Great West Casualty Company Blog

Motor carriers are not strangers to the challenges of leading a multi-generational workforce. Each group of workers have its own unique set of characteristics and values, which are reflected in the group’s likes, dislikes, and attitude towards work. Because of each group’s uniqueness, a one-size-fits-all leadership style may not produce the best results. Leaders must be dynamic in their approaches and apply the appropriate leadership style to the person in front of them. A key to success is engaging all employees and building individual relationships to better understand what motivates each employee to perform at his or her best. This approach will not only help improve communication and operational effectiveness but also help you grow as a leader. Below is some brief insight into each generation and some leadership tips to consider.

It is no secret that the trucking industry as a whole struggles with driver turnover. On average, drivers stay with their employers for only one year, and that turnover can cost a motor carrier approximately $8,200 each time a driver leaves, according to a recent study by McQuaig. Obviously, making a fair wage is important to drivers, but it may come as a surprise that not all drivers hop jobs for financial reasons. Even if the grass looks greener working for a competitor, company culture could be the root cause of driver dissatisfaction and turnover.

  Contributed by Dave Osiecki, Scopelitis Transportation Consulting LLC   Since the inception of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the trucking industry has been rightly concerned that its business partners would improperly use CSA scores to make business decisions. The scores, the trucking industry argued, were not an accurate depiction of a company’s safety posture.   

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance campaign is set for July.  Here's how to make sure your drivers and staff are ready. From July 12-18, 2020, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is conducting its Operation Safe Driver campaign throughout the United States and Canada. Motor carriers of all sizes must prepare for this event by educating themselves about what Operation Safe Driver Week means for their trucking operation.

 

On April 23, 1910, in Paris, France, Theodore Roosevelt delivered a speech that would come to be known as “The Man in the Arena.” In his address, Roosevelt touched on the courage it takes for a person to lead, to stand up, and to be a target for failure and ridicule in the face of progress. Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

Have you ever run a report and questioned the results? You may have looked at the report, noted something about the data didn’t look right, researched further, and realized the data was bogus.

Motor carriers use the word talent to refer to employees, but this reference can include all employees or a select group (i.e., high performers), depending on who you’re talking to. One thing carriers can agree on is that mismanaging talent can have the same negative impact on the company’s bottom line as a crash or injury can have. For this reason, trucking companies should be managing their talent the way they manage their risks: using metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). To gauge how well the company is managing its workers, an employer can use these talent metrics to measure its performance.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MY COMPANY FROM IDENTITY THEFT? Great question! This issue recently came up when a motor carrier was contacted by a third-party administrator (TPA) who was requesting unlimited access to the motor carrier’s intranet so it could file, process, and handle claims. Specifically, the TPA requested the motor carrier’s website login and password information to obtain information and documentation for a claim. This raised a red flag with the motor carrier, rightfully so. Before granting access to sensitive company data or agreeing to do business with anyone, you need to take steps to protect your identity from cyber criminals and other thieves to ensure the brokers, carriers, shippers, and receivers you do business with are legitimate. There are many ways criminals can steal a person’s or company’s identity. Below are common theft methods and ideas to help defend your company from identity theft.

Great question! Unfortunately, there’s not a magic pill to resolve this issue, but motor carriers would be wise to consider retention solutions from the driver’s perspective if they hope to remain competitive and limit the business interruptions caused by driver turnover. Below are the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) critical issues in the trucking industry for 2018; on this list, you can see that drivers and motor carriers do not share the same concerns. This difference in views is important to point out because if a motor carrier wants to attract and retain quality drivers, it needs to create a culture and work environment that addresses driver concerns.