Last month I closed off
my column saying that carriers need to find new and creative ways of
attracting and holding on to drivers. Shortly after submitting that
column I was asked if I had an interest in participating in a panel
discussion regarding driver incentive programs. So I thought I would
wade into that topic here while it was still fresh in my mind. It
also comes at a time when the Truckload Carriers Association
(www.truckload.org) will be
recognizing the top fleets to drive for
(www.bestfleetstodrivefor.com)
as nominated by company drivers and owner operators. Several Canadian
companies are in the top 20 group and you can read about them on the
web sites above as well as here in the Truck News.
I work for a company
that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the Canadian
trucking industry in the way they care for their drivers and the core
values that embody their operations. In fact a new incentive program
was put in place January 1 of this year for our drivers. Despite
that, I have still been experiencing a feelings of discontent and
anxiety over the past several months. Colleagues have commented on
the degradation of my outlook of late. A comment from a regular
reader stated that although they had enjoyed a recent column they
felt it was in a negative tone compared to my usual style. Another
comment came from within my dispatch office regarding my negative
reaction to a situation that had arisen and the feeling that it was
out of character for me to react as I did. Can I identify a single
factor within my trucking lifestyle that leads to the daily stress I
have been experiencing? Could a driver incentive program reduce my
daily stress at the same time as providing me with a financial reward
and reduce costs/improve profits for my employer?
Identifying the
stressor in my daily life on the road is not difficult. It is time.
Time is something I always take for granted but it comes up for me
over and over again as the leading cause of tension in my life. The
birth of my grandson last year lead to a feeling of deep desire to
spend more time with my family. The recognition of my need to obtain
regular exercise and rest requires a time commitment each and
everyday. My time is my most valuable commodity. When my time is
being wasted or taken for granted my immediate emotional response is
usually one of anger and frustration leading to the feelings of
stress and anxiety. Then the endless hours of driving play their part
as my mind locks on to those feelings and replays them over and over
building on them and strengthening them. The result is an internal
conflict over the time I have available to accommodate my personal
life and personal aspirations versus the huge block of time required
to fulfill my professional obligations as a driver. I often feel a
lack of control over my time because so much of my day is dependent
on the actions of others. Specifically operations and dispatch along
with the shippers and receivers I deal with.
So I was excited to see
that profit sharing programs are on the leading edge of new incentive
programs being developed by carriers. Why? Because they have the
potential to drive a greater level of cooperation and communication
within trucking companies. Too often productivity increases have
been equated with a driver doing more within a given time or becoming
more efficient with the use of their time. Little attention seems to
be payed to the fact that drivers already invest well over 3000 hours
a year in their jobs compared to the 2000 hours most full time
workers put in. That's before you even consider that a driver also
lives in his or her workplace. An incentive program needs to reward
every employee within a trucking organization for removing
inefficiencies that eat up a drivers time. Working longer and harder
is not the answer. Incentive programs should lead to a driver having
to spend less time accomplishing more through time savings that are
made in areas beyond the drivers control or sphere of influence.
Specifically, load planning and dock retention times. This then
allows me as a driver to focus on the issues of safety and fuel
management (driving!!) as well as free up time for my personal use.
Recognizing that the
responsibility for productivity, safety, and profitability spreads
far beyond the reach of the driver and is the mark of a good
incentive program. Simply plopping a program into place will not
resolve all, if any, of the issues at hand. Hard work and a diligent
effort is required by all of us. This is a good discussion to have at
an opportune time. I hope the panel discussion I mentioned at the
opening takes place. I'm already looking forward to it.
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