Jim Park Nails It!

I don't know if many of you have had a chance to check out Jim Park's Truck Talk yet. It's an online radio show with Jim talking to different people about industry issues each week. 

Last week's episode featured an interview with a guy who's fed up and quitting the industry. Very interesting stuff. This guy is basically quitting the industry because he's sick of being treated badly by people that he deals with when doing his job. He had good things to say about his carrier, but had lots of issues with the customers he dealt with through that carrier. I found this part very interesting.

Jim's point was that we have to find ways to keep people like this in the industry if we're going to survive. It's not enough to bring people into the industry - we also have to make it attractive for them to stick around. 

Excellent point. 

Of course, that's not news to any of you. However, there's something in here that we don't often consider. The driver in the interview had gripes with shippers, et al. and was so fed up he was planning to quit the industry. But I don't think it's as simple as "evil shippers force promising young driver out of industry".

Did this driver's carrier stick up for him with those shippers? Did the carrier make it clear to the customer that their drivers are experienced professionals who should be treated with respect?

It doesn't appear that they did, and that's the problem. We can talk all we like about how valuable our drivers are, but if we don't stick up for them when they need us to, it doesn't matter. If that carrier had stuck up for our young driver and managed their client more effectively, that driver would feel a whole lot better about the industry and might not be leaving.

We spend a lot of time trying to create positive environments for drivers in the terminal and on the road, but the 'work environment' at customer sites is just as important.

Yes, this is a tough situation. After all, these are paying customers and we want their business. Rocking the boat could mean losing a client. But if we're serious about taking care of the people who drive the business, sometimes we need to take that risk. 

How do you ensure your drivers are treated well out on the road? What does your company do when customers don't treat your drivers properly?