The Fleet Business Authority
Issue link: http://heavydutytrucking.epubxp.com/i/307131
3 treated with respect. Even if you don't succeed in every case, drivers will likely give you points for trying. Change the operations Many fleets have been moving to more regional operations and dedicated runs that get drivers home more often. This is partly emulating private fleets. Not only do such operations get drivers home more often, but when a driver has interactions with the same customers over time, Petty explains, "there is this culture of goodwill and trust and confidence that develops over time between the driver and the customer. That tends to attract a dif- ferent type of person, not just a 'truck driver' with the usual skills and good safety record. These types of drivers tend to stay a long time." It also builds a relationship with the customer that results in the driver being treated better by the customers. "These are different jobs operating in different worlds under different business models," Petty says. "But this is probably going to change over the next 25 years. We all know that over- all trucking routes are getting shorter, not longer." Be up front with recruits about the job Private fleets, Petty says, do a good job of putting out a lot of advance information to candidates about what the job really entails, so there are no unpleasant surprises for a recruit in those crucial first few weeks and months on the job. "A number of companies actually put out videos that show the first hour of the day for a typical shift, for instance. The candidate can look at it and ask, 'Can I see myself in that role?' If they don't, they're not going to waste anyone's time applying." Clark agrees. "Companies need to be committed to complete honesty and openness when recruiting drivers. You don't want a new recruit to leave because the job wasn't what you had implied. Not only are you going to lose that driver, it is going to give you a bad reputation and will discour- age future drivers from joining your company." 40 HDT • MAY 2014 www.truckinginfo.com for: SOLUTIONS f l e e t s @ i d l e a i r . c o m ( 8 6 5 ) 2 3 2 - 1 7 1 3 TERMINAL R * on the first 12 spaces of select first terminal locations Circle 179 on Reader Action Card 4 p fro n p fro s abo u s abou d r i v e r s _ m a y l . i n d d 4 0 drivers_mayl.indd 40 4 / 3 0 / 1 4 1 1 : 3 5 A M 4/30/14 11:35 AM