What’s that old saying – you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?
Here in transportation, you get more capacity with a little respect.
One thing I’ve noticed with our operations folks is how they treat truck drivers.
I’m talking about the endless calls to schedule pick-ups & deliveries,
to get directions, whatever.
It’s part of the job.
How you act on those calls makes a big difference.
And with all the capacity problems the industry is facing right now, one simple
thing can make a huge difference.
Showing truck drivers some respect.
Trust me, it’s well deserved.
These guys are out there hitting it hard.
Day-in, day-out.
Doing one of the most crucial jobs in our country’s tremendous economy.
A pretty thankless job most times, too.
Barreling down the nation’s highways with 40 tons of essential goods that absolutely, positively has to be there right now… is a hard slog.
Picture boiling pavement, torrential rains, endless nights.
Add in the usual stuff that happens to anyone out on the road for any length of time –
blown tires, breakdowns, construction snarls, crazy traffic and a
million other potential pitfalls…
And you’ve got a pretty typical day for these guys.
So yeah, showing some respect seems like the least we can do.
And it could be the thing that saves your butt one day.
Like a carrier backs out of a shipment and your load is sitting in
the wind with no one to take it.
Wait – you know a trucker.
Maybe your client has an emergency and they’re counting on you to find some trucks.
Maybe you know a guy.
Or, all your usual carriers are coming back with astronomical bids.
There’s a trucker who just might do you a solid.
Point is, this industry is all about relationships.
And central among them, is our relationship with the people who actually do
the transporting in the transportation business.
So, let’s all remember to show our drivers a little respect.
Don’t cost nothing.
Bart Darress is the VP of Marketing for JTR Logistics
