RISK ASSESSMENT:TRUCK DRIVER & EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION

This past year, Forestry Mutual had the privilege of speaking at the annual CLA, VLA, and TFA Conferences. The main topic of the presentation was the importance of making good hiring decisions when it comes to drivers as well as some ideas on how to keep those drivers.

It’s no secret in the Logging Industry that one of the biggest challenges is finding and keeping safe and dependable drivers. Once you’re fortunate to hire a good driver – how do you keep them? Well, like most things, there probably isn’t just one good answer – it’s most likely a combination of things.

Let’s take a look at a few:

The most common answer to retaining drivers is money. Money is what we usually hear or say first when talking about how to keep a good driver. And yes, competitive pay is very important. Unfortunately, in our industry, it’s a huge challenge to pay drivers at the same rate as some of the other competing industries. But is pay the only thing that keeps a driver on your payroll? I will tell you that while pay is important, it is certainly not the “silver bullet” to keeping a good driver. In fact, surprisingly, it may not be the most important factor at all.

Drivers are like anyone else – they are all unique and individual people who have unique and individual needs. Some drivers may say they only care about the money, but I will challenge that driver and can almost guarantee you that is NOT the only factor in retaining that driver. Yes, all of us must make ends meet, but just paying someone well won’t keep them around. Some drivers may need flexibility in working hours or working days. They may have someone at home that requires special care or some other special need. They need the flexibility to take care of that loved one on a specific day, in the evenings, at lunch every day, etc. In this instance, while money is important, the top priority for that driver is the ability to meet the schedule he or she needs.

What about the working environment? Is that important? You bet! It’s great to have a job where you’re able to make your payments each month. But if you come to work every day, get treated like a second-class citizen – shouted at, threatened, can never satisfy the boss, etc. – how long before you start looking elsewhere? Very few people will work under those conditions for very long. Great pay or not, they will start looking for greener pastures.

And how about that thing called Safety? Let’s say you’re a professional driver – the kind an owner would love to have. Meaning you’re dependable, safety is the top priority for you, you’re easy to work with, and you treat the owner’s truck as if it were your own. Now if you’re that type of driver would it matter to you if you drove a run-down hunk of junk truck that wasn’t safe or dependable versus driving a piece of equipment that was well-maintained and you felt it was safe to drive? You bet it would matter! An owner could pay you all you wanted but if you felt unsafe getting in that rig every day or you felt the owner never repaired anything that you brought to his or her attention, how long would you stick around?

All of these factors I just mentioned are keys to keeping a safe and dependable driver. Today, I want us to focus on just one of those factors, and that’s the working environment. Specifically, I want us to review Recognition.

I have had the good fortune to work for an organization that understands the importance of recognition. I saw firsthand the impact that recognition and one-on-one interaction can have on keeping good employees. I have seen, more than once, an employee who wanted – and actually needed – more money. The employee struggled. The employee looked for other jobs. But the employee really didn’t want to leave. I saw their internal struggle and their desire to stay. In fact, I saw numerous times where the employee was able to adjust either his/her budget at home or work with the boss and develop a way to make things work out. But they did that because they WANTED to stay. And why? Because they felt their boss actually cared about them as a person – not just as an employee – not just a driver – not just someone that got their product to market – but as a real person that was part of the work family. I’ve seen firsthand the impact that good personal relationships between the owner and the employee can have on retention. Most times, employees who want to work for someone will find a way to stay – money is secondary.

So how do you, as an owner, develop this devotion from a driver? It simply requires a caring attitude for the individual as a person – not just a driver. I would suggest that as an owner, you should talk with your driver one-on-one daily, if possible, weekly at the very minimum. Find out about your driver as a person. Get to know your employees. What is his or her family situation? Married? Any children? Any family issues –health, etc.? What are his or her hobbies? What makes him or her “tick”? Now of course you can’t require your employee to tell you any of that – but most folks don’t mind talking about themselves or the people they care about once they believe you care about them as a person. And once you establish that relationship, now you’re on your way to developing a devoted employee.

Once you really get to know your employee, make it a point to talk briefly each day if possible, with him or her. Just briefly ask about that sick relative, or about that ballgame that he or she is interested in, etc. And most importantly, end that conversation by letting that driver know you care about him or her and you want them to stay safe! Always, always, leave them with a safety message or tip. Let them know that you want them to come home today safely and that you want them back tomorrow. I understand that the challenges of this industry may make it hard to speak with each driver every day – but for sure you should speak with each driver at least once a week. If nothing else – do it on payday! Let them know how much you appreciate what they do and that you care about them.

I guarantee you that while you may lose an employee occasionally due to pay, they won’t go willingly. They will want to stay with you if at all possible. With the challenges of finding and keeping safe and dependable drivers – we need all the help we can get!

Establishing these personal relationships will help you retain those valuable employees. If you haven’t done so, give it a try! I guarantee you’ll see a difference!