Why Aren't Drives in Charge?

 

Women in Trucking nominated six outstanding women as finalists for their award for the most influential woman in trucking. All six women are both outstanding and influential. I did a little research and found no evidence that any of these women ever drove a truck for a living. I don't hold that against any of these outstanding women. Women in trucking did nothing wrong here. They did what they intended to do. Sadly, the nominations reflect the industry as a whole. We don't have enough drivers, men or women, in positions of influence.

 

Why don't we have enough drivers in position of influence? It takes a different set of skills to drive a truck than succeed in a position of influence. Many of the smartest drivers have no desire to be put in positions of influence. They don't desire to be people of influence. They are drivers. They like driving more than they like dealing with people. It is also an issue of wages. For many, the first jump from the driver's seat into the corporate world pays less. The best drivers might get put into a dispatch role. The best driver does not necessarily make a good dispatcher.

 

When was the last time, that you remember a superstar athlete becoming an outstanding coach or manager? Keep Thinking, I am having trouble with that one too. The best coaches and managers are usually modestly talented role players. Maybe the same holds true in trucking. The best athletes have trouble dealing with the average ones. Outstanding truckers may have trouble dealing with average drivers.

 

Most drivers either are not capable or have no desire to be in positions of influence. Most CEOs either are not capable of, or have no desire to become drivers. Each group has a set of people. They each form a separate set. The two sets are mostly separate and distinct from each other. Think of the CEO group as set A. The drivers are set B. Think of them as separate circles. These circles are not mutually exclusive. There is a union of the two circles. That union represents the C group. The people in that set can function as either execs or drivers. We have to find the drivers in that set.

 

They can't go directly from the driver seat to the corner office. It is not just changing your shoes.They need to be trained. The trucking industry must do what it seems incapable of doing. We need to think long term. Trucking companies and government both have to start investing in identifying and training these drivers for positions of leadership.

 

The FMCSA should start immediately recruiting drivers as managers in training. Large companies should do the same. Trucking media should not exempt themselves. Nor should the OEMs. OOIDA should lead by example. We need to quit lying to ourselves. We recruit enough drives. We don't keep them in the industry. Drivers know what it takes to make it through the newbie stage. Our current leadership does not. The industry's poor performance in keeping these drivers reflects that.

 

 

 

Comments (6)

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark of Kewaunee, WI has been driving a truck for 24 years. He has been an owner operator for 11 years.

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Thanks Darren: Progress seems to be fought every step of the way in this industry. Air ride is a good example. Look at how long it took companies to start adding aerodynamics to trailers. Too much, short term thinking, and not enough long term investing. I think that drivers have ideas that are unique driver thinking. Right now and into the future the growth control for most companies is their lack of quality drivers.

March 12, 2015 16:06:13 PM

Great article Jeff! Too many times people in positions of influence tend to influence decisions that in some way profit them directly, and thats where the system doesn't work in many companies. In the company that I an contracted to, we have a broker reps that are supposed to be the go between for the drivers to the management, but far to often they are more concerned with issues that affect their own operations as opposed to what impacts the entire driver base. A good Group C person can all sides of issues. I see ways to improve many facets of working here, but the gauntlet of the "old boys club" always shuts down any idea I attempt to put forward. One such person in management once commented that this company would never switch to air ride as our shop was set up to handle spring suspensions. Today air ride is industry standard. Such lack of vision is what holds us back.

March 12, 2015 13:53:16 PM

Thanks Les: I believe that we could identify and train younger drivers to become execs. Many already are successful owner operators. Therefore have already shown executive ability.

March 12, 2015 4:42:13 AM

Great Post here Jeff. We need more people that have started as Drivers and have attained enough experience to become Transportation Professionals.

March 12, 2015 4:33:14 AM

I could probably wear a suit, but would have trouble sitting in one place. Totally agree that the industry would be better off with more experienced drivers in influential positions.

March 11, 2015 11:12:24 AM

Jeff,
Are you ready to trade in your driving attire for a suit? I do agree that if more people in leadership roles especially in the government were drivers first then the industry would likely be headed in a different direction. I believe that should be a mandatory requirement for those positions. Maybe if that were the case then agencies such as FMCSA would be more capable to properly oversee themselves and the industry they are charged with regulating and would require less intervention from congress.

March 11, 2015 8:19:09 AM