What do drivers really want from their companies?

1. Money
2. Trust- for some reason, all companies seem to think that the best way to "support" their drivers is by handholding. Put them in a POS truck and fill the truck with cattleprods to remind him to brake and following distance, and tattles on him whenever possible.
Do not deceive yourself: SAFETY is a bigger priority to me than it is to you office types. I wouldn't even consider putting an idiot in a truck. You guys hire them in droves and think that your POS cattleprod truck will make the idiot safe to employ. You try to stupidproof truckin and then you're in shock when you are sitting as a defendant in a courtroom. You guys knew that guy was stupid when he showed up for orientation.

"But Six, it is so hard to find quality drivers. Didn't you know, there's a shortage?"

Steal a quality driver from another company. It's real easy to do. Offer him a better wage, and a truck without cattleprods. Find drivers that do good work for other companies and offer them a sweeter deal. They will come. Your safety record will be much better, your customers much happier, your trucks less expensive, less lawsuits, better paying frieght. Win win situation.

Or you all can continue to do the same stupid plan that every other company whose bread and butter is to hire morons and try to stupidproof them.

 

If your a manager of a small fleet, then you should know this already.

 

@TripleSix - I am new here with an account but have been reading here for years. You Sir, should be running a Fortune 500 company. Or maybe you are - wouldn't surprise me one bit. Awesome answer.

 

Maybe just ask your drivers what they think.

 

A Hot Tub and coffee maker....

 

Enough information to deal with shippers and recievers on the fly when dispatchers and main office is closed for the day.

Salary equal to a full 70 hours across the fleet.

Maintenance without having to visit the burning bush to get it done. Or argue about the broken truck from shop seeking to assign blame etc.

A dispatch system that actually uses any actionable information you give them. For example you are going to need a new appt time because you don't have the hours today to quite make the customer legally. When one is ignored by dispatch then that driver begins to look for another company pretty much that day on. You probably have lost him or her or them (Team) and don't know it yet.

A decent no BS group of shippers and receivers. I can share one Arkansas Reefer Company here that really was good. But they morphed and showed a split personality with very specific customers that happened to be blood family. I had a load of paint running a hour and 20 minutes early into Little Rock, across from the Yards. I took 40 of that for food in Petro. Come back to the truck to proceed to customer 20 minutes away I find a stack of qualcomms, you moving yet?

Comes to find out the reciever was family of the owner of the trucking company. They want Wall Street Level Service with Gold Bullion to Fort Knox and white glove service etc. I was there on time. But they died a thousand deaths while I took care of breakfast after a 1000 mile overnight as the appointment time bled off their computers approaching 8 blessed am.

If you as a driver, are smart, you will completely avoid those kinds of loads. Where it's a crime to have a meal.

I can go on. But I think there is a percentage of about 12000 posts filled with stories of this and that.

Ive finally learned to stick with McKesson. Million dollar loads emptied no touch in a few minutes reload for memphis waste cardboard in a hour and repeat when arrive at Memphis anywhere east of Denver. Everything falls into place when you are around loads like that without the stress, BS, heartache or investigation over that stupid breakfast that one morning.

 

well i guess i could start with things about my own job that i dont like
1. $10 for detention pay. this is less then minimum wage in ny state. thankfully i dont go to plants very often so i dont personally have to deal with it. if i did i would likely leave.
2. lousy health insurance. my wife works in a hospital so i do not need my company's health insurance..... but it is bad, very bad $900 per month family plan with a $5,800 deductible. if i needed health insurance i would likely look elsewhere for work.
3. lack of holiday pay, work Christmas for no additional pay.
4. not always get paid for everything i do.... work is sometimes added without additional pay.
5. dented up, filthy equipment, particularly the trailers they never get washed..... ever. they look like crap. the owner doesnt care about the image. trailers have dented up fenders and skins that never get fixed properly. equipment is maintained only to the point of legal and safe operation, cosmetically the equipment is in a sad state.
6. not much for retirement. a 401K that you can get into after 1 year with a measly 3% match.

the good where i work?
1. consistent money, never laid off
2. they do grant me days off when i need them
3. home everyday
4. a route that i am familiar with
5. boss usually leaves me alone. i pickup my route and go home.

 

I went to the page. I’m not giving you my email addy.

I’m just guessing

1. Equipment that works
2. Respect
3. Fair days pay for a fair days work
4. Acknowledgement that you have a life other than behind the wheel
5. Pay for DM’s, shippers, receivers, and DOT wasting the drivers time