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In the litigious society we live in, most business people are all too aware of the big dollar employment practices liability risks companies face from sexual harassment claims, discrimination allegations, wage and hour violations, and the like. But one area where many managers are woefully underprepared is in protecting themselves from personal liability.
In chess, “endgame” refers to the final moves of the game when only a few pieces are left on the board. It’s a critical point in the game; one wrong move can end it all. As a result, endgame strategies are often quite different than strategies used in earlier parts of the game. The trick is knowing when the endgame is about to begin. The very best chess players anticipate it. They plan for it.
If you're a business leader, it may seem impossible to imagine your last day driving the operations of your company. But if a big change took place tomorrow, would you be prepared? How would your company respond if something happened and you couldn't show up? Can your company survive without YOU?
Few business leaders believe tomorrow could be their last day driving the day-to-day operations of their company. It may seem impossible to imagine life without one of your greatest passions.
You’ve been warned of the dangers of not having a well defined succession plan. The potential problems run the gamut from family conflict to negative tax ramifications, to financial security issues putting your legacy at risk.
Let’s face it. Everyone knows that driver recruiting is a wicked problem. The transportation industry is in the midst of the worst driver shortage it’s ever seen. We’ve all been to seminars on it, and everyone’s looking at new ways to help bring in new drivers. But what about the drivers you already have? If you can retain more drivers, then the only recruiting needs you have are the ones that help you grow your business.
Recruiting is only the beginning of the journey. Now that you’ve spent the time (and money) to get people in the door, here are a few helpful tips to keep them from turning around and walking back out.
People Don’t Quit Jobs, They Quit People
This age old adage is especially true in transportation. People oftentimes just don’t get along, sometimes just due a clash of personality. Before a driver quits, maybe offer to switch fleet managers. Or, while in orientation, have the drivers complete personality tests and then match them with a fleet manager who most closely matches their personality.
Know and RESPECT your drivers
Sometimes, drivers end up speaking more to their fleet manager than they do their families. In essence, the fleet manager should become part of their family. If the only person that the driver speaks to is always unpleasant and demanding, the driver will be quickly looking for another job. Drivers have all the time in the world to think about how they’re being treated, so do your part to make sure they’re good thoughts. Get to know who their spouse and children are, and ask about them. This means more to them than you think.
Make sure your recruiters have the most up-to-date information
Many a driver quits because they feel they were lied to by a recruiter. This may not always be the case. Policies change, and the information is not always communicated quickly. Remember to keep your recruiters in the loop when it comes to changes.
Keep in constant contact with your new hires
Have the new drivers offer their feedback by filling out reviews at intervals during their first few months. Then actually read and act on them! This will give the drivers a sense of importance, and it will give you a pretty accurate assessment of where you need to focus your attention.
Recruiting and training drivers (especially during this driver shortage) isn’t cheap or easy. So it only makes sense that retaining drivers should be the focus of everyone in the company. Remember – without drivers, none of the rest of us in this industry would have our jobs.
Have you considered the role of quality in conquering the wicked problems facing your business? Watch this video to find out more.
CSA is changing the atmosphere of the trucking industry, and is impacting motor carriers, individual drivers, insurers and underwriters alike. This legislation brings unprecedented transparency into transportation safety that will affect every level of the industry. The change is already beginning to be felt, with the first wave of warning letters going out to motor carriers last month.
The gut reaction of many is to fight CSA in favor of the status quo. But at the end of the day, CSA is about transparency, accountability and speed of information, which will all add up to one thing: increased quality. When customers and prospects have line of sight to a company’s track record of key safety measures, that company is going to step up its efforts to keep its record clean.
Managing driver performance and predicting accidents are wicked problems that CSA brings to the forefront. These challenges are rooted in a breakdown in collaboration between safety and operations, conflicting goals that drivers can’t decipher, and lack of time to mentor new drivers. The problem here isn’t lack of data – most motor carriers have more numbers thrown at them than they know what to do with.
As I recently discussed at the Truckload Carriers Association Annual Convention, if motor carriers are to succeed in a CSA world, they have to stop relying on lagging indicators to manage driver performance and other safety issues. In the past, companies have waited until something happened to worry about performance issues. Now, with every misstep fully visible through CSA reporting, companies will have to seek out leading indicators to help them predict what is coming down the pipeline, which they can then use to try to adapt and prevent any incidents from occurring.
CSA puts a do-or-die impetus on motor carriers. The market will eliminate those who consistently fail to maintain safety standards. The entire industry won’t suffer – just those that aren’t up to par. Among those who remain after the poor performers are weeded out, CSA will empower fleet owners to compete more on quality and less on price.
CSA provides a concrete and transparent measure indicating which companies have attained high levels of safety. Expect insurance underwriters to develop new algorithms reflecting CSA safety measures, and expect customers to be on the lookout for safer carriers as well. Companies that understand how to maximize their safety with the new data available will benefit from substantial insurance savings and by having a new point of differentiation to offer potential customers.
Implementation of this legislation by the FMCSA needs to be done with caution. Since 52% of motor carriers were initially judged unfit under CSA standards, something needs to be tweaked. It is obviously important that CSA is implemented in a way that is fair – if the rules contain loopholes or “work arounds”, the ability of CSA to raise quality will be limited or skewed.
The transportation game is changing. The time is now to start actively thinking about how to leverage CSA to your company’s advantage.
![[Bucking Driver Turnover with Wellness] An interview with Melton Truck Lines](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/38664/9d2dfd91-bc56-47df-be18-6f8aca0d7624.png)
HNI works with high-performing companies to help them address the hidden risks in their business and avoid The Insurance Dependency Trap. This is done by proactively DE-RISKING their business so they can be less dependent on insurance.
HNI also offers the basic services of insurance and employee benefits. HNI has offices in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis.