Will toys keep a ST driver happy?

[Bambuild]

I am still considering getting into this as an owner only. With the "on time" and "accurate pay" thing aside, what else could I do to keep drivers happy and in a ST? I have looked into toys for the truck to help keep drivers somewhat happy, initial cost is around $1,400. If I put a Laptop w/camera, sirius radio, gps, tv/dvd combo and maybe a coffee maker in the truck would this help to keep a driver? The only catch to adding the toys is maybe the internet for the laptop and the subscription for the sirius. I know that waiting between loads and sitting miles from home are 2 of many things that discourage drivers, I thought maybe purchasing these things could help the situations.

In my first experience in a ST, we had to supply everything as the driver except the fridge and money was tight to begin with.

 

[greg334]

Look it doesn't matter what you put into a truck, if you can't find people to drive it or understand what the business is about to relate to their problems, all the toys in the world won't matter.

I have dealt with this issue several times and it always comes down to the fact that being a proactive and involved owner beats trying to compensate for it by having stuff in the truck.

Think about performance bonuses, time off, discounts and how to teach them to be the best drivers for the company.

 

[jjoerger]

Toys are OK. $Money$ is better.

 

[chefdennis]

Toys will "recruit" people..but they will not keep professional drivers...put a decent sleeper with frig, micro wave, TV and depending on if you are looking at a husband wife team or a mixed team, a good single / double bunk...leve the rest to those you put in it. Pay them on time, the right amount per the contract..and DO NOT MICRO MANAGE THEM...don't start out as a new owner with a team that is also new...try your best to get a experienced husband wife team...you will be miles ahead...and they will bring their own toys for the most part...

 

[mrgoodtude]

Toys are OK. $Money$ is better.

Wurd
Most people worth their salt will have the toy thing down when they move in.
Everyone's taste is different and with that you need to just supply the tools to get the job done nothing more as the people enticed by the trinkets are not in it to win it..
Not enough can be said about learning the business from behind the steering wheel before you set out the cash for this endeavor and I am only talking maybe 6 mos to get a vague grasp of what you are getting yourself into..
I (we) only have 7 years of experience on both sides of the coin (owner/same household team) and to this day I have to scratch my head with what I see.
Mike

 

[Bambuild]

Toys will "recruit" people..but they will not keep professional drivers...put a decent sleeper with frig, micro wave, TV and depending on if you are looking at a husband wife team or a mixed team, a good single / double bunk...leve the rest to those you put in it. Pay them on time, the right amount per the contract..and DO NOT MICRO MANAGE THEM...don't start out as a new owner with a team that is also new...try your best to get a experienced husband wife team...you will be miles ahead...and they will bring their own toys for the most part...

Finally, an intelligent response, with the exception of jjoerger's little funny. I have about 9 GPS's so throwing one of those in the truck isn't a big deal, neither is a TV or Micro. Just throwing ideas out there for the professional opinion. Obviously the most important ones are a sound and well maintained truck, and on time accurate pay, plus an owner who is there 24/7 for emergencies. I'd even be willing to get in the truck and drive it myself for him or them and give em a week off or so.

 

[LDB]

More stuff for them to steal when they abandon your truck.

 

[cheri1122]

Kind of agree with LDB. Not that they will steal it, but you shouldn't put anything in there you can't afford to replace - at least until you're sure the drivers are trustworthy.
It sounds like you want to be a good boss, and I think that's the best you can do for them, up front. If they work out, you might want to add some 'toys', but it really shouldn't be necessary - a good driver will earn their own. Further along, it may become clear what else you could add, if that's how it shakes out, but I'd wait until then, myself. All drivers aren't good ones, same as people in general.

 

[Moot]

I'd even be willing to get in the truck and drive it myself...

Colonel, would you please field this one for us.

 

[Dabus1952]

I to think a large sleeper with double bunk's and micro wave 'fridge' freezer'TV are ok .I also see nothing wrong with instaling Sirus radio.That's my 2 cent's worth.

