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Volume 1 Issue 6 In
this issue: Study
links past traffic violations, future crashes Our
Sponsors
--------------------------------- Question
of the Day As
far as driver recruiting and retention are concerned, do you think the
trucking industry is heading in the right direction? •
Yes. While a shortage of drivers will probably always be a problem, the
industry continues to find new sources of drivers and new means to retain
the ones it has. •
No. The industry isn't doing nearly enough in terms of pay, benefits and
training to attract, train and retain good drivers. •
It's hard to say where the industry as a whole is heading because some
companies are going in the right direction and some aren't. Click Here to Vote In
our last newsletter, we asked readers the following question: When
it comes to recruiting new drivers, what do you consider the single most
effective selling tool? •
Competitive pay and benefits. When it comes to recruiting drivers,
nothing speaks louder than money. •
Good mileage, consistent freight. Drivers aren't stupid. If the
mileage isn't there, they know the money won't be there. •
Home time. More and more drivers are concerned about
quality-of-life issues, and getting home regularly is a top priority. •
Company culture. More than anything, drivers are looking for a
solid company that keeps its promises and treats them with respect. 0
percent
Note:
Inside Trucking polls are
surveys of those who choose to participate and are therefore not valid
statistical samples. Is
there a question regarding driver recruitment and retention you would like
to ask the trucking industry? Send suggestions to: phorner@otrprotrucker.com --------------------------------- Quote
of the Day "Seek
first to understand, then to be understood." --------------------------------- Contact:
What They're Saying About Us
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a combined monthly circulation of 250,000 backed by the best customer
service in the driver recruitment publishing business, Over the
Road and Pro Trucker magazines have an unequaled reputation
for producing results for our advertising clients. We began building
that reputation 25 years ago, and it continues today. But don't just
take our word for it. Here is what one of our newest clients had to
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Pro
Trucker, To learn more about Over the Road and Pro Trucker and how to put our team to work on your driver recruitment advertising needs, go to: www.otrprotrucker.com
is brought to you by Over the Road and Pro Trucker, the leaders in the driver recruitment publishing industry for nearly 25 years.
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My Point Retention Starts with Recruiting
Driver
retention can be described as a long journey between two distinct entities --
drivers on the one hand, carriers on the other. The two sides may embark
together, but it's not altogether clear whether or not they agree on the final
destination, let alone the best way to get there. Like any long journey, the
road they take together will be filled with unexpected ups and downs and
twists and turns. Depending on how well the journey starts, it's not
surprising that when they eventually come upon a fork in the road, carriers
may decide to go one way while drivers go the other. And thus they part ways,
adding yet another statistic to the trucking industry's alarming driver
turnover rate that hovers somewhere north of 100-percent on an annual basis. The
concept of driver retention may get lost at some point along the way, but
there's no question where the journey begins: at the recruiting stage. It's
obviously critical that both sides get off to a good start -- as the saying
goes, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Unfortunately,
in this business, both drivers and carriers seem to be in such a hurry to get
on the road that they don't take the time to get to know each other before
they hook up. The problem is compounded by the fact that drivers sometimes
show up at orientation with unrealistic expectations, while carriers are
sometimes guilty of fueling those expectations with unrealistic promises
during the recruiting process. Once
again, everything starts at the recruiting stage. In this issue of Inside
Trucking, contributing authors Troy Austin and Steve Whiting of T.A.W.
Recruiting Solutions focus on that defining moment in the retention process
when driver and carrier first meet. Austin and Whiting, who have more than 30
years of combined experience in recruiting, training and developing retention
programs, note in their article "Retaining Non-Comparable
Experience" (see below) that transitioning from one company to another
can be difficult for a driver under the best of circumstances. It's even
tougher when the driver is moving from a mom-and-pop operation to a big,
national carrier. Austin
and Whiting offer several tips on how carriers can smooth the transition,
starting, of course, at the recruiting stage. Before
signing off, we would like to thank our sponsors -- Transport Insurance, Over
the Road and Pro Trucker -- who
helped underwrite this issue of Inside
Trucking. We also appreciate the support of all of our readers and
encourage you to tell your colleagues about Inside
Trucking and sign them up for a complimentary subscription. The
more people we have involved in this retention communication link, the better
it will be for the entire industry. It takes people working with people to
solve common problems. As
always, we look forward to your feedback and how we can make Inside
Trucking even better. Remember, in the trucking industry, driver retention
is everyone's business.
