One Bad Apple
Here are several reader comments on a blog post by Dean Smallwood, CCJ managing editor, who wrote about a recent encounter while on his way to work with a less-than-safe truck driver for a large reputable carrier …
Trust but verify
“I always provide feedback to the company. … Half the companies take the information and are appreciative – others provide a nice voice-mail box that is always full. I recently read of a horrible accident that resulted in multiple fatalities because the driver (a new hire) did not start on Friday, but left several days later, taking the weekend off and fudging his logbook. The cycle of destruction always starts with a lie. Trust your drivers – but verify. Management has to do its job.” -johntaratuta
Slim pickings
“Or perhaps because of turnover and low pay, this well-known company has now lowered its standards to accept the sort of driver you had this experience with, and by keeping your silence, you allow it to continue.” -Kurt
Move over
“I have seen more 4-wheelers – meaning people who drive cars – going well over 80 miles an hour on the highway on a regular basis, and they still do while talking on their cell phones going from one lane to the other. My advice to 4-wheelers: Stay out of the way of heavy trucks because we weigh in excess of 80,000 pounds, and if you like having a nice car to drive, food on the table or anything else you own, remember one thing – it took a heavy truck to get it to the store for you as a consumer to go out and buy that product.” -Norm
Nowhere to hide
“johntaratuta, I’d remind you that not every employee in every business is the perfect employee. Most truckers are good decent folks, but there are bad apples. There are bad bankers, doctors and shoe salesmen, too. The problem is that truckers do their jobs in full view of the public, and when a bad one violates the law, he’s in full view of a lot of the general public. When a doctor screws up, he does it in private.” -DavidMac
APP Reviews
What it does: Allows users to access McLeod LoadMaster and PowerBroker application software on the go, providing up-to-the-minute access for orders, stops, customers, contacts, movements, drivers, tractors, trailers and carriers.
What they say: Improve customer service levels and operating ratios, attract and retain the best drivers and drive automation to destroy inefficiency with the McLeod LoadMaster app. Use of the app requires the purchase of a McLeod SmartPhone server side component.
Access: iPhone.
Truck Wash Locator
What it does: Locates, maps and navigates to the nearest Blue Beacon location.
What they say: With more than 100 24-hour locations in 38 states and Canada, Blue Beacon’s Truck Wash Locator allows fleets and drivers to search by city, state and interstate highway. Users can select a location to view details and receive navigation instructions, as well as an interactive map of all North America locations. Users also can use the app to contact Blue Beacon for comments and suggestions.
Access: iPhone, Android.
31%
Percent of respondents who say they are happy with the call for an EOBR mandate in the new highway funding legislation.
Based on 124 respondents’ answers to an online survey. ccjdigital.com/polls
Webinars
Managing Fuel Costs: Thursday, Aug. 30, 3-4 p.m. ET
Today’s volatile fuel prices call for smart tactics to control costs. Fleet managers, including Royal Jones, president and CEO of Mesilla Valley Transportation, will look at ways to buy fuel and implement fuel economy savings that have a positive impact on your bottom line.
