Driving Ambition recently conducted a survey on what’s most important to CDL truck drivers. The results might surprise you – 61% of respondents indicated Honesty and Respect are most important; 21% indicated Pay; and 11% indicated Home Time. Being treated with respect, and treating others the same, is invaluable…and it’s free!
In this economy, coupled with a significant driver shortage, it’s extremely important to be cognizant of what truck drivers are looking for from their employers. Once we know what’s most important, we need to deliver.
Most people in the transportation industry are aware of how expensive it is to hire a truck driver. Some statistics report these costs to be anywhere from $2,500 to upwards of $10,000. That’s a significant investment…and it’s never been more important to protect your investment!
Here are a few simple things you can do (if you’re not already) to make your drivers feel respected and appreciated:
- Do what you say and say what you do
- ALWAYS be upfront and honest - tell it like it is; drivers will discover the truth eventually
- Recognize a job well done
- Award Safety Bonuses
- Recognize a Driver of the Month / Driver of the Year
- Ask for feedback
- Have an Issue Resolution process
- Have a Quality Educated Operations Staff
- Pay attention to the little things, like birthdays, employment anniversaries, kids’ birthdays, etc.
- KNOW your drivers and understand what keeps them engaged
At the end of the day, every employer would agree that retaining a great employee is a priority…and to do that we need to be a great employer. Stress the importance of open lines of communication between your operations staff and drivers, and appreciate the significance of the Golden Rule. By following these principles, perhaps you will reduce the impact of the driver shortage on your company.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Jeremy Reymer, President & CEO of Driving Ambition, was interviewed by Bubba Bo of 700 WLW’s American Truckin’ Network at MATS 2012 in Louisville, KY.
“I was honored to be invited for a radio interview during MATS, especially since this year’s event was an attendance record-breaker”, said Reymer. "Speaking with Bubba Bo was very cool…he has a great respect and appreciation for truck drivers.”
The venue for MATS is perfectly situated for Driving Ambition since they operate in a 4-state region that surrounds Louisville - Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee.
Tune in to 700 WLW’s America’s Truckin’ Network, and on XM Channel 166, each Saturday and Sunday morning from Midnight to 5am to hear Bubba Bo.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
I recently had the privilege of presenting to the Ohio Trucking Association’s Safety Council on the topic of Driver Recruitment & Retention – a very important topic as the trucking industry faces a driver shortage, even though we continue to experience high unemployment in a weak economy.
The lunch meeting was full as nearly 100 people were in attendance to learn some traditional, and new, methods for improving our driver recruitment and retention efforts.
If you weren’t able to attend, I have made the video available online. To view the Driver Recruitment & Retention Presentation, please click here.
I may be presenting on Driver Recruitment & Retention again in the coming months in Indianapolis, Louisville, and Nashville.
About the OTA Safety Council
The OTA’s Safety Council meetings take place during lunch on the second Thursday of each month at Wedgewood Country Club in Powell, OH. For more information about the OTA, and why you should be a member, please visit www.ohiotruckingassn.org.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
Scheduled for March 22-24 in Louisville, KY, the 41st Mid-American Trucking Show will encompass more than 1 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits and event. Over 1050 companies will be showcasing their products and services to over 70,000 projected attendees.
Driving Ambition will again be exhibiting this year. We hope you visit our booth and say hello! We’ll be in the West Wing – booth #66149.
Attendee Registration
In an effort to minimize your wait time on-site, online registration is available until March 20 at Noon for $10 each. You can also purchase a ticket at the door for $10.
If you’d prefer to avoid paying $10, Driving Ambition can give you a free general admission ticket – just contact your local branch office. This year we were able to provide free VIP passes for nearly 100 customers, partners, and friends.
Show hours
Thursday, March 22 VIP Session: 10 AM - 1 PM | General Admission: 1 PM - 6 PM
Friday, March 23 General Admission: 10 AM - 6 PM
Saturday, March 24 General Admission: 9 AM - 4 PM
Seminars
Many educational seminars and “listening sessions” will be offered to MATS 2012 attendees. Topics include Medical Qualification of Drivers, New Hours-of-Service Regulations, CSA, Roadside Inspections, EOBR listening session, and How to Operate Trucks for Maximum Profit.
All seminars will take place in the South Wing Conference Center Room B-104. Seminars are free and do not require registration. The Seminar Schedule is now available online.
A special “Salute to Women behind the Wheel” will also take place on Saturday, March 24 at Noon. This 3rd annual event put on by Women in Trucking, recognizes the outstanding safety and performance accomplishments of professional female drivers. Any female professional driver and immediate family are invited and are not required to be a member of Women In Trucking. All members are also invited to participate in the celebration.
