{"id":11433,"date":"2021-06-07T13:16:18","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T11:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=11433"},"modified":"2021-06-07T13:16:18","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T11:16:18","slug":"fleets-46","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2021\/06\/07\/fleets-46\/","title":{"rendered":"Fleets find success building driver-centric culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

In today’s climate, driver capacity concerns and retention remain top of mind for commercial fleets. Here’s a look at how three very different fleets have been able to maintain a quality workplace and environment for their drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Recruiting and retaining professional drivers remains a top priority for commercial fleet owners and managers. While creating a driver-centric company culture can be challenging, communication and transparency tend to be the silver bullets for the fleets that have found success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a former truck driver and dispatcher, Andrew Winkler, now general manager at Chief Carriers<\/a>, which runs 65 trucks and 200 flatbed trailers and is a subsidiary of Chief Industries, is well aware that communication is essential when it comes to improving and maintaining a quality workplace and environment for drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to constantly listen to the drivers,\u201d Winkler told FleetOwner<\/i>. \u201cIf you just have a conversation with them, you\u2019ll start to understand and learn what\u2019s important to them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Winkler got his start in the industry in 1995 as a student driver for Grand Island Express (GIE). After earning his commercial driver\u2019s license, he drove over the road for GIE for about 10 months before accepting a position as a dispatcher. Throughout his career at GIE, Winkler progressed from student driver to solo driver, from dispatcher to operations manager and then safety director, before eventually leaving the company as vice president of operations. He took on the role of general manager at Chief Carriers in 2018. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think being a former driver has helped a lot not only with perspective and experience on the road, but they certainly respect you if you came up through the system after starting as a driver,\u201d Winkler explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Scott Manthey, vice president of safety and training at Wilson Logistics<\/a>, a transportation logistics company based in Springfield, Missouri, making Wilson a better company for drivers topped his to-do list when he started the job three years ago. Before Wilson, Manthey worked for Gordon Trucking and Interstate Distributor (both now owned by Heartland Express).<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2007 when Manthey was with Gordon Trucking, he got involved with the Truckload Carriers Association and CarriersEdge and was introduced to their Best Fleets to Drive For<\/a> program.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve put a lot of focus on listening and trying to be respectful,\u201d Manthey explained. \u201cWe\u2019ve been pushing getting to know drivers. Fleet managers know which drivers need to get home for what family event and when. If they let us know they need something, then we try to accommodate them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the Best Fleets to Drive For program\u2019s founding in 2009, Winkler and Manthey have been the only two fleet professionals to have transformed multiple fleets into Top 20 winners. Winkler had previously assisted in forming a company culture at GIE that consistently ranks among the best fleets. Since 2012, GIE has been named a Best Fleet to Drive For each year. Manthey\u2019s work with Gordon Trucking, Interstate Distributor, and Wilson Logistics helped them become a Best Fleet to Drive For several times.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Manthey, to better understand how the company can best accommodate or improve working conditions for its drivers, Wilson Logistics provides special training for fleet managers and all employees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur belief is that everybody is created equal, we just have different strengths and weaknesses,\u201d Manthey explained. \u201cI think about what type of environment I would want my kids working in and apply that thought when making decisions. The owner of the company is no different than anyone else. We\u2019re all human beings and have the same basic needs in life. Once you establish and maintain good communications across divisions, creating a healthy work environment becomes easier.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Culture, safety, and retention<\/span><\/h3>\n

