JOHN SIMMS
Vice President, HNI

Growing up we have been told over and over again that “Honesty is the Best Policy” and that the “The Truth is a Beautiful Thing”.  Yet when it comes to trucking, are these “Golden Rules” always applied in your organization?  I challenge you to take a walk around your office and listen to what your leaders are telling your most valuable assets. 

Let’s begin in driver recruiting.  Are your recruiters being open and honest every time a potential driving candidate inquires about working for your company?  Does your advertising paint a picture your operations team can’t maintain?  Do they really get home when they want, even after they get their 3,000 plus miles per week of no touch freight? 

In operations, we consistently tell our drivers we are here for them, but when the phone rings it goes to voicemail. Do we really believe we will get them the miles next trip to make up for the miles lost doing yet another favor this past week?  Is the appointment set for the time it was dispatched, or do we expect the driver to believe the customer called and needs their delivery earlier?  

I could go on and cite examples from every department, but I think you already are catching on to where this is heading. In a recent survey, drivers we asked what was the number one issue facing trucking today.  Believe it or not, the answer was “Honesty”.

Drivers want honesty and now are demanding to work for people who are honest first and foremost.  Remember what Winston Churchill once said: “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to put its pants on.”  The same can be said when a driver is lied to; it gets into the driver network and spreads like wildfire. 

One last challenge – develop an “Honesty Policy” and then enforce it throughout your organization.  The word will spread, and drivers will flock to be part of your organization.  One company I worked with in Iowa did this, and they have never looked back since.