--
Marvin Shefsky, Publisher/CEO
Retaining Non-Comparable Experience
By
Troy Austin and Steve Whiting OK, you are probably wondering what we mean by “non-comparable experience.” Let me start by explaining what “comparable experience” is. When hiring a truck driver in today’s market, some companies would prefer to hire someone who has experience comparable to their own company's rules and regulations. For example, say you own a reefer company that has 900 trucks, Qualcomm, a big safety department and a number of rules. Some of the rules would include check-in daily times, and how to deal with customers as well people in the office (payroll issues, logging, benefits, dispatch). We want to talk about rules and regulations. We already mentioned some rules. As for regulations, of course, we want to hire drivers who come from companies that have the same regulations such as drug screen programs, size of trailers, OTR experience and some kind of safety department. Are you penalizing drivers who work for small trucking companies? No, you are not. You're only penalizing drivers who are working for the non-compliant companies. That responsibility should fall on the driver. Having said all that, it might be difficult to retain a driver who has been working 10 years with a small mom-and-pop company. This company might have only five trucks, no Qualcomm and no call-in rules. The driver probably never had to deal with more than one or two people to get problems solved. In addition, this driver might have never been to an orientation in his or her life. Statistics show most drivers who come from very small companies last less than six weeks in a bigger, more complex company. First off, we don’t want readers of this article to think that we are suggesting not hiring this kind of driver just because he or she tends not to last long in a new environment. In fact, we are stating just the opposite. We are saying embrace and acclimate this driver. After all, this driver has already proven to be the kind of driver you are looking for, “ a retainable one.” At least, they were at their last company. Now, how do we make the transition? Here are some solutions: 1. “Retention starts at the recruiting level." Does this mean recruiting holds all the responsibility in retention? No, no, no. It simply means that this is where retention has its birth. First of all, if you have a well-trained recruiter, he or she will recognize most of these particular drivers when they come in the door and can alert the proper personnel so that they can be assisted. 2. "Driver liaisons” -- implement a driver liaison program. Try to assign someone to work with all the drivers who are coming from small trucking companies. For example, the liaisons should be in contact with these particular drivers daily to identify any problems the driver may have with the transition. (This includes logging, safety, Qualcomm and dealing with too many people). In fact, the liaison should be introduced the very same day the driver is approved to come to orientation. (The sooner they bond the better). This will give the driver a sense of cooperation. This could possibly help a driver who just needs help with the transition. 3. “ Training” -- implement a special experienced driver-training program. Ask the driver if he or she would like to accompany another driver while being acclimated into the company. (One week should do it). If they agree, they should be assigned to a driver who has been well instructed. This driver should not treat the new driver as a student. In fact, the recruit is not “a student driver,” even though they are a student of the company. They deserve the respect of an experienced driver. Remember, this driver might have more experience than the driver training him. He should be taught how to properly handle his paperwork, logs and shown how to use Qualcomm. Statistics show that drivers who are accompanied by an experienced company driver become more retainable drivers. They are also are more productive, which means they make more money. 4. “Orientation” -- try implementing an “extra day” of orientation. This should be done by the driver liaison. They should cover everything that is new to the driver. (This will include orientation prep, logs, Qualcomm, how to deal with the people in the company and communications, and so on). This will help relieve the stress that they will be feeling. Just think of taking a country boy and moving him into New York City. If he does not have someone showing him the ropes, he will be back in the country before the end of the week, and so will your driver if you don’t make the transition simple. As we all know, there isn’t just one answer to a company’s retention problems. A company has a lot of options in reducing its turnovers, but they must first evaluate their current retention program. After an evaluation is done, the company can determine what options it needs to implement to reach its goals. Troy
Austin and Steve Whiting, owners of T.A.W. Recruiting Solutions, have more than 30 years of combined experience in recruiting and
training. T.A.W. works with companies all over the United States and Canada,
training their recruiting departments and implementing their retention
programs. You can contact them at: www.recruitingproblems.com.
