Do You Really Know Your Drivers’ Issues?

Take a step back from the computer real quick, hold your head up high and take a triumphant, deep breath. (Go ahead, we’ll wait.)

It feels good to be a leader in the trucking industry. You’re in charge of the backbone of America: the movement of goods on open highways. Your accomplishments are something to be really proud of.

How did you get to this point? Hard work and in-depth knowledge of the industry. There’s no way around it. And though you’ve been in the game for a long time, one fact shines brightly—there’s still so much to learn.

With all the shifts in the industry—the rise of autonomous trucks, the constant changes in the regulatory landscape, the way younger generations feel about their jobs—your drivers regularly bring up new and more pressing concerns. And it’s up to you to respond to them.

That works fine for the problems you know about. What about the ones you don’t?

Open Door Policies and Waiting

You have an open door policy—that should be enough to show your drivers you care. If no one’s speaking up, then everything’s OK, right?

Not so much. Just because your people aren’t taking advantage of your open door policy doesn’t mean that everyone in your company is happy.

Still, when you do hear wind of a problem, you jump on it immediately and come up with a plan of attack to resolve the issue. Sometimes, there’s an easy resolution but the more time-intensive and complex concerns require a bit more planning.

While you’re busy resolving the problem, your drivers aren’t necessarily in the loop. And when your drivers are unaware of the progress you’re making toward resolving their situation, they become