TQM and Driver Issues meeting this weekend

I'm going to be heading to Des Moines for the TQM and Driver Issues meeting this weekend. Can't wait.... Actually my truck needs some work and I've got to trade some securement gear so it's a trip that needs to be taken. I'll write up what the TQM class is like and what the Driver Issues meeting is like although I'm fairly certain I already have a good idea how both will be. I've got a laundry list of stuff to address and it will be nice to get a better feel for how their system works in the TQM classes. Kind of excited although the prospect of wasting a weekend in the snake pit kind of sucks. I actually had plans to do some yard work with explosives this weekend, guess that will have to wait until the following weekend.

 

I fully expect this weeked to be my last, I've got absolutely no problem whatsover speaking up and asking questions. I'm going to take the suggestion someone here made about TMC paying for the TWIC up front and only taking the money back if you leave before a year or some type of variation. Hell I'd even pay up front if they agreed to pay $20 a month until the cost was reimbursed and if I leave before it's paid off the balance is my problem. I'll be sure to ask my questions in a way that requires an answer, and I'm not going to put up with the "toolbox" explanation either.

 

It worked out pretty well. I asked all of my questions minus one that I forgot to write down about the idle time calculations. The issues meeting really impressed me, the company staff were very polite and listened to everything we had to say. Not sure what I expected but I was pleasantly surprised by how receptive they were to suggestions, questions and the like. I asked if the company could institute a more reasonable compromise with regard to paying for the TWIC, something along the lines of the driver paying up front and the company reimbursing the cost at $20/mo. until the cost is paid for or until the driver leaves. Damon Gehrels said that they are currently trying to put together a certification incentive that would be something along the lines of if a driver has HazMat/TWIC/PassCard they would get points toward their certification. This is a reasonable compromise and the day it's implemented I will get my TWIC. Like I said I was very impressed with how reasonable and attentive they were during the issues meeting, nothing has given me a better impression of TMC than this mornings meeting. Issues brought up by myself or other drivers were the new craptacular bungies which seem to be on the chopping block, HazMat reimbursement, TWIC, swapping out and getting crap gear and a couple of other minor issues. The safety meeting centered around overweights and avoidable accidents. I'm sure I'm leaving a couple of things out but today was information overload.

 

One of the drivers at the meeting brought in some of his "new" style bungees and mentioned that they were not retaining their size or elasticity which has been my experience with them as well. They are kind of thin and once you have to give them a good stretch to secure a tarp they have a tendency to hold that length and lose a lot of their stretchiness. I got the impression from the company side reps the meeting that they were aware of the problem and looking into switching back to the other style of bungee.

 

Definitely Joe, the TQM class was excellent and Joe K is still giving it. You're right he does kind of look like the monopoly guy and he talks a little like Joe Lieberman. They didn't have the OOR class this weekend although it was scheduled. Joe did a good job of explaining the OOR and mine is under 5% so I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. TQM should definitely be done sooner rather than later, especially if you are on % which I'm switching too next week. I was surprised and pleased at the level of courtesy they extended the drivers who had issues to bring to the table, I got the impression that they were in the process of addressing several of the issues and I'm going to be optimistic that they are addressing them for the time being. I got a phone call about 15 minutes ago asking if I had a chance to get to the TWIC today and I explained that I would be the first person in line when the program that was discussed in the issues meeting was implemented and I meant it. I'm sure I'll be hearing back about that though.