For many years, a transportation industry that continues to short drivers has created significant hardships for businesses, shippers, and the economy in general. The aging of the current driver workforce, coupled with the need for younger drivers to work after them, is one of the major factors contributing to this shortage. Moreover, low salaries and long working hours with almost no rest led to high turnover, leading many drivers to look for other jobs.
However, it is possible to solve this problem differently. One of the main ways to overcome this hurdle is to improve relationships between senders and service drivers, and FleetCare makes this process easier. This is how the shipping company can do it.
Tips for improving the relationship between the driver and the dispatcher
In most cases, the driver and dispatcher have different backgrounds, which can lead to opposing views on how everything in trucking should work. This is why dispatchers should learn more about the way drivers operate to help them feel more comfortable completing their duties.
Go for a ride
The first step that dispatchers must take is to step into the trucker’s shoes. Driving is not just a process when one needs to reach a certain destination. However, experienced dispatchers sometimes think that this is the only thing drivers do during the entire working day.
For this reason, if dispatchers want to properly manage drivers, they must understand these factors. During the setup process, ask the dispatchers to ride in the car with the drivers.
A better understanding of the realities of the road will lead to better planned and realistic routes and enhance driver empathy.
Get to know your drivers
There is one truth everyone knows and must follow, especially if they want to increase retention rates: People want to work with colleagues they know. Therefore, professional dispatchers try to get to know the drivers they work with. They often learn about their interests and career goals and try to memorize every detail.
Due to this, business interactions are improved. Moreover, it helps drivers understand that their dispatchers see them as real people with their own problems and concerns.
Acceptance and implementation of feedback
Dispatchers must provide feedback when they notice drivers making mistakes. However, this rule works both ways. While on the road, drivers can also see some important nuances that will help improve their future work.
Therefore, dispatchers must be careful and never forget to ask drivers if they have problems with something or want to work on some factor. Often, even the smallest of changes can change the lives of those who drive trucks, keeping them going for longer.
Don’t put drivers in “Mission Impossible” situations.
Being a driver is hard, and dispatchers should always keep that in mind. On the job, drivers have to deal with:
- Gas pollution
- Dust pollution
- Noise;
- vibration.
These factors inevitably lead to pain in the back, arms and legs, pain in the heart, and heart palpitations. At the end of the working day, fatigue and irritability appear. All this can happen, even if the driver in a comfortable car has worked a decent number of hours.
That is why dispatchers must carefully plan all routes and never require drivers to complete difficult tasks that only people with superpowers can handle. It will help avoid negative consequences and protect drivers from burnout after just a few months.
More tips for improving the driver-dispatcher relationship
However, better relationships are not the only way to increase driver retention rates. It is also possible to enhance it with modern technical solutions.
Use real-time GPS tracking to reduce phone calls
When senders need to inform consumers of what time their packages should arrive, they frequently call drivers. This distracts drivers and can sometimes cause some problems on the road. Dispatchers may view exact positions and understand when specific vehicles are delivering their goods at any given time through the use of real-time GPS tracking software. There is no need to make any phone calls while charging.
However, the introduction of GPS tracking systems has many benefits for these employees and the company as a whole. It also reduces fuel consumption and vehicle consumption.
Many managers are familiar with the situation when money intended for the company’s work slips through the fingers. Often the reason is fuel consumption. Companies may save up to 25% on fuel if a global positioning system (GPS) is implemented to control fuel consumption. As a result, dispatchers will receive up-to-date information about the mileage of each vehicle, the number of stops, refueling, as well as the correspondence of the route traveled with the selected combination. As a result, the downtime of vehicles will decrease and their turnover rate will increase.
The results of GPS monitoring depend on the conscientiousness of a particular driver. In this case, the GPS tracker can act as both an advocate and a witness. Depending on the situation, everything is recorded in the annals of history and can serve as both accusatory and exculpatory information, which improves drivers’ discipline and creates an environment of trust in the company.
Send loads and communicate through ELD
Many senders communicate via phone calls, letters, and emails. It often takes a lot of time, which is inconvenient for drivers because it is difficult to absorb important information while on the road.
However, due to the ELD, drivers will always have comprehensive and correct information at their fingertips. Furthermore, by streamlining any back-and-forth communication using ELD’s built-in messaging app, dispatchers and drivers may interact freely, regardless of their location.
Data transmission security is provided by ELD through end-to-end encryption of calls and messages and secure encryption algorithms. Therefore, third parties will never have access to private information about deliveries and routes.
While entering a public mail application, users see banner ads and receive spam messages. All these factors distract them from their work. ELD will become a reliable barrier against any kind of spam: intrusive ads, annoying news or entertaining content. Employees will focus only on working moments, which will increase their productivity.
Plan proactively and avoid excessive holding time
If dispatchers take into account transportation efficiency, it will save money and help drivers deliver packages faster in the following months. It is important that analytical reports are comprehensive, include all factors, and are performed quickly. For this purpose, expert dispatchers use special software that allows them to collect information about the transportation and present it in an easy-to-understand form, such as a table or graph.
Thanks to these tools, it is possible to:
- reduce load with extended projected retention periods;
- know when to set time limits for detention;
- Plan when drivers should stop next.
In the event of a detention, dispatchers quickly find out the time certain drivers spend in a facility and know how to avoid it next time.
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