 

[BigBusBob]

GPS is all good, but there's still a good many drivers that do Not use them... I'm one of them. I have used them- and they have been helpful, but I still trust me Motor Carriers Atlas.

Here's some ideas for you... Instead of TV's and GPS's and all that jazz... Here...
Some ideas are low-cost, while some are... not- but they're all keeping drivers content.

Minimum of a 72" to 84" bunk... Porta-potti under the bottom bunk. Stock truck with a case of water and toilet paper (designed for the Potti), and toilet packets (sold in camping section at most walmarts). Provide a fuel card that can also be used for maintenance, or set up maintenance yourself (with knowledge of the drivers schedule) at a place of your choice and/or liking. It's your truck.

a truck with a drop down axle is always nice, along with a lift gate. But not totally needed, but they have been known to increase revenue at times.

What else can you do? supply them with a large aluminum or poly tool box with plenty of straps- a wide variety of different straps is always useful. Plenty of moving blankets as well. Supply them with a small cheap plastic tool box with some cheap basic tools- hammer, pliers, screwdrivers, flashlight, electrical tape and wire cutters. Nothing expensive so it's not a huge loss if they ditch you.

Pallet jack in cargo box. 8 rows of E-track. LED Lighting.
Aluminum wheels to save on weight- weight saved is more weight that can be hauled.

a written contract. at 6 months you can send them (and their spouse) on a cruise, or get them a rental car for 3 days? offer them a vacation with their spouse and perhaps kids to ?
1k bonus at 3 months. 2k bonus at 6 months. 1500 bonus at 1 year.

Offer to be on call if a road side problem occurs. Stay with them thru the process!!! Fire up the computer and find a decent tow co. for the rig... I could write more... but got to bunk down for some much needed rest.

It's important that you're there for the drivers- but as you said you don't want to be e-mailing them or texting or calling them every 2 or 3 days. Let them contact you sometimes. Also you can keep tabs on them thru the carriers website as well and make sure they're doing ok. Tell dispatch if they suspect something fishy or any problems to alert you somehow. Take care of dispatch too- don't shower them with gifts, but you can certainly offer doughnuts or 5 dollar gift cards to McD's or something. a card is also always nice as well- as needed. Thank them for the super sweet loads. Thank them for the 3 back to back short loads to get the super sweet load on your truck.

Drivers like to drive, satellite radio is nice- pay for it for them, that's a good idea. Microwave and fridge? Hmmmm, I don't know. After 3 months perhaps. I got to bunk down. More another time.

 

[chefdennis]

Ok, the OP is not looking at paying a new truck...so, what used ST with a 60inch to 96 inch Sleeper is not going to alredy have a micro wave and frig and a bunk in them??? Come on...just make sure everything is up to "snuff' and make sure you fulfill what you put in your contract....

BBB's post was good for basic info, a bit more then I'd give to start, but good non the less...

Just be aware AFTER you have fulfilled your contractional agreements as to what the team is doing and BETWEEN all involved, work on an ongoing basis to make the teams life as easy as possible..you do that as an owner..you will not have to worry about replacing the team on a ongoing basis...

You are a business owner now..you employ people now...continue what you has made you a success up to this point, business is business, it doesn't matter what type it is...be pro-active with your team, work WITH them , ask for their input, and you will be fine...This isn't rocket science...well not until Turtle becomes a Fleet Owner...

 

[Rocketman]

Will toys keep a ST driver happy?

Depends.....male or female?

 

[butterfly610]

Haha, they might keep some people a little more positive when waiting for a load for a couple days or more.

 

[BigBusBob]

you can still find stripped trucks on the market with nothing in the bunks... not even a mattress in some cases.
Toys? well, if you had your own authority and can keep the truck rolling and rarely sit for more than 2 days every 7 to 10 days- preferably 14+ days... toys would not be an issue.

here's some more thoughts... a good quality drivers seat seat with good lumbar support.
Blue tooth ear pieces for the driver of their choice- you buy. how about office supplies for them. a good case for their laptop. maybe after 6 months a 50 to 150 dollar gift card to some place like Office Depot or Staples.

