Fuel for Thought

What's your type?

Be Positive is not just a blood type!

Have you ever heard the old saying “misery loves company” ? Well, it is true.

What do you do when your day is not going as planned? What about a week? Or a month?

As drivers, we encounter many different situations from day to day. Having a load cancel or no load at all can get frustrating at times. Trucks can break down at just about any time. Accidents and traffic back ups can make your blood pressure rise.  Shippers and consignees are not always pleasant. Even if you make it through the whole, long, exhausting day, now to top it off, you might run into trouble finding ample safe parking for the night.

It can be easy to wallow in your frustrations and bring others down with you. While many drivers complain and will join in your misery, wouldn’t it be better to stay positive and upbeat?

While misery loves company, a smile and a positive attitude can be infectious. Ever had a bad day and someone gives you a few kind words or helps you in some way? It makes you feel better. The same way if you are having a bad day and run into someone else also having one can make you more angry or frustrated.

Would you rather deal with some angry person everywhere you go? Chances are no one else does either.

Be the positive person.

Especially if you are an owner operator, be positive. Your customers do not want to deal with the angry person that shows up. They may even choose another driver or carrier just because of an unpleasant interaction with a driver that brings a bad attitude and always complains. Your customer will also remember the pleasant, smiling driver that arrived to pick up or deliver their load.

Be professional.

Customers have many choices for who they want to call to handle their shipping needs. Be the one they want to see again. 

Just like many others aspects in life, business is cyclical. A bad day, week, month or year will pass. When it does, do you really want to be the angry, difficult person that a customer will not call for the load ?  You never know which impression will stick with someone, so always make yours a good one.

B+ may or may not be your blood type, but it can and should be your attitude.

See you smiling down the road,

Greg

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.

- Hans Selye