Note: This is the third of a three-part series that takes a look at key findings from this year’s Best Fleets to Drive For program. Written by CarriersEdge President Mark Murrell, the columns cover noticeable trends/findings in driver compensation and benefits, HR practices and operational strategy that effect a driver’s day-to-day experience. The final installment will focus on what fleets are doing to improve operating practices.
Do they love it or hate it? That is, do drivers feel good about going to work each day or do they regret it? How a driver perceives the day-to-day experience working for a company can significantly impact their overall well-being and satisfaction with their employer.
In the final part of this series on key findings from this year’s Best Fleets to Drive For program, we’ll look at what program participants are doing to improve operating conditions and safety for their drivers.
For years, the top performing companies in the Best Fleets program have invested in reliable and comfortable equipment for their drivers. In fact, the majority of the finalists in this year’s Best Fleets program schedule regular meetings or have other formal programs to get input from drivers on vehicle specs or selection. This collaborative process helps find specs that work for both drivers and the fleet.
Not only that, when it comes time to perform preventative maintenance, these fleets have done well at using technology that is available to monitor truck components and use the vehicle information to schedule when trucks need to be serviced. When maintenance is due, we’ve seen the best strategically schedule PMs around drivers’ schedules or during times that are the least disruptive to operations. In the event truck maintenance needs to be completed when a driver is scheduled, we found that more than 80% of the Best Fleets pay and/or make accommodations. Accommodations may include providing a loaner vehicle, reassigning drivers to local work temporarily, or in some cases, compensation for the time they spend waiting on service.
