Some Clues To Driver Retention

I started reading a Roadking article about the perils of a rookie#driver. I started reading it expecting a feel good personal interest story but got something more. Here is what I found.

Some of the clues to a#successful#retention#program are hidden, not just in what is being said in article, but who gets involved on the topic of young drivers.

Accordingly, tips were given in the article to new drivers from experienced drivers who remember how it felt to be a rookie. On top of that, additional comments by experienced #drivers were posted in the comments section beneath the article.

So where am I going with this?

Well..a few thoughts:

The treatment of the#older#drivers can make or break you since THEY will determine the global opinions of your younger drivers. Treat them the way a pro team treats a star athlete, with patient concern, training, and constant rewards.

Start a#mentoring program with reward incentives for experienced drivers to work with new recruits. If a young driver stays so many months, maybe reward the senior mentor driver with a restaurant gift card or comfort item for their truck.
 
Make sure the rewards are set up at#different time increments to continue incentivizing the older drivers to mentor the younger drivers.

Constantly, regularly listen to#experienced#drivers and document what they face as well as what rookie drivers face. Compile this into training materials so there are no surprises on the road which could discourage newer drivers.

Read the article I am referencing, while a few weeks old, it is still pretty good. Click here to go to it.

 -Michael Saks

#Trucking /#transportation topics editor

  msaks@ectts.com

“The Rookie: A new driver looks back at his first year on the road” (December 31^st,2012) http://roadking.com/2012/12/the-rookie/

Related articles

• The Driver Shortage Is The Tip Of The Iceberg
• The Car Hauler Business In The Age Of The Driver Shortage
• Solving The Trucker Shortage
• Preventing Car Hauler and Trucking Driver Turnover : Success Tips
• Safe Driving: Good News For Cottrell Drivers
• Trucker Health
• What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
• Car haulers In The Future World Of Higher Tolls
• The Great Trucker Smokeout
• OOIDA Sues FMCSA over Pre-Employment Screening Program - Truckinginfo.com

=========================================================

Compact Extra Loud Chrome #Train Horn - 4 #Bell

SKU: 6426

Availability: In stock.

Regular Price: $169.95

Special Price: $139.95

Quick Overview

140 Decibel readings
Needs minimum 120 PSI
Easy to Install

Protecting Your Health On The Road

One of the biggest concerns facing fleets or truckers are health issues..

Please click here or the picture to read our Driver Health Segment Newsletter

==============================================================

Related articles

• The Biggest Health Risk To Truckers, Car Haulers, Tranpsortation Professionals..bar None
• Men's Health Issues Website Launched for Men Over 30 at MensHealthIssues.org
• The Great Trucker Smokeout
• Mandatory health-care worker flu vaccinations worth considering, says Alberta minister
• All Your Medical Data In The Cloud? Not So Fast, Says HHS Privacy Official

==============================================================

Truck Specials

Truck Specials!

To go to the flier download page click HERE
 ======================================================================

Don't forget to order your parts from parts.ectts.com and get entered to win a Richard Petty Driving Experience

Tired of Truck Inspections.. this may be for you

Bypassing The Inspection Stations...?

The Indiana DMV is offering an enrollment to Pre-pass, a system which allows truckers and fleets with good records to bypass the inspection station using electronic monitoring. The article does say that a transponder is required.

To read the original article go to

http://www.govtech.com/transportation/Ind-Truck-Tech-Could-Make-Roads-Safer.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Win a NASCAR Driving Experience

Just spend $100 or more on trucking, carhauler, or towing parts and get entered to win a REAL NASCAR experience!

parts.ectts.com












-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Trucking and Social Media

Social Media And The Internet Are Trucking Along...

Who would have thought that there would be enough interest in social media in the truck industry to merit a convention?

A few years ago I would have laughed that the impact of all the social media, mobile devices, and the internet would ever get to this point..but it did

Peterbilt truck with trailer

According to Truckinginfo.com there will a social media convention for Truckers in late October. I think this is an enormous amount of progress in a really short time.

