in a truck. Expect to have a fairly high turnover for a while untill the cream rises to the top.
This is not a concept that is unique to truck industry but any business in general.
Be a hardass but be fair and in time you will have a good group you can count on.
Good Luck.
b

 

OK I'll put mine in. first off we need to know where you are that you are having trouble finding drivers. second you ain't no boss! you need someone who knows what the business is and makes it run. second what kind of freight? that they are home every night and week end? and most importantly what were you thinking getting into a business that you had no clue what you were doing? sorry for being harsh but it feels as if thats what you needed and your drivers definitely need it.

 

3X the time to get to their destination as what Mapquest says it should take. Ya, I would say they are stopping at all the coffee shops and having a gab to their friends.

#1. Do you have a stat in these trucks, if not fire the one who take the longest and scare the crap out of the others. Put a idea shut off on the truck to save fuel. And record the mileage and fuel spent. I bet they are ripping you off big time.

problems with guys sleeping-in, missing load times, calling in ALL OF TIME!

#2. Fire the one who sleeping-in, missing load times all the time.

All hired from word-of-mouth

#3. Never hire from word of mouth. the buddy club is now in your house, time to find the trouble maker and evict them for good.

Many of the guys have borrowed money and I doubt I will ever see it again.

#4. Did start a loan company or a trucking business. If it is a trucking business, then cut your losses and throw out the trash.


That is my two cents

 

set trucks at 65mph. have driver turn off truck when out in it. have drivers call in at each stop to keep track of them. give routing to drivers. call in or miss 2 loads give time off to thank about there job. if you have loads that driver can be home daily and weekends post in craigslist. a lot of drivers like home time. if a driver is do a great job at the end of munth, give them a gift card to wal-mart or some where to eat. we all like free stuff.

 

You are in Appleton? You should be able to find decent drivers in that area. What kinda of trailers do you pull and how do you pay?