As I mentioned earlier... be there for the driver when they need you. Road side repairs can be very stressful and often times thats what tells a driver how much the truck owner really cares... about the truck and their driver.

If you're going to be near the driver/truck, and/or they are going to be near you- invite them out to eat on your dime. or at the very least make an attempt to meet up with them to have a talk- even if it may only be 15 min. or 30 min.- so you can inspect the truck and find out if they have any needs or concerns in person.

Truck Washes every 2 weeks- weather permitting.
Offering to drive the rig while they are out is a great idea in my opinion!!!
Gives you a chance to see what they go thru, and gives them a chance to relax knowing the owner is rolling the truck and/or with the truck.

I'll have more when I'm more awake. Hope this is helping you.
BigB.B.

 

[MissKat]

From the team's perspective: owner provides all forms, blank bols, seals, fuel cards, permit book updated and neat and clean. NEW mattress. Truck recently serviced. Truck when turned over to team/driver has no mechanical issues. Dedicated cellphone- like Nextel or similar so driver can call owner and vice versa. Breakdown policy spelled out clearly including motel, daily pay, and above phone availability for shop to get owner approval. Daily pay because we still are responsible for the truck while being repaired and can't make a dime while owner has maintainance savings account because they are a business. Could be nice and include at least $25 a day meal allowance each 24
Hrs out of the truck. If owner expects drivers to be uniformed, first set of uniforms provided. Timely and correct pay records and deposits mutually agreed upon. If owner accidently shorts driver immediate deposit, not one to two week wait. Updated permits automatically provided. Mandatory inspections by carrier take production time. Orientations. Daily pay for same if you expect team/driver to attend. Tval. Reefer testing. Specialty training. Holiday card at least - maybe even gift card to national food chain or sporting goods store or Iowa 80. $25 to $100. Famous Dave's. Cracker barrel. Starbucks. Walmart. Xm radio is a great benefit. We would have enjoyed being a part of the owners team - embroidered jacket even. We ARE trying to make both parties an income. Do you see a football team in different outfits on the field while they are expected to listen to their coach, get paid for the job, and show pride? Truck wash account, two max per month. Owner should drive vehicle on open highway prior to turnover. Would they be happy with its handling, seat, window cracks, chips, smell and mirror coverage? Is it something the owner would LIVE in for a month or two or six? Has it been fumigated? Lastly, when the handshake and bon voyage is imminent do both parties feel the relationship will work? And if not, do all parties have a professional exit strategy in agreement?
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[Bambuild]

you can still find stripped trucks on the market with nothing in the bunks... not even a mattress in some cases.
Toys? well, if you had your own authority and can keep the truck rolling and rarely sit for more than 2 days every 7 to 10 days- preferably 14+ days... toys would not be an issue.

here's some more thoughts... a good quality drivers seat seat with good lumbar support.
Blue tooth ear pieces for the driver of their choice- you buy. how about office supplies for them. a good case for their laptop. maybe after 6 months a 50 to 150 dollar gift card to some place like Office Depot or Staples.

As I mentioned earlier... be there for the driver when they need you. Road side repairs can be very stressful and often times thats what tells a driver how much the truck owner really cares... about the truck and their driver.

If you're going to be near the driver/truck, and/or they are going to be near you- invite them out to eat on your dime. or at the very least make an attempt to meet up with them to have a talk- even if it may only be 15 min. or 30 min.- so you can inspect the truck and find out if they have any needs or concerns in person.

Truck Washes every 2 weeks- weather permitting.
Offering to drive the rig while they are out is a great idea in my opinion!!!
Gives you a chance to see what they go thru, and gives them a chance to relax knowing the owner is rolling the truck and/or with the truck.

