Help me PLEASE!! Turning around a trucking business

Regarding your drivers.

I to am seen as being to soft on my drivers.
They also nearly all owe me money.
However when we work on projects with other companies my drivers have always out performed the other trucking companies.
The difference I see is that my drivers know the envelope they must operate with in.
The parameters are defined and they know everything is monitored constantly.
If there is any anomaly it is handled immediately.
No need to scream and shout , simply ask driver to help you understand why things are the way they are.
There may be real reasons but let the drivers know you check everything.
When they say the road was closed , check est.
The word will spread that you aren't easily BS'd.
Be forgiving on mistakes but ruthless with thieves and habitual liars.
Don't accept BS in any form.
Get good real time sat tracking units on all your trucks use them to the full.
Know what is happening in your business hour by hour.
Remember you can't control anything you can't measure.
This may sound a bit like being a control freak but the opposite is in fact true.
The drivers that are able to perform and think for them self's thrive.
Let them run the business with in your rules.
Although you monitor everything the good ones need very little interference and can be left to get on with the job.
They understand the job and what it takes to get it done.
By not setting limits,goals and boundaries you are doing the drivers a disservice.
They need to be able to monitor their performance.
The good ones need it to be obvious that they are good.
The bad drivers then stick out like a sore thumb and leave.

 

Pay hub miles and pay minimum wage for loading and un loading. Also make them call it in.

Set the trucks at 65mph and install apu's if your in the south.

Get them moving, if your driver is sitting your wasting time. GET THE FREIGHT.

If you do that and you still have a bunch of Barneys cut them loose.

 

Tiffy, I feel your pain. I started my company a year and a half ago and grew it to six trucks very quickly and am kicking myself in the butt for doing it. The drivers have drained me out. We have so much to worry about as owners with the regulations, logs, fuel taxes etc. We ask them to do simple things to help out, write down mileage in each state they drive, log their trips accurately and they just do not do it. I read them on these blogs talking about the lousy companies they drive for and just shake my head in amazement. I am sure there are alot of excellent drivers out there as I felt I was, but I haven't been able to find them. They need to look in the mirror and realize they have to change to make this business work. My drivers average over $1,000 per week in gross pay on 2,500 miles and they are home or through there homes weekly. Still can't find good ones. If you read my blogs you could see how excited I was when I started my own company but now I am selling 4 trucks and only keeping the one I drive and the one the only good driver I could find drives. Tiffy it is not you that is the problem, keep your chin up. It is the lousy quality of people that get behind the wheel that is the problem. I do not mean every driver I know there are some great ones unfortunately I have been not lucky enough to meet one. Good luck!!

 

Will talk again whenever you're available, I will assist as much as I can. Turning around this is not difficult.

 

There is a lot of good truckers out there. You found some in this and other chats. You do not have to look to far. Look for the big hearted ones who love to work. And that take pride in everthing they do. Never judge a book by its cover, you may miss what is not seen at frist glance. Stand back and take a better look on what is in side that person. You maybe quite suprized on what you missed the frist time you looked.

 

One more thing to look for in a driver is job history. Not so much on where they worked, but how long they worked there. You don't want a job hopper.

And kudos to you for getting CDL. The ability to do the job yourself will make you more successful.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

 

No matter if you love the industry & the trucks you have got to get a grip on this. The fact that you don't even have a reasonable solution other than posting here is of major concern.

You need a top to bottom overhaul of your business and if you can't do it or you don't know where to start, get out. Not trying to be sarcastic, but given the information you provided I think the best bet is to sell the trucks and go back to farming. You seemed to be successful with that... Sorry

 

Call NATSO or ooida they have help full tool too

 

That's an excellent step! Get it and get out on the road with someone for a few weeks to see how it is. No better experience, no better schooling. Don't worry about being too small. There are small female drivers posting videos all over YouTube about their "adventures".