For more answers to some of MATS 2012 Frequently Asked Questions, please visit http://www.truckingshow.com/faq.
We hope to see you there!
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The FMCSA has posted a new document on its website illustrating 20 logbook examples under the new Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules that were published Dec. 27 of last year.
The examples include logbooks with no violations, then logbooks with violations of the rules such as the daily driving limit and 14-hour driving window, the 30-minute break provision, the 34-hour restart provision and sleeper berth use.
Most of the new HOS rules are scheduled to go into effect in July 2013, but a new definition of off-duty time and a definition of egregious violations went into effect on February 27.
View the 20 logbook examples here
The final HOS rule remains a contentious issue, as multiple suits have been filed against the new rule.
For more information on the Final HOS Rule, click here.
HOS Final Rule Resources
Complete Final Rule
FMCSA’s Final HOS Rule Page
FMCSA’s Questions & Answers Page
FMCSA's Final HOS Comparison Chart
Transport Topics Special HOS Report
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) and the Medical Review Board (MRB) conducted a joint meeting in Alexandria, VA last month to finalize recommendations to the FMCSA regarding the development of regulatory options for addressing Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) among CDL drivers.
The joint committees took a significant step toward potential regulation of the screening, treatment, and qualification of drivers at risk for OSA.
A total of 11 recommendations were given, including one stating the FMCSA should issue new guidance to medical examiners requiring that CDL drivers with a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 35 be evaluated for OSA. In addition, the driver may be given a 60-day conditional card during the evaluation and treatment process.
The joint committee further recommended that a driver diagnosed with OSA may maintain certification with evidence of appropriate treatment (if any) and effective compliance, and if the examiner determines that the condition does not affect the driver’s ability to operate a CMV safely. Subsequent certification should be no longer than a one-year term. Future recertification should depend on proof of continued compliance with treatment.
Additional recommendations include:
- Commercial drivers diagnosed with apnea may not be unconditionally certified medically to receive their CDL, and must instead use a CPAP at least four hours nightly for 70 percent of nights. Any driver who reports excessive sleepiness during “the major wake period,” or experiences a crash associated with falling asleep, or has been found to be non-compliant in using a CPAP should be disqualified or immediately denied certification;
- Clinicians may cite any combination of possible factors to require or recommend sleep labs. For example, drivers who are male and postmenopausal females with a BMI of 28 or greater, who have experienced a single-vehicle crash or have a 17-inch neck (male) or 15.5-inch neck (female) should be prepared to prove they don’t have sleep apnea. Other factors include being 42 or older, family history, and having a small jaw or airway.
OSA is a condition where the tongue and soft palate relax when a person sleeps. They can collapse and obstruct breathing, causing a person to wake up so often that he or she is not refreshed by sleep. OSA is considered to be a treatable disorder, but happens to be extremely prevalent among commercial drivers. Obesity statistics suggest that well more than half of male adult commercial drivers are obese, a well-known OSA risk factor. It’s been reported that people with people with severe OSA are impaired similar to the effect of an alcohol level of 0.05.
Because both the MCSAC and the MRB are advisory in nature, the joint recommendations to the FMCSA may be proposed for a rule, ignored, or amended and later presented. Any rulemaking or guidance based on the recommendations would be put up for public comment, and a rulemaking could take years to develop.
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.
The 41st Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) is only 20 days away!
Driving Ambition will again be exhibiting at MATS. We hope you visit our booth and say hello! We’ll be in the West Wing – booth #66149.
This year we were able to provide free VIP passes for nearly 100 customers, partners, and friends.
Although the deadline has passed for free VIP and general admission tickets, worry not - Driving Ambition can give you a free general admission ticket if you contact your local branch office (otherwise general admission tickets are $10 at the door).
MATS 2012 Show hours are:
• Thursday, March 22 VIP Session: 10 AM - 1 PM | General Admission: 1 PM - 6 PM
• Friday, March 23 General Admission: 10 AM - 6 PM
• Saturday, March 24 General Admission: 9 AM - 4 PM
For more answers to some of MATS 2012 Frequently Asked Questions, please visit http://www.truckingshow.com/faq.
We hope to see you there!
Driving Ambition is a premier CDL truck driver staffing company serving Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Since 2001, we have specialized in matching safe, experienced CDL drivers for our customers and great job opportunities for our professional truck drivers.
Our commitment to safety and building solid working relationships with both customers and CDL drivers has allowed us to earn an unparalleled reputation with our Proven Drivers and Exceptional Service.