To improve Wilson’s culture within the fleet, Manthey pulled information from Best Fleets surveys and noticed there were some significant gaps in home time, communication, and what amenities were available to drivers across the business that he felt could be filled quickly. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of work to do; it doesn\u2019t happen overnight,”\u00a0Manthey explained. “When you\u2019re talking about shifting culture, it takes time. This past year, we fine-tuned things and recreated the job to give drivers more regional options.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe actually look at where we hire people,\u201d he continued. \u201cThere\u2019s a driver shortage and it\u2019s tough, but the last thing we want to do is hire somebody and then they\u2019re never able to go home because they\u2019re just going to leave.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Chief Carrier\u2019s Winkler first heard about the Best Fleets program when he was working at Grand Island Express. Over the course of the first year of the program, he learned that the company had good driver programs in place, but that communication with drivers needed improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since joining Chief Carriers in 2018, Winkler relied on his experience participating with the Best Fleets program and helped his new company build better communication practices with its drivers. The company uses Facebook, videos, and other communication channels to maintain relationships with drivers and keep them informed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been our biggest improvement since I joined Chief Carriers,\u201d said Winkler. \u201cIt\u2019s important to be transparent with drivers. It helps build trust. Once you have that down, it\u2019s easier to focus on other areas that can better the workplace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The past year has been challenging for many fleets\u2019 retention efforts because of drivers prematurely leaving the industry due to COVID-19 and regulatory measures, like the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. For Catherine Ezzell, president of Ezzell Trucking, the coronavirus pandemic prompted many communication challenges for the smaller bulk wood residual hauler, which prides itself on getting to know all its drivers on a personal level.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"EzzellEzzell Trucking has spec\u2019d its trucks with safety technologies like anti-rollover, collision avoidance, lane departure, cameras, and in-cab recording devices to improve overall safety and operations.<\/span>Photo: Ezzell Trucking<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith COVID, we weren\u2019t able to make as many on-site visits as we would otherwise,\u201d Ezzell said. \u201cWe try to do those in-person meetings and face-to-face talks, and COVID put a stop to that\u2014at least in the short term.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In late 2020, the carrier reached out to WorkHound<\/a> to help enhance communication with drivers. The company has since found success utilizing WorkHound\u2019s feedback app to send out driver surveys, as well as alerts from management so drivers know immediately of any pay changes or company-wide concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t get better unless we know what we need to improve on,” Ezzell said. “It has been a wonderful way to hear from our folks. One of the quickest things that we were able to turn around based on feedback is driver waiting time. We know that a driver\u2019s time is valuable. Based on our folks\u2019 feedback, we were able to improve our waiting time pay structure in case a driver gets detained at a customer site.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to leveraging feedback and data from WorkHound, Ezzell Trucking has spec\u2019d its trucks with safety features like anti-rollover, collision avoidance, lane departure, cameras, and in-cab recording devices to improve overall safety and operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMore drivers have thanked us for installing them,\u201d Ezzell told FleetOwner<\/i>. \u201cThat shows the quality of the driver we bring onboard. Our hiring standards are very strict as far as a driver\u2019s past safety record. In fact, over the past five years, we have never had a year where our number of perfectly clean motor vehicle records for all our drivers has dipped below 98%.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On the technology front, Wilson Logistics also runs various safety features and forward-facing cameras. Wilson also uses critical event recording (CER) devices to coach drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe turned on CER about two years ago and it was very surprising,\u201d Manthey said. \u201cWe did some coaching with the fleet managers and drivers and we have shaved off events by more than two-thirds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing driver concerns and expectations<\/span><\/h3>\n

Although compensation is a consistent concern for drivers, over the last several years, Winkler has seen a trend where home time has become just as important, if not more important, than the money itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you talk to a lot of drivers, they might inquire about your company and one of the first things they ask is how often do I get home, or what does the home time look like? Maybe even before they ask what it pays,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manthey also agreed that compensation has always been a major concern for drivers, but more recently, transparency has become incredibly important for driver morale.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe find it\u2019s more about the quality of life, home time, and respect,\u201d he noted.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the pandemic, Wilson Logistics made it a point that no company employee went without a paycheck if they had to miss work. The carrier also paid drivers their five-week average if they had to take time off because of the virus. Overall, the company spent $1.7 million between salaries, COVID-19 tests, and time off over a 14-month period during the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chief Carriers has also put a great deal of emphasis on respect and transparency. And that commitment to transparency, according to Winkler, has led to trust and driver retention.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, we are just creating a place where drivers want to be,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe all know it\u2019s gotten super competitive, especially in the last few months. You really have to look in the mirror and ask yourself what you can do internally to create a place where professional drivers want to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To identify programs within their company that could be improved and best position themselves to remain a top workplace in the industry, Winkler and Manthey said they pay close attention to the results booklet that is published by the Best Fleets program at the conclusion of the competition each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone within the Best Fleet community essentially learns from each other,\u201d Winkler said. \u201cAnd it doesn\u2019t mean that you take every great idea that comes out but you take those ideas and ask yourself, \u2018How can we make this work within our organization?\u2019 I think that\u2019s how we made the biggest gains\u2014just by studying programs and looking at what our fellow fleets are doing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Cristina Commendatore<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.fleetowner.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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In today’s climate, driver capacity concerns and retention remain top of mind for commercial fleets. Here’s a look at how three very different fleets have been able to maintain a quality workplace and environment for their drivers. Recruiting and retaining professional drivers remains a top priority for commercial fleet owners and managers. While creating a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[133],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11433"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11435,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11433\/revisions\/11435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}