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5 Things Truck Drivers Love
By Matt Sullivan, Marketing, DAT Solutions
This week is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. We've put together a list of five ways that carriers, brokers, and shippers can show appreciation and respect to a driver, including suggestions from the drivers themselves.
1. Respect the Driver's Time
An extra 15 minutes held up at a loading dock or stuck in traffic can be the difference between a driver getting home to family and being stuck in the sleeper cabin another night. Drivers take extra care to manage their hours-of-service (HOS) and mandatory breaks so they can avoid situations like that.
There might not be anything you can do about the traffic, but you can help by not detaining drivers any longer than necessary when loading and unloading the truck or counting product. Or if the driver is detained longer than the standard two hour grace period, compensate them for their time. Just like yours, the driver's time is valuable.
2. Fair Pay
Drivers tend to stay with companies that show that their work is appreciated, and driver retention is a key concern for carriers. Truck drivers have unique skill sets, and with the shortage of new drivers entering the industry, those skills are increasingly rare in today's work force. That's why they deserve to be well-compensated for the specialized services that they provide, whether that means getting paid by the hour or by the mile.
3. Honesty
Will the load be available in the morning? Is there anywhere to park the truck if the driver arrives at the destination early? Will there be lumpers, and who's paying the fee? Are the pallets shrink-wrapped?
Letting the driver know everything there is to know about the load shows that you appreciate what goes into doing the job well.
4. Time at Home
A lot of drivers got into the job because they like the open road. That doesn't mean they want to live there. Home time matters big time.
For carriers, that means learning your drivers' preferences. Some may want short runs, while others are happy to be away from home for long stretches. Show your appreciation by doing your best to match each driver with the schedule that best fits his or her needs.
5. Access to Facilities
When drivers arrive at the delivery dock, they've likely just spent a few hours behind the wheel. Give them access to the facilities. A couch, cup of coffee, or just access to the bathroom is a simple gesture of appreciation for the person who just safely delivered your valuable freight.
DorogaRoad partners with the DAT Load Boards to offer specials on the TruckersEdge load board for Owner Operators in the U.S and DAT Express load board for carriers and brokers in the U.S and Canada. Sign up here and receive 30 days free on TruckersEdge or 15 days free on DAT Express.
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About DAT Load Boards®
The DAT® network of trucks and loads, started as the first load board over 35 years ago and continues to maintain the largest database of trucks and loads in the industry with over 68 million loads and trucks per year. Tens of thousands of loads and trucks per day are found first or exclusively on the DAT Network through DAT Express.
Note: This article was adapted from DAT's blog post on www.DAT.com. It was first published in September 2015
Container Trucking Association of Ontario signs unprecedented deal with industry
Trucking has always had a strained relationship with technology. On one hand, technology allows trucking to exist and perform as required. On the other hand, technology is...
The Container Trucking Association of Ontario (CTAO) has finalized a historic agreement on September 16, 2015
Container Trucking Association of Ontario signs unprecedented deal with industry
This unprecedented settlement, which was reached with container trucking CEOS after 9 days of tense and difficult negotiations includes a fair percentage increase in rates for the first time in over a decade and is unprecedented in the North American Container Trucking industry.
This agreement which has been signed by both parties addresses wait times at terminals, and it reflects today's inflation rates. This was the result of a collective desire to get the drivers back on the road.
"Both parties came together in good faith and we thank the CEO's who have signed today, we applaud your leadership, courage and cooperation."
After 10 years we have set the bar for container truckers and the standard that the industry respects.
"This is about catching for 10 years of rates not being raised with the rate of inflation, costs of keeping trucks on the road. This is about the truck drivers who play an integral part of the economy and deserve an appropriate income that allows them to raise their families" Patrick Rhodin, CTAO President
The CTAO represents 800 and growing independent owner operators and drivers who transport inter modal containers from the rail yards of CN and CP and have been involved in a labour dispute since giving advance notice of their intent on September 8, 2015.
"After 6 months of tense and very difficult negations and 9 days of labour dispute we are elated that we have an unprecedented agreement for the members of the CTAO. We applaud the CEO's, who signed our CTAO proposal and agreement. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.
Thousands of containers and commodities sat idle with an economic impact in the millions while CTAO members protested united, defiantly and peacefully for low rates, high operating costs, extensive wait-times at rail yards, and unsafe and unhealthy long working hours, which contributed to an untenable situation for drivers, who are an integral part of the industry and our national economy.
Although, the deal does not address all CTAO's concerns it does dramatically improve the situation by increasing rates, which have not been raised in 10 years. This deal would not have been possible without the collective organization and unity of the CTAO membership and its supporters which the CTAO is extremely grateful to.