I'll have more when I'm more awake. Hope this is helping you.
BigB.B.

From the team's perspective: owner provides all forms, blank bols, seals, fuel cards, permit book updated and neat and clean. NEW mattress. Truck recently serviced. Truck when turned over to team/driver has no mechanical issues. Dedicated cellphone- like Nextel or similar so driver can call owner and vice versa. Breakdown policy spelled out clearly including motel, daily pay, and above phone availability for shop to get owner approval. Daily pay because we still are responsible for the truck while being repaired and can't make a dime while owner has maintainance savings account because they are a business. Could be nice and include at least $25 a day meal allowance each 24
Hrs out of the truck. If owner expects drivers to be uniformed, first set of uniforms provided. Timely and correct pay records and deposits mutually agreed upon. If owner accidently shorts driver immediate deposit, not one to two week wait. Updated permits automatically provided. Mandatory inspections by carrier take production time. Orientations. Daily pay for same if you expect team/driver to attend. Tval. Reefer testing. Specialty training. Holiday card at least - maybe even gift card to national food chain or sporting goods store or Iowa 80. $25 to $100. Famous Dave's. Cracker barrel. Starbucks. Walmart. Xm radio is a great benefit. We would have enjoyed being a part of the owners team - embroidered jacket even. We ARE trying to make both parties an income. Do you see a football team in different outfits on the field while they are expected to listen to their coach, get paid for the job, and show pride? Truck wash account, two max per month. Owner should drive vehicle on open highway prior to turnover. Would they be happy with its handling, seat, window cracks, chips, smell and mirror coverage? Is it something the owner would LIVE in for a month or two or six? Has it been fumigated? Lastly, when the handshake and bon voyage is imminent do both parties feel the relationship will work? And if not, do all parties have a professional exit strategy in agreement?
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Most of these don't sound too unreasonable, I'll go for 95% of them and If I ever short someones pay, I always give them the balance in cash, I'll take the hit on taxes for my mistake. I understand the hotel and pay if the truck is down, I had that issue when I drove due to a generator issue. My owner paid my hotel or gave me a rental car my option, at one time he had me come to his house and stay (high dollar neighborhood) and he spent the next day driving me around. I was intending to put a toy or two in the truck to help keep my drivers entertained while they are waiting for their next load. I thought drivers would prefer their own choice of attire, do they really prefer to wear the truck owners company clothing?

 

[MissKat]

Identity with the owner as a gift for example thermal jacket with drivers name. Average cost to purchase $65-95. Benefit- pride and pat on the back. We sat for days and ran hard when we could - not one holiday card, bonus or thank you. The owners bought new cars. We ran so they could park theirs. Another owner - Recovered a truck and brought it back driving 2 strucks back from va then spent ten days at Jeff Jones place with a bad frame. Motel paid but nothing else. Total days driving or waiting unpaid? 22. Put both through tval testing at green for free. Basically if an owner appreciates their team tell them.

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[iceroadtrucker]

Mrs katty kitty

Yupper Happens all the time. Ben it Done it got the T shirt.
and yuuperr all for freee. Not again!

Take care and good luck

 

[skyraider]

I am still considering getting into this as an owner only. With the "on time" and "accurate pay" thing aside, what else could I do to keep drivers happy and in a ST? I have looked into toys for the truck to help keep drivers somewhat happy, initial cost is around $1,400. If I put a Laptop w/camera, sirius radio, gps, tv/dvd combo and maybe a coffee maker in the truck would this help to keep a driver? The only catch to adding the toys is maybe the internet for the laptop and the subscription for the sirius. I know that waiting between loads and sitting miles from home are 2 of many things that discourage drivers, I thought maybe purchasing these things could help the situations.

In my first experience in a ST, we had to supply everything as the driver except the fridge and money was tight to begin with.

Lets cut to the chase, I would go for a Playboy Bunny, well I guess not, I was younger once, but my eyes are working.LOL