P.M. Executive Summary - Mar. 10
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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Brampton Council Cites Noise Fears Over CN's Plans for Giant Terminal
The Brampton, Ontario, city council unanimously voted not to endorse Canadian National Railway's plan to locate a very large rail-truck transfer terminal in the city.Councilor Paul Palleschi said the trucks and trains would cause "devastating" noise in two nearby communities as well as subdivisions that have been proposed in the area. Mayor Peter Robertson has joined the council's opposition, although he once supported the proposal because of the economic gain it could bring.
U.S. Xpress Founders Look to the Future
Co-Chairmen Max Fuller and Patrick Quinn have made U.S. Xpress the successful just-in-time carrier it is through using cutting-edge technology and doing their best to retain their employees. The two co-chairmen have complementary personalities, with Fuller always eager to move forward and Quinn more analytical.Just-in-time guarantees were unknown when U.S. Xpress entered the JIT market, but as competitors moved into the market, U.S. Xpress began guaranteeing day of delivery and now specifies delivery times.
Quinn suggests a truck-driving apprentice program for 18-year-olds with no drug or ticket problems and clean driving records as a way to combat the driver shortage. To help its drivers as much as possible, the company seeks to keep shipments loaded and unloaded speedily in addition to providing drivers with safe and modern equipment. The operations department was also overhauled to increase driver loads and miles and utilize drivers more efficiently.
To stay abreast of technology, Fuller goes to Europe every year, and he receives technology advice from the Transportation Department and truck manufacturers. Fuller also boasts that the company has one of the industry's best core safety records. Truckers News Online (03/00)
Trucker, Sell Thyself
Truckers can improve their bottom line by paying consistent attention to their appearance, attitude, and behavior, even leased owner-operators who do not have to pursue freight as independents do.John O'Rourke Sr. of Braddock, N.J., is an example of a trucker who makes certain to present a good appearance despite his messy job hauling sand. O'Rourke, whose professionalism includes wearing a tie and shined shoes, keeping equipment clean and his attitude pleasant, has managed to stay with one company 17 years, receive nine-tenths of the gross, have a load for 99% of his time on the road, and get home nightly. He keeps business even as competing owner-operators attempt to undersell him.
Truckers can promote themselves using business cards with their companies' names, their name, and contact information. Since truckers' work can be messy, they could try wearing gloves and coveralls during dirty work and then removing them afterward for a more professional appearance in personnel encounters. Overdrive Online (03/00); Cox, Charles
Building Better Employees
Employees are crucial to a trucking company's success, and companies can work to make employees perform above expectations by instituting an employee development program. Such programs can take the form of training and continued education; profit-sharing; sales contests; or incentives.Both small and large companies should begin an employee development program by surveying employees to ensure that the program being created will be appealing and relevant to them. Employees' requirements will determine the most appropriate kind of training program.
Joe Gabbard of the Recruiting Resource Center, which maintains information for trucking-company recruiters, said the best type of training is on-site, since it can be made specific for each company, as opposed to a seminar, where those attending may be from different carriers.
J.J. Keller & Associates makes trucking-industry training products designed to be quick and simple, since it is generally "hard to get drivers in and get them to devote time to watching a video," said the company's Chris Halla. Companies should also give employees incentives for better performance, such as pay per performance, which makes raise decisions based on performance; gifts or cash rewards can also serve as incentives.
Although pay and incentives can be important, the most important way to boost productivity and performance may be to make employees feel valuable and appreciated, which Gabbard said has to start at the top of the company. This can be achieved by communicating with employees to demonstrate their value to the carrier. J.J. Keller offers two series of videos on communication. The Building Better Relationships series concentrates on driver relationships with customers and other employees, while the Customer Service series has a video for drivers and another for the company's other employees. Trucking Co. Online (03/00); Martin, Michelle
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