Old Dogs, New Tricks

With power units, a fleet knows it’s got four or five years of revenue service out of a tractor before it’s trade-in time. Drivers, on the other hand, usually just get better with age. No doubt your fleet’s most valuable asset are the grizzled veterans — the 55-plus guys who’ve made trucking a career, know the ropes, and are your company’s greatest ambassadors.

But like those aging power units, older drivers require a little more TLC, and the smart fleets are the ones that accommodate them.

With many people in the industry complaining about the shortage of good, reliable drivers, there are probably an equal number of older drivers questioning whether they should stay in the industry or shift to a different job after years behind the wheel.

For some, that aching lower back and knee problem can make a trailer floor look like it’s a lot higher off the ground and a riskier climb than it used to be.

Some fleets see real value in doing what they can to allow and encourage a senior driver to enjoy a longer career. With some attention and thoughtfulness, there are many things that can be improved to not only encourage senior drivers to spend a few extra years behind the wheel but to make things better and safer for all drivers.

As a former driver, John Lewis, SLH’s VP of fleet safety, has a natural advantage of being able to identify with what a driver is going through on a daily basis and is in the position to be able to design equipment with an eye to being better for all drivers.

“The improvements are simply a result of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, climbing in and out of side doors and checking that everything works as it should, and working with suppliers to improve problem areas,” says Lewis.

“Safe three-point contact for climbing, steps that are anti-slip and in the right places to match with grab handles, easy-to-see brake stroke indicators, easy-to-slide bogie release handles, good light inside vans, watching for potential sharp cut points, visibility of lights when backing are some of the many areas that we constantly watch.

Truck & trailer makers say there’s a growing need
among fleets to spec veteran friendly equipment

“We’ve all had some days when the back or arm is sore from getting out of a trailer the day before, or wrestling with a handle that is tight, and I try to keep those things in mind when dealing with suppliers to have good safe equipment for a driver of any age.”

Frank Haselden, VP of maintenance at TST Overland, is another strong believer in driver-friendly spec’ing. He says providing drivers with well-designed equipment is a win-win proposition, with happier drivers, better fleet performance, and lower maintenance and problems.

Haselden says TST looks at things like cab ergonomics, premium seats for maximum comfort, safe grab points and steps, van doors that work smoothly, safe reachable positioning of hazard placard holders, minimal trailer floor ledges for easy manual pallet moving, easy-to-use decking beams that store at the roof, premium landing gears, and careful attention from maintenance to correct problems.

For P&D drivers, TST has also designed a built-in handle at the back of its delivery trucks that greatly aids drivers in safely entering and exiting the van.

“It’s nothing fancy,” he says. “Basically it’s a built-in handle that the driver can grab. We’ve taken the pins out of the rear door hinges and replaced it with a long rod — it’s like a long handle built into the back. Normally you can’t put a handle on the back of a trailer because you’ll break it backing it into a dock. They can grab that, and along with the steps, it keeps them in full contact when entering the trailer and vice versa.

All these details aren’t just for senior drivers, stresses Haselden. “It’s for all drivers — our primary goal is to prevent injury. Sure, the senior guys are more prone to physical injury. They’re not as flexible and they don’t recover as fast. But for all employees the cost of having a lost-time injury is extremely high. We want them all at work. A young guy can twist his ankle jumping off a truck the same as an old guy.”

Over at Erb Transport, corporate fleet and service manager Steve Haus says his fleet has been experimenting with automated transmissions as a concession to aging elbows.

After years of wrestling with the stick shift, some older drivers find their elbows and shoulders aren’t what they used to be, and Haus says he’s heard nothing but favorable comments regarding the automatics. “It just makes the job simpler and it’s one less thing to concentrate on,” he says.
Erb has also been working to improve the headlights on a lot of its tractors after receiving complaints from older guys with glasses.

And they’ve improved the living quarters considerably for the guys on the longer runs. “We’ve gone to low wheelbase, 72-in. highrise bunks to give the guys some room. They’re a far cry from the good old days when we were running to Thunder Bay with TriStars. The interiors of these new tractors just make things so much better for the drivers.” Especially the older guys that remember the good old days when truck cabs were considerably more Spartan.

“The trucks are spec’d now for comfort and I think everybody’s going that route now for driver retention,” Haus continues. “If you can keep the older guys just a tick more comfortable then you’ve got yourself a winner.”

At Trailmobile in Mississauga, (where co-author Ray Camball is fleet sales manager) there is a growing trend to spec user-friendly equipment. While some buyers look primarily for the lowest cost van, the companies that are growing their business over the long term seem to be more respectful of drivers and their value to the company — especially highly competent senior drivers. It is easy to see how a good combination of grab handle and step can reduce the risk of a problem. The Trailmobile staff gets a lot of the excellent, well-thought-out suggestions on specs from senior drivers.

When you know that a person has served your customers well for decades and notice that the loads always seem to get there on time without hassles or accidents and when you see a good work ethic, it makes good business sense to encourage that person to stay a little longer. It also sends a good signal to younger drivers that long dependable service is respected.