January 23, 2018
People who aren’t very familiar with the trucking industry likely have a fairly inaccurate image of what the job looks like.
Many don’t realize how difficult it is to become a truck driver, and therefore, the level of professionalism that truck drivers have attained. Many don’t realize how much technology is required to manage a fleet of trucks, making sure that they all get to their ultimate destinations on time while allowing each driver their necessary off-hours.
This is why it’s important to shed light on the reality of work in this industry. Here are a few ways that trucking companies can add to their professional image, attracting new drivers to the industry and reducing turnover within their own fleets.
Use the most up-to-date technology possible.
For whatever reason, trucking doesn’t have a reputation as a high-tech industry — despite the fact that one company can be managing thousands of trucks, on hundreds of different routes, hauling many different types of freight, on a round-the-clock basis.
If that’s not a task that requires advanced technology, then we don’t know what is.
Using the most up-to-date technology possible will not only give your company a competitive edge, but it will also improve your professional image.
Fleet management applications, analytics models, and other fleet software solutions allow you to leverage data to grow your business, plan the most efficient routes for your drivers, and keep your drivers, cargo, and vehicles safe and secure.
Invest in messaging aimed at the general public.
Talking directly to the general public is an important way to help improve your company’s professional image. By showing the public exactly what it takes to become a truck driver, or what a fleet manager does each day, you’ll be able to help change their perception of the industry.
You can do so fairly simply, thanks to the power of social media and blogging. To start, consider interviewing one of your drivers for a blog post, or hosting a contest on social media that drivers can enter by submitting photos. If you take some time to develop a social media strategy, you’ll be able to connect with people who aren’t involved in trucking.
Lead by example and treat your drivers as the professionals they are.
Of course, professionalism is much more than the software you use or the message you put out. Professionalism is a way of conducting oneself, and of conducting business, with ethics, dignity, and respect for others.
The most important step in establishing and maintaining professionalism in your fleet is to treat your employees and drivers like the professionals they are.
Truck drivers need to know that their skills and talents are respected. They need to know that their contributions to the company are valued and appreciated. Then they’re much more likely to act like professionals whether they’re out on the road, on the phone with a customer, or working with a company’s receiving crew as they deliver their cargo.
Being viewed as a professional can be difficult in the trucking industry. However, with the right attitude, message, and technology to help you get the job done, you can improve the way people see your company — and even the industry at large.