Diesel
fuel prices, which reached an all-time record high in October, are on the
mind of everyone involved in the trucking industry these days. How are those
on the front lines of the fuel crises-- over-the-road professionals --
coping with the situation? To find out, Over
the Road and Pro Trucker asked a random sample of drivers the following
question: How
are high fuel prices impacting you? Here
are some of the responses: "I
get a surcharge from the company I’m leased to, and that helps, but it
still impacts me. I just bought a new truck. I was getting six miles to the
gallon, but now I'm getting five miles to the gallon because of the EPA
restrictions. So I lost a mile a gallon. I'm burning more fuel and we’re
supposed to be getting cleaner emissions? It doesn't add up, and it's coming
out of my pocket. Every time the government gets involved in something, it
costs me money."
--
Mark Leggu, 52, Grove City, OH Professional
driving experience: 25 years "The
cost of fuel keeps going up while the freight rates stay the same. Of course
that has to impact me. What can you do? You can start by turning down cheap
freight. It’s gotten to the point where there are too many companies
trying to cut each other's throats. It's killing the trucking industry and
the truckers are paying for it."
--
Mark Worline, 40, Holland, MI Professional
driving experience: 13 years "It's
impacting me just like it's impacting everyone else. When the price of fuel
goes up, the cost of milk and everything else goes up as the cost is passed
down to the consumer. The general public does not understand that concept.
We see it first because we're burning hundreds of gallons of fuel every
week. If the public understood the situation better, I think they would get
behind the trucking industry and try to get these fuel rates regulated so we
don't have these spikes that just kill us."
--
Carl Shoemaker, 58, Rock Island, TN Professional
driving experience: 22 years How well do you know truck drivers? If you're a recruiting or safety director and you've been in this business any length of time, you have no doubt met hundreds if not thousands of drivers, but how well do you really KNOW them? What's their favorite music? What's their favorite fast-food restaurant? How do they take their coffee? How many times have you heard drivers say that they want to be "treated like a person, not a number"? To find out more about the "person" inside the cab, Atlas Van Lines recently asked their operators a series of whimsical questions concerning life on the road. "Our annual survey is designed to be a fun way to show emerging trends and preferences on the driving side of the relocation industry," says Greg Hoover, Atlas senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "These are the opinions of an extremely hard working group of men and women." Following are some questions and results, based on a sample of 125 respondents. When I'm on the road and I have the radio on, most likely I'm listening to: (exceeds 100% due to multiple responses) 34% - Country 30% - Classic 60s, 70s & 80s 30% - Satellite Radio (XM, Sirius, etc.) 15% - National Public Radio or Talk Radio 13% - Rock and Roll No other music received more than 5%. When you're on the road, which of the following do you use? (exceeds 100% due to multiple responses) 96% - Cell phone 56% - CB radio 20% - Laptop 1% - Pager How do you like your coffee? 35% - Leaded (Sugar and Cream) 24% - Regular (Black) 12% - Premium (Cream Only) 6% - High Test (Sugar Only) What's your favorite pastime when you're not working? 54% - Hang out with family/friends 22% - Go hunting or fishing 16% - Have a relaxing dinner 11% - No contest…sleep! 9% - Go to a movie 6% - Go to a sporting event 5% - Work on house/yard 3% - Motorcycling 2% - Golf 2% - Work on/restore vehicles 12% - Other Which antacid gets rid of heartburn the quickest? 23% - Rolaids 20% - Tums 11% - Zantac 75 9% - Pepto-Bismol 9% - Pepcid AC What is your favorite fast food restaurant? 26% - Subway 19% - Wendy's 17% - Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) 9% - Arby's 6% - McDonald's 6% - Burger King 5% - Taco Bell For complete survey results, visit www.atlasworldgroup.com/survey Study links past traffic violations, future crashes Driver
recruiters and safety directors trying to weed the "bad
apples" out of their potential pool of new hires might be wise to
read a study recently released by the American Transportation Research
Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research
organization. The ATRI's “crash predictor” study evaluates and links
past driver traffic violations and convictions with their likelihood of
that driver being involved in a crash. The study also shows what
enforcement and education programs are best to address potential or
current driver behavior problems. “We
know driver-related factors are involved to a large degree in crashes
involving large trucks,” says ATRI Chairman Jim Staley (YRC Regional
Transportation). "Our research now gives us an early warning
system, so to speak, where motor carriers can intervene when necessary
within their driver force to improve and make a profound impact on
safety behavior.” The
ATRI research analyzed data on 540,750 drivers gathered over a
three-year time frame to determine future crash predictability. A second
objective, in conjunction with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA),
was to identify effective enforcement actions to counteract the driving
behaviors predictive of future crash involvement. ATRI’s
study, "Predicting Truck Crash Involvement: Developing a Commercial
Driver Behavior-Based Model and Recommended Countermeasures," shows
reckless driving and improper turn violations as the two violations
associated with the highest increase in the likelihood of a future
crash. The four convictions
with the highest likelihood of a future crash are: improper or erratic
lane change; failure to yield right of way; improper turn; and failure
to maintain a proper lane. According to the study, when a driver
receives a conviction for one of these behaviors, the likelihood of a
future crash increases between 91 percent and 100 percent. In a summary
of all crash data analyzed, reckless driving violations prompt the
highest likelihood of a future crash. The
ATRI also unveiled its list of the top-10 critical issues facing U.S.
truckers. The high cost of diesel fuel and the driver shortage were the
leading issues in ATRI’s survey of more than 2,000 trucking industry
executives, double the ranking of other issues. Source:
ATRI, ATA
Driver Training: Is 10 Hours Enough? A
federal appeals court appears ready to overturn a Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration rule that sets minimum driver training
requirements at 10 hours -- with none of those hours required to be
behind the wheel. The advocacy group Public Citizen, which filed a
petition against the 2004 rules, stated that they lacked substance and
should be rewritten. The rule marks the first time the federal
government has set minimum standards for commercial driver training. The
Clinton administration began work on the rule after a number of truck
crashes were blamed on poorly trained commercial drivers. It wasn’t
until last year, however, that the proposal became law. Many
trucking groups, such as the American Trucking Associations, praised the
rule. However, in a rare meeting of minds, the Owner-Operator
Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) sided with Public Citizen,
saying that the standards should be set higher. “Drivers
ought to be required to undergo training in how to drive a truck,”
says Paul Cullen Jr., the attorney leading OOIDA’s driver training
rule challenge. OOIDA members “drive on the road, and they would like
a safe driving atmosphere, number one. And number two, we have long
complained about the increasing amount of rules on truck drivers,
penalties, inspections, etc. And it all seems to be part of a rulemaking
regime that allows anybody to get a CDL.” Source:
Roemer Report
Award Programs: More Harm Than Good? Maybe
it's time to rethink those Driver-of-the-Month programs that so many
carriers use to honor exceptional employees and contractors. According
to author Tom Terez, there is ample evidence that suggests that
extrinsic motivators, such as employee-of-the-month programs and awards
to “high performers,” do more harm than good when it comes to
motivating people. The problem with these approaches is that it
typically rewards a select group of employees, so that everyone else
(the majority of employees) ends up feeling like losers, even the people
who worked just as hard. “People
will do a good job when they have a good job to do, the freedom to do
it, a compelling vision that moves everyone in a common direction, and
the support they need to get the job done,” writes Tom Terez, author
of "22 Keys to Creating a Meaningful Workplace." Terez says
that the type of reward that resonates most is “genuine, down-to-earth
appreciation.”
Defense Department Seeking Transportation Paternership O’Fallon, IL – The
Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking partnership with a commercial
transportation services coordinator to increase visibility over
Department freight shipments within the DoD’s current freight movement system is decentralized and less than optimal. Defense officials believe partnering with a world-class transportation provider will increase shipment visibility, allowing for load consolidation, more use of cost efficient inter-modal solutions and improved reliability for most types of freight shipments. Certain categories of material like munitions would not be included in the partnership arrangement. Establishing
partnership with a transportation management services provider mirrors a
growing trend in industry where companies are turning to professional
providers to increase efficiency across their supply chain.
A study by “Coordinating
management of DoD freight shipments in the DoD has established a
project office near Scott Air Force Base in Current planning calls for a phased implementation of DTCI with initial contract award expected in October 2006. Full implementation of the Initiative is expected by late 2009. Additional information about the Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative is available online at http://dtci.transcom.mil
Inside Trucking is freely distributed by the publishers of Over the Road and Pro Trucker magazines as a service to help our clients strengthen their driver recruiting and retention efforts. |
