Fuel for Thought

Value

We as truck drivers provide a service. We do not produce goods, we transport goods from Point A to Point B. We do not set the rates we receive, our rates for our services are directly tied to market demand, mostly. While the majority of drivers are at the mercy of market rates for their services, there are those who can somewhat set their own rates to a degree. These are the owner operators (leased or under their own authority) who provide greater services than the average truck driver out on the road today. 

It seems that most drivers think they can dictate rates to the customer when they bring nothing more to the table than the truck parked next to them. A dry van is a dry van. A truck is a truck. It is what you can or will do to set yourself apart from the rest that makes the difference in the rates you can receive. 

Most loads will go from one point to another, but many loads may require more than just basic transporting. If you have special equipment on board (and are willing to use it properly), this can add value to the services you can supply to your customer, which will also tend to increase your revenue. 

Another way to increase your revenue per load is knowledge. Again, if you are “just a truck driver” then your pay will generally reflect that mindset. Oftentimes, loads will encounter issues or the customer has some additional needs for their shipment(s). Are you the driver that will get frustrated, throw your hands up and proclaim that the problem at hand is not your job? Or are you the person who upon entering the forest of difficulty is the first one to start chopping and clearing a path to find the solution? The former is less likely to have a repeat customer and the latter is not only more likely to gain more work from this customer, but also become a preferred choice for future loads. The problem solver is an asset in the field and many customers are willing to pay the higher rate to them knowing that they have less to worry about when their products are being hauled by the business minded truckers who can adapt and overcome obstacles to ensure safe and prompt delivery of their products.

Increase your knowledge and offer more service than the average driver and you will rarely want for customers (they will find you). Whether during boom or bust economies, there will always be those who can not only survive, but thrive in most any situation. The Cajun-French have a term that would serve you well if you applied it - Lagniappe (pronounced lan yap). It means a little extra or a bonus. You as a customer appreciate it when you receive lagniappe, apply this to your business, and your customer will appreciate it too. Every little thing you do extra for a customer does not have to come with an invoice attached.

Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile. 

- Gary Ryan Blair

See you down the road,

Greg