What Do The Drivers Want In A Carrier

smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

As I posted earlier today, I am a Broker/Carrier and I am in the process of signing on some expedite drivers. I have spent a lot of time on this board and I read a lot of people complaining about the carrier they are signed on with or their previous one. This got me thinking about what can I do to make it so the drivers have very little to complain about. Internally, my staff is top notch and we have that part down, I just want to be the company that the great drivers want to drive for. So, what do you guys think? What would you like to see from a carrier that you aren't getting now?

Sean

paullud · Oct 9, 2011

$$$

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pearlpro · Oct 9, 2011

Honesty about Rates, Miles, and a true Open door to bring gripes or issues to without fear of repercussion, Good Benefit package is always a Plus, a willingness to get drivers involved and listen.

Many Businesses start the week with a short roundtable, get Ideas, get grief, get issues out in the open to be dealt with instead of allowing them to fester, this leads to Productivity, so whether the drivers send in a short qualcomm message to the Owner or the Safety Dept and then these are hashed over, solved or answers investigated, the Driver feels like someones helping HIM/HER help you the Business Owner........too many times Ive seen the Management just say oh they always *****/gripe and then ignore whats being said, And Turnover is the result, Ive been a victim of it myself, Good Luck to you !!

ATeam · Oct 9, 2011

smcleod said:
This got me thinking about what can I do to make it so the drivers have very little to complain about. Internally, my staff is top notch and we have that part down, I just want to be the company that everyone wants to drive for. So, what do you guys think? What would you like to see from a carrier that you aren't getting now?

I know nothing about your business plan or goals but will suggest that you narrow your scope. "Everyone" is a broad class of people. Instead of trying to be the company that everyone wants to drive for, be a company that specializes in a particular kind of driver, or in a particular kind of customer for which drivers well suited to serve that kind of customer can be recruited. The more aligned your company, customers and drivers can be, the happier they all will be, I belive.

That said, whatever kind of company you seek to build, keeping everyone in the loop such that all stakeholders know what is going on will go a long way toward making your company one that people will want to drive for (sign on with, to use independent contractor language).

smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

paullud said:
$$$

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That can't be everything can it? I've had drivers that made a lot of money and whined about everything and drivers that made less, worked harder and always had a great attitude. They were company drivers and I realize things are different with contractors, but I don't think the money is everything.

Moot · Oct 9, 2011

smcleod said:
Internally, my staff is top notch and we have that part down,

Humility is a trait I most want in a carrier. Who do I contact to sign on?

smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

pearlpro said:
Honesty about Rates, Miles, and a true Open door to bring gripes or issues to without fear of repercussion, Good Benefit package is always a Plus, a willingness to get drivers involved and listen.

I currently have an open door policy with my drivers. Where I run into a problem is when the drivers have displaced anger and start arguing and sometimes screaming at my dispatchers. The drivers are all told to talk to me if they have a problem and we will try to work it out. This is usually successful for me.

Many Businesses start the week with a short roundtable, get Ideas, get grief, get issues out in the open to be dealt with instead of allowing them to fester, this leads to Productivity, so whether the drivers send in a short qualcomm message to the Owner or the Safety Dept and then these are hashed over, solved or answers investigated, the Driver feels like someones helping HIM/HER help you the Business Owner........too many times Ive seen the Management just say oh they always *****/gripe and then ignore whats being said, And Turnover is the result, Ive been a victim of it myself, Good Luck to you !!

We currently have weekly meetings and I'm always open to new ideas from the drivers. Also, we like to clear the air of any problems brewing. I tend to get an idea of what my drivers are saying before they bring it to my attention. We try to promote a team atmosphere and for the most part it works very well.

smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

ATeam said:
I know nothing about your business plan or goals but will suggest that you narrow your scope. "Everyone" is a broad class of people. Instead of trying to be the company that everyone wants to drive for, be a company that specializes in a particular kind of driver, or in a particular kind of customer for which drivers well suited to serve that kind of customer can be recruited. The more aligned your company, customers and drivers can be, the happier they all will be, I belive.

That said, whatever kind of company you seek to build, keeping everyone in the loop such that all stakeholders know what is going on will go a long way toward making your company one that people will want to drive for (sign on with, to use independent contractor language).

I agree with you, I should'nt have used the word everyone. I only want the best. Currently, I have 15 drivers and 12 of them are fantastic. I want a fleet like these 12 guys signed on with us.

As far as specializing in a certain type of customer/driver. I agree that some drivers are suited for different things. My expedite drivers would rather jump of bridge than run a daily linehaul. However, I have a very broad range of customers and I want to keep it that way. I think these types of customers kept us afloat when times got tuff.

smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

Moot said:
Humility is a trait I most want in a carrier. Who do I contact to sign on?

I don't mean to offend when I speak with confidence when referring to my staff, but they are very good. We are very good with the customers as well as our current drivers. I want to broaden our horizons and build a larger business using this model. We do everything we can to keep our drivers happy. We understand what they do and treat them with respect.

Bruno · Oct 9, 2011

smcleod said:
As I posted earlier today, I am a Broker/Carrier and I am in the process of signing on some expedite drivers. I have spent a lot of time on this board and I read a lot of people complaining about the carrier they are signed on with or their previous one. This got me thinking about what can I do to make it so the drivers have very little to complain about. Internally, my staff is top notch and we have that part down, I just want to be the company that the great drivers want to drive for. So, what do you guys think? What would you like to see from a carrier that you aren't getting now?

