e-news for trucking recruitment, retention, and human resource professionals
Nov 2009
 
Quote of the Day With all the discussion going on about the Great Recession and the Great Debate regarding the best way to stimulate the ailing economy, we thought a quote attributed to a long-deceased Irish wit and writer was appropriate: “If all the economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion.” |
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By Marvin Shefsky  If you talk to management at most trucking companies and ask them what they are doing to improve the health, wellness and lifestyle of their drivers, they will typically tell you they are “doing all they can do.” They’re right … if they confine their thinking to what they’ve always done. After all, they’re a trucking company, that’s what they know, and right now they’re scrambling to find freight while holding down costs any way possible. Health and wellness programs for drivers? Who has time or money for that when you’re busy putting out fires every time you turn around? Fair enough, but a little “thinking outside the box” every once in a while couldn’t hurt. Here’s an idea: How about launching a “healthy driver” mentoring program in which the 30 percent or so of your drivers who are in shape, eat right, exercise regularly and have figured out how to lead a healthy lifestyle on the road “mentor” or “coach” the 70 percent of your drivers who are overweight, out of shape and headed for disaster? I know, I know. Most drivers are lone wolves. The last thing they want is someone telling them what to do. But what if the advice came not from a corporate “suit” behind a desk but from one of their own – fellow drivers who know what’s it like to be out on the road because they’ve been there, done that and are still doing it every day? And what if the company added an incentive every driver can appreciate – a cash bonus to mentors and those mentored for achieving specific goals?  How would the program work? There are many possibilities and each company should develop a specific program that works best for their particular situation, but here’s one scenario: Hold weigh-ins for participants at the terminal, after which each mentor is assigned five drivers. Each pound a driver loses, the driver and the mentor earn $2.50. If each of the mentor’s assigned drivers loses 10 pounds in a specified time period (six months, a year, whatever), the mentor earns a $125 bonus and the drivers all earn $25 (or a plaque, jacket or some other award). To earn the bonus, the mentor serves as sort of a one-person support group/personal trainer/motivator to each of his or her drivers, answering their questions about health and wellness, advising them on food choices, encouraging them to exercise and generally making themselves available via cell phone as needed. The drivers benefit by losing weight and picking up a little cash along the way. And the company benefits by having a happier, healthier fleet of drivers while potentially recouping the expense through lower insurance premiums and higher driver production. That’s what we call a win-win-win situation. Of course, it won’t be easy. The company will have to “sell” the program to mentors and drivers, the mentors and drivers will have to buy into it, and each company will have to work out details to fit their particular situation. On the other hand, the alternative – doing nothing and letting the health and productivity of a large percentage of your drivers continue to go downhill – is far worse. The “healthy driver” mentoring program is just one idea to boost the well-being of drivers. Joining the Healthy Trucking Association of America (healthytruck.org) is another. Likewise, Driver HEALTH, our new driver recruitment magazine, is filled with informative and innovative articles geared toward driver health and wellness. When it comes to drivers’ health, the “same old, same old” just isn’t working. It’s time for everyone to think outside the box. -- Marvin Shefsky, Publisher/CEO
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Ask us about the official publication of the HTAA -- Driver HEALTH magazine!
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