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According to some studies, "work-life balance" is now the single most important key to job selection for young (21- to 30-year-old) employees, ranking ahead of compensation. Can the trucking industry still attract drivers among this group?
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"A good manager is a man who isn't worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him. My advice: Don't worry about yourself. Take care of those who work for you and you'll float to greatness on their achievements. "
-- H.S.M. Burns, American businessman, president of Shell Oil
GPS: From Big Brother to Big Mama
When global positioning systems (GPS) were first introduced on a widespread basis to the trucking industry, many drivers considered them an invasion of privacy. Now, a few years later, carriers and drivers alike consider GPS not only a valuable work tool, but a driver retention tool as well.
While some drivers still worry about the “Big Brother” aspect of GPS, many more are finding they can’t do without it. Global tracking these days is primarily intended to make drivers’ lives easier. The goal is to lighten drivers’ administrative duties (like filling in logbooks) and provide other features, such as routing options, that drivers find useful and even necessary.
Even better from a carrier's standpoint, the cost of GPS is dropping.
“The product is constantly evolving, and with technology evolving so fast, it drives down the price of the devices,” says the vice president of sales and marketing of Prophesy Transportation Solutions. “Two years ago they were twice as expensive.”
What’s the future hold for GPS? Companies are constantly trying to develop new technologies that “deliver driver productivity as well as life enhancement,” according to the president of GeoLogic Solutions. One company plans to release software that tracks mileage by state, helping drivers do fuel tax reports. Another possible technology is a hard-mounted device that monitors braking and other driver functions that is tied into a J-1708 port, the same port that monitors the engine or checks the odometer.
Much of the GPS technology is intended to boost driver retention. One system, for example, includes an integrated transceiver/antenna that can automatically switch between cellular and satellite communications without intervention by driver or dispatcher. The product can also be used to view videos or family pictures.
Source: Roemer Report. Used with permission.