Sean

To be treated as a real person.

paullud · Oct 9, 2011

smcleod said:
That can't be everything can it? I've had drivers that made a lot of money and whined about everything and drivers that made less, worked harder and always had a great attitude. They were company drivers and I realize things are different with contractors, but I don't think the money is everything.

For me it is priority number one, I sign on with a company to make money. If I wanted to do this with less hassle I would run on my own but right now I need a company to partner with to get customers and so I get time to learn the industry. This is what is important to me but for others they want to have a dedicated dispatcher or one that treats them with respect. If I were comparing 2 companies where everything was equal except one had better office personnel that would make me chose them but I like to follow the money. Having poor office personnel may make me unhappy with a company and cause me try to find a better paying one.

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smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

paullud said:
For me it is priority number one, I sign on with a company to make money. If I wanted to do this with less hassle I would run on my own but right now I need a company to partner with to get customers and so I get time to learn the industry. This is what is important to me but for others they want to have a dedicated dispatcher or one that treats them with respect. If I were comparing 2 companies where everything was equal except one had better office personnel that would make me chose them but I like to follow the money. Having poor office personnel may make me unhappy with a company and cause me try to find a better paying one.

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I understand that we all work to make a living, but I think a company with a good office staff is going to help make the driver more money in the long run.

smcleod · Oct 9, 2011

Bruno said:
To be treated as a real person.

I have random drivers call me several times a month and tell me horror stories about the brokers they are hauling for and how bad they are treated. I just had a broker call me last week and I turned down his load because he was jerk. I know money is money, but we have a different culture in our office. People should be treated with respect. Drivers, dispatchers or customers, it doesn't matter. I hope you are getting treated well with your current carrier Bruno.

paullud · Oct 10, 2011

smcleod said:
I understand that we all work to make a living, but I think a company with a good office staff is going to help make the driver more money in the long run.

Very true, a driver that is doing better than others in the industry is often the sign of a good company backing them.

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kwexpress · Oct 10, 2011

I want a carrier that gives me free cans of beans and a van that runs on toot gas.

DieselDriver · Oct 10, 2011

HI, my name is Keith and I am an O/O straight truck w/ a 22' box and sleeper. First it would help if we knew who we were talking to and what company you represent, Second there are many things that make a good to great company or bad to terrible company.
1) When a prospective driver speaks to a recruiter, have the recruiter be truthful and don't blow smoke up our butt.

2) Remember the driver is in business also and is a person and not just a number...we have a bottom line, it doesn't matter what the market is doing, we have to make X amount of dollars to move a load to make money.

3) As a driver this is what I have got to have to survive, ALL deadhead miles paid...that is the miles from where I am (truck stop) to the location of my pickup, AND also the miles you sometimes have to travel AFTER you deliver to the customer to the next truck stop to wait for the next load...NEXT, a decent amount of pay per mile when loaded AND miles based on practical miles, NOT short miles to save the company money...and finally KEEP SITTING to a minimum...it costs money to sit...I know that a lot of this is running on and may not make sense to you but the drivers out there will understand.

The bottom line is pay deadhead, don't make me pay to go and pick up your freight.
Pay a decent percentage per mile on practical miles.
Use something like Transflo so the drivers can be paid in a timely fashion .
And keep sitting to a minimum.

BUT MOST OF ALL BE HONEST WITH THE DRIVERS IF YOU WANT THEM TO STAY.

I am currently signed on with a company, but am always looking to better myself...if any of this makes sense to you and you are looking for a straight truck o/o get ahold of me.

BillChaffey · Oct 10, 2011

How about paying a salary while your drivers, O\O are sitting at home on their own time also.

While your at it why not install Espar or APU's in any ones rig who doesn't have one.

smcleod · Oct 10, 2011

kwexpress said:
I want a carrier that gives me free cans of beans and a van that runs on toot gas.

I will forward your request to my Research and Development department. If they can make the van, I will be happy to provide the beans.

OntarioVanMan · Oct 10, 2011

smcleod said:
I will forward your request to my Research and Development department. If they can make the van, I will be happy to provide the beans.

A sense of humour and quick wit is also a good thing to have....

chefdennis · Oct 10, 2011

Well let me ask you, what do you want for your company and do you have a plan to get there?? No need to answer, just think about it yourself...

If your desire is to grow a company that you would want to work for and you believe that you genuinely are making good decisions to take the company in the right direction and that you are working as hard as you can do make that happen, then surround yourself with like minded people in your administration and management and the rest if your team,from the guy the sweeps the floors to the recruiter that doesn't BS (Anne M comes to mind) to a dispatch staff that also does not BS drivers (thats all i can get to get youout of there). The paople you bring into your business should be a reflexion of you and how you want things done....if you are doing the right things they will be and that will draw quality drivers to you...

Also, I don't care how long you have been in business (any business) we never know everything and we are always learning..find a good mentor, someone that you admire how they do things and we willing to take direction and ask questions and listen....

Your openness to ask here is a start...several owners have come here and came across as owners that wanted the same thing you are asking....there is only 1 Carrier owner here now, and he is a well respected member on this board, not just a "carrier" here looking for info..he contributes , it makes a difference to us here, nit just as O/O's, Drivers or Fleet Owners, but as members of this community...you'd do well to continue as a active member and not "disappear" after a short time or when the "heat rises" here....

Run your business in a good profesional manner and O/O's, Fleet Owners and Drivers will seek you and your company out....