This post was originally published in the June edition of Truck News
Perhaps we have everything backwards. For years we have been
taking responsibility away from commercial drivers and putting our eggs in the
technology basket. Everything from trailer tails to electronic logging devices
have been attached to the truck in the belief of productivity gains, cost
savings, and road safety. All of this technology flows from and is controlled
(mostly) by the front office. But what drivers know and what they are proud to
take ownership of, is that improved productivity, reduced costs, and road
safety reside in the driver’s seat.
Let’s look at electronic logging devices and how they are
used by the driver. I’ve made it no secret that I’ve been using this technology
for years and that I prefer it over paper logs. The only reason I feel that way
is because the carrier I work for has installed it as a tool I can take
advantage of and not a means of monitoring my performance and controlling what
I do. In the truck I’m the decision maker. The carrier I work for trusts me.
It’s that simple. I would bet that other drivers that endorse the use of ELD’s
work for carriers with a similar ethos. Drivers that don’t see any value in
ELD’s are having it imposed upon them in a manner that strips them of their
dignity and effectively disempowers and demoralizes them.
The general impression I get as a full time driver is that
the industry is pouring a disproportionate amount of time and money into
training employees that don’t have any practical experience at the point of contact
where it really matters, the cab of every truck. Drivers are the single human
resource that has the greatest impact on productivity, safety, and
profitability. Technological tools are just that, tools. Drivers should be able
to employ them not be controlled by them. Why do so many carriers not recognize
the simple fact that empowering their drivers is the key not controlling their
actions? The treatment of drivers is at the core of the driver shortage
problem. You only need to talk to a large cross section of drivers to
understand this.
What about attracting millennials to the industry to solve
the driver shortage problem? First we need to solve the problem I outlined
above because millennials are savvier than the trucking industry gives them
credit for. We won’t attract them with shiny technological baubles. Millennials
are the most highly educated generation we’ve ever produced. They care deeply
about social issues, they want to impact the world they live in in a positive
way, and they want to be empowered to use their skills & education that
adopt new technology to make those changes. The transportation industry needs
to do an about face in how it is treating its drivers if it wants to attract
millennials. It’s time for a culture change.
Millennials care about issues such as job creation and
climate change. These are the areas the trucking industry should be looking at
if it wants to attract millennials into the fold because they are also areas
that benefit the trucking industry.
As far as job creation goes we have openings in abundance in
our industry. But they are not enticing at this point. Empowering drivers is
the path to getting more millennials in the driver’s seat. We need to be seen
as an exciting opportunity to create change and make a difference in our world.
Climate change is something we don’t pay enough attention
to. The transportation industry is one of the largest emitters of pollution.
This is an area that we should be focusing on as a means of attracting
millennials. Their education, skills, and enthusiasm can have a huge impact
here. We can all win on this file.
The transportation sector is always putting forward the idea
of recognizing drivers as skilled professional’s not general labourers. That
means treating drivers as such and putting the responsibility for productivity,
profitability, and safety where it belongs, in the driver’s seat.
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