How he said it startled me somewhat. He thought being an owner-operator was a logical step in a truck driver’s career. You begin as a menial corporate driver, and when you’ve earned your keep, you may advance to owner-operator positions, where the real bucks are. I worry that rookie drivers just beginning their careers in driving think along these lines much too often. I wanted to take the time to outline what I believe to be the natural evolution of a truck driver’s career and demonstrate how you may succeed in this line of work without having to assume all the unneeded risks associated with vehicle ownership.
Availability Of Truck Drivers
We often hear about the high need for truck drivers in this field, yet a quick scan of the extensive web material on this profession reveals a shocking amount of contempt for trucking firms and how they treat their workers.
So what’s going on here? How is it possible that a sector of the economy that desperately needs drivers could be so depraved? News Alert…
A staggering 95% of internet information regarding trucking is false, making it a complete waste of time and effort.
Look at this amazing fact: Around five new entry-level drivers out of one hundred survive through their first-anniversary date as rookie solo drivers. What then happens to the unsuccessful drivers? According to what I can tell, most of them begin attempting to establish a reputation as prophetic voices protesting against what they consider to be injustices in the trucking sector in trucking forums or on YouTube. Let’s be clear: A lot of so-called experts have had no success in our sector attempting to explain to the rests of us how it is so rife with the wrongdoing that they often refer to it as “slavery.”
Do Truck Drivers Have Such a High Demand?
Sure, there is a need, but it’s for the sort of drivers who know how the industry operates and, as a result, can do tasks in a manner that benefits both themselves and their employers. They are often referred to as Top Tier Drivers. We must comprehend what it takes to be this kind of driver if there is a need for this kind of driver. I hope that by providing briefly explaining how your driving career might advance toward that aim, I will motivate you to work toward the ultimate goal of being a Top Tier Driver.
The Slope of Learning
Each new driver must first understand that this industry has a severe learning curve. You do not instantly become valuable to a trucking firm after graduating from a truck driving school. If there is a “steep learning curve,” it indicates that we must start learning as soon as possible to avoid getting as disappointed and disillusioned with our new employees as our new employer is becoming with us.
How often have you heard folks complain on social media that their new job as a truck driver isn’t paying them anything? Or maybe you’ve heard them whine that they don’t get enough miles? These two issues are first relatives and often lead new drivers to quit altogether. The Top Tier Drivers share certain well-kept secrets that, for the most part, enable them to maintain things going along quite quickly.
Always be on time for appointments.
Lesson Learning how to move your appointments forward while making sure you are carrying on what you say you will is one way to advance in your job.
Although making timely deliveries is critical, I believe building a reputation for being early is much more crucial. Each Top Tier Driver I have ever met seems to believe it is essential to go above and beyond what their dispatcher expects of them. I just put in my MT (empty) call and received the following message on the Qualcomm from my dispatcher after delivering one of my cargo a full day sooner than my dispatch instructions had said.
I often communicate with my clients. To do more here, I use the phone and rearrange appointments. Like everyone else, I dislike sitting around, but I am ready to take a few risks and attempt to influence events in this place to go in my favor. It takes some finesse to achieve this, so you must be certain that you can always follow through on your commitments. You don’t want to contact a client the next morning and say, “Oh, I suppose I made a mistake; I am not going to be able to get there early after all.” Suppose they went to the bother of altering their appointment with you.
Be in close contact with the dispatch
Communicating properly with your dispatcher is lesson two in advancing your driving profession.
Your success depends on the dispatch process. Every time I alter an appointment time or delivery schedule, I immediately notify my dispatcher. I simply tell him, “I will be MT on Wednesday AM; please let the planners know,” without getting into specifics. In actuality, I constantly update my dispatcher. I usually send him a quick message at the beginning and/or finish of my driving shift to let him know where I am and that I am proceeding according to plan. This eliminates needless waiting periods.
This works because the suits in the company trust me enough to remark, “Hey, that message is from Old School; he always does what he says. Let’s give this priority since we are certain that he was telling the truth when he said he would be Late and would also have controlled his clock such that he would still have hours to spare. Gaining that degree of trust is essential to your success in this environment, and it all stems from a strong track record and excellent communication.
A common abbreviation used by those who sell advertising is “TOMA,” which stands for Top Of Mind Awareness. Your consumers will conduct more business with you if you can maintain your company at the forefront of their minds. Truck drivers should adhere to the same attitude. I try to be at the forefront of my dispatcher’s thoughts. In this manner, he ensures that everything is done to my advantage. A little-known fact is that your dispatcher earns more money when he can get more mileage from his drivers. Do you need an explanation of that? Since they are buttering his bread, his best drivers get undivided attention.
Working efficiently and safely
The third lesson in advancing in your driving job is that you must accomplish everything safely and effectively.
After you think of moving things along quickly and doing more than the typical driver, you must avoid hurrying and jeopardizing your safety. When I tried to move things along too fast, I made more blunders than any other time I was driving a huge truck. I like to follow a set of standard operating procedures when doing things like connecting to a trailer or doing pre-trip checks. Repetition is the best way to prevent oneself from skipping a crucial stage.
The same is true of operating the vehicle. You may avoid crossing the lines that keep you in good standing with your employer by paying attention to excellent safe practices that have proven beneficial over time. This is the action that I believe is most important for the safe operation of a huge rig. Keep a safe following distance at all times.
One of the more crucial things you can doing to ensure your safety as a motorist is to maintain a safe following distance. Driving on the interstates, I often see folks ignoring this practice. It is simple to get in a hurry and believe that other people are standing in the way of your success. When this happens, you may begin to push other motorists about, which is a major error. The ones who often start to get lazy in this area are drivers who become too used to driving. Often, the most seasoned drivers fail to maintain a safe following distance.
Recognize the Logbook Rules
Being efficient in this line of work means understanding how to utilize the log book regulations to your advantage. Efficiency is just as vital as safety in this line of work. I’ve learned to keep myself going by ensuring I have the office staff on my side so they can start planning my next load for me before I’m through with the one I’m working on now. I can keep myself going if I manage my time according to the rules and don’t waste time attempting to get some much-needed driving hours.
To fulfill my duties, I’m prepared to run to any location throughout our wonderful nation and to travel all day or all night to get there. How often has my dispatcher commended me for being willing to go above & beyond to make things happen out here? I can’t even begin to count. He often tells me about drivers on his board who have expectations of him that they have set out. Messages include “Sir, I’ll do anything you require as long as it is South of the Mason-Dixon line.” Alternatively, “I’ll do all in my power for you, sir, but don’t count on me to drive at night; I hate driving at night.” When you approach your dispatcher in that manner, you are essentially positioning yourself in opposition to his goals.
Discover How To Succeed As A Business Driver
In conclusion, I don’t believe that changing from a corporate driver to an Owner/Operator is part of a driver’s career’s natural growth. It involves discovering how to flourish as a corporate driver rather than just knowing how to survive. Being a mediocre driver will not allow you to get very far in this line of work. Most of the work is done here by the men and women who stand out as innovative and successful movers and shakers in this industry. These drivers are in high demand and earn a respectable wage for a blue-collar position. They put in a lot of effort and some long hours, but they typically like what they do, and that comes through in their work.
The normal driver will often grow dissatisfied with their jobs and believe that by moving to become an Owner/Operator, they can solve the issues they are facing. It is the perfect prescription for catastrophe if there ever is one. If an Owner/Operator approaches the situation with the attitude of an ordinary driver, he has little chance of being successful. A driver’s career should naturally grow to include learning to be as good and successful at this as possible. That type of development is what our field rewards.