The impact of the internet and social media on the trucking industry, and the rest of the economy, is not just its impact but the SPEED at which that impact is taking effect

As the internet grows, huge changes can come about very very quickly because of it.

It will be interesting!

 http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=78152

===================================================================

Make your rig stand out!

Custom logo and lettering can make you stand out in front of
thousands each day!

email msaks@ectts.com for more information










====================================================================

Distracted Driving: A threat to truckers AND anyone on the road

 Distracted Driving is not just a threat to truckers and the trucking industry, but to everyone. According to Truckinginfo.com the statistics on the destructive impact of distracted driving are staggering. 

• 10% of all accidents are because of distracted driving
• 18% of all accidents where an injury occurred when distracted driving was involved

The statistics in the article go on from there. The message is clear. Driving while texting or using a cell phone increases your chance of getting in an accident exponentially. The penalties for driving distracted will probably get worse and worse as these numbers intensify. My guess is that if it does not abate, there will be penalties rivaling drunk driving. That may seem outlandish but the impact of distracted driving has become significant.

 For more information here is the link to the original article
http://truckinginfo.com/news/news-detail.asp?news_id=78110&news_category_id=12

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good truck logos and truck lettering can help your trucking company be remembered AND can get you business!

 

East Coast Truck and Trailer can help you 

• design your truck logo
• design your truck lettering
• install your truck logo
• install your truck lettering

 

And make a huge impact on your trucking revenue. We do all types of trucks, carhaulers, and heavy duty vehicles

 

go to www.ectts.com or

 

email msaks@ectts.comwww.ectts.com

Update: Mexican Trucking Stalling

Volvo Truck for Sale: Click Here

A CNN report says the Mexican trucking program is failing. I am not surprised. My guess is their trucking companies cannot afford the same regulations American companies are choking on right now. I mean how can trucking companies in Mexico, paying $10 to $15 an hour wages (if that), are going to stomach 5 billion dollars of regulation?

There is no way that trucks that require tens of thousands of dollars of repair are going to go through hundreds of inspection stations in the 48 states and pass. Consider that records are electronic and they travel with you. It would become a joke among American truckers about what is the fastest time a Mexican trucking company gets put off the road, if they can even meet basic DOT inspection.

The only way this program has ANY hope of working is

• if the trucking companies spend a fortune to upgrade their trucks
• Guarantee the safety of unarmed DOT officers, who, last I checked, have tovisit at least 50% of these trucking companies in Mexico for inspection
• Must guarantee their is no organized crime or cartel involvement, tampering,or utilization of these trucks for illegal purposes or drug trafficking

My advice to these companies: Buena Suerte  (Good Luck)


http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/04/us/mexico-trucks/index.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking for custom signs, lettering , or logos for your truck Nationwide

Call 757-465-2200

Ask for Crystal

Trucker Health

 Whats at Stake with Driver Health

Incredible article about the health risks truckers face just by being truckers. The hazards that

are threatening the national pool of truck drivers are riskier than you might think. According to 

a USA today article:

• Approximately 1 in 3 of all drivers are Obese
• Over 80% are overweight
• The insurance costs of healthier truckers are almost 50% less expensive than obese truckers
• Obesity is linked to sleep apnea

I can tell you that it will not be long before most trucking companies mysteriously screen out heavier drivers for insurance costs alone

 
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/story/2012-08-09/truckers-health/57194472/1

Trucking and the Fear of Gas Increases

A phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of anybody who depends on a vehicle for a living...fuel prices. The price of fuel has dipped a little bit offering only a slight bit of relief for the trucker community. The trend still favors an upward climb

Trucking And The Economy: Big Payloads Often Mean Economic Growth...

Trucking is the lifeblood of any economy. It moves the goods back and forth. Whatever product your using or holding was..brought on a truck.

trucks for sale click here

 

On a bigger scale large truck payloads are often signs of economic stimulation and prosperity. I am placing a link to a story about a construction equipment haul by a specialized hauling truck. While not all that glamorous, it means someone, somewhere is building something for some reason..which isnt a bad thing

Click Here to go to the story