Plans must be made when doing anything in the business arena of trucking. Several months of planning can go into just a single decision and in that planning, much talking is to be had by all parties. One simple rule that has led me to my success and also helped in landing and happily retaining a 20+ safe-driving veteran to drive for me, is simply following through on promise. I am a planner by nature, so I make sure something is going to work when I decide to pursue it. When it comes to the implementation of change, saying what I do, then doing what I say, ends up paying dividends when all is said and done and the smoke clears.
In the beginning of becoming an independent motor carrier it seemed the norm with a lot of brokers I would start hauling loads for, that my level of service was not something they were used to receiving. My rates were by far not the cheapest for what I do in the local area, yet I had more repeat calls for work than I could handle by the end of my first month or two of being an independent carrier. Several brokers told me that it was not my pricing that was bringing them back, but rather it was my ability to schedule the loads efficiently, promptly, and follow through on everything they expected during every point in the transaction. They did make it clear that I asked more questions than their usual haulers, which I explained was necessary for me to properly plan without surprises to better deliver on my projected lead times for shippers and receivers. In the end it was being informed enough to make exceptional promises on service, then in the end delivering on those promises, that had me looking for a second driver within the first year of hauling for myself.
Now that my second driver has been running with me for several months, I tend to keep my finger on the pulse of what makes this 20+ year “Holy Grail” veteran of the industry keep wanting to drive for me. The answer is always simple from his end, but falls in line with the philosophy I have been outlining thus far. The fact that I planned ahead and let him know just what to expect, then proceeded to meet or exceed those expectations since he has signed on, keeps him happy and satisfied with his running for me day in and day out. There was no magic “signing bonus” or “minimum cents per mile guarantee” that came along with pulling my trailer and my loads. Rather, it is adhering to saying what I do first, then doing exactly what I say I will do in the end, that worked for me in yet another facet of my trucking business.
There are a lot of people in the trucking industry you will meet that will not have quite the same desire to follow through on what they say they will do. In fact, you may meet some folks out there that want to take advantage of you by not doing what they say. This is true whether you are a company driver, leased owner operator, or full independent carrier. One thing that remains true is that by following this rule of “saying and doing” yourself, you can quickly build a reputation as being the best choice. In the end, it may not be the cheapest truck that gets the best loads, but rather the most dependable! Being able to say what you do and actually finish by doing what you say in all parts of your business can only lead to more success in the long run!