Drivers: Your Unsupported Assets

Somewhere between fear of liability and pride in operating a good trucking company, this industry has developed excellent means to take care of equipment. Exceptional diagnostic systems let you monitor the performance and condition of your vehicles, even while they’re on the move. When a truck needs service, there are shops open 24 hours a day. Government agencies across the country are investing more resources into policing the fitness and operation of trucks.

The expected results are positive: more productive vehicles and a higher degree of safety. That is, so long as your commitment to support and develop your drivers is as disciplined as your company’s commitment to take care of its tractors.

Think about what does happen. Much effort is invested in acquiring new tractors and new drivers. Valuable time is spent preparing these assets to successfully join the operation. But then the level of day-to-day commitment often starts to change, and in not so subtle ways. The best example is reflected in the resources a truck fleet dedicates to the ongoing care of these assets after they’ve been acquired.

Tractors are given a dedicated building where the sole purpose is taking care of trucks. Inside that building are some of the company’s best computers and top-line equipment specifically designed to maintain those assets. By law, the fleet is obligated to staff these buildings with highly skilled tradespeople who spend entire careers caring for tractors.

Fleets commit vehicles to strict maintenance schedules to extend the life of the asset. Detailed inspections over and above our regular maintenance programs are also mandated by law.

And when a truck can’t get home to be cared for, there’s a North America-wide network of dealer service centres and independent shops where it can receive the attention it needs.

Compared to tractors, many drivers don’t get much support.

It’s common for trucking companies to give drivers a dedicated room where they can go and relax or wait. But there’s often little to encourage drivers to use it.

While a shop might be stocked with equipment worth tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, the most sophisticated piece of gear in a drivers’ room might be a vending machine.

Even then, it may only be there so the fleet can skim 15% to 20% off whatever its drivers deposit inside in order to build up a fund for the annual office Christmas party-to which drivers are not invited to attend.

Considering that the life of a tractor doesn’t exceed five years at most operations, and a professional driver has the potential to stay with a company more than 25 years, you have to question the imbalance of how these two different assets are supported.

And as a driver manager, you have to start thinking of ways to correct it.

o Educate your drivers-continuously. A truck needs regular attention to operate efficiently. So do drivers. Work to develop what I call a “continuous learning culture” among your drivers, and start by thinking of your drivers’ room as an education centre.

Instead of passively tacking notices on a bulletin board, find new ways to communicate. Stock the room with books, magazines, and training material, including your video library (talk to your equipment suppliers about what they can offer). There are some great training programs on CD-ROM; set up a PC so your drivers can take advantage of them.

Make the room inviting and accessible around the clock. Just like a tractor that gets scheduled for service because it has some downtime in the middle of the night, a driver may be rested and ready to learn at 3 a.m. when the training staff is home in bed.

o Look for help. Partner with suppliers and quality driver-training schools to complement your continuous learning strategy. The Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council (613/244-4800) has a series of half-day training modules designed for both new and experienced drivers. Ask the CTHRC about which training schools in your area are available to deliver the training modules at your driver meetings.

Whether you get outside help or develop your own training programs, act now to make education as routine for your drivers as a pre-trip inspection. The speed of change demands that fleets invest in more than bulletin boards and vending machines for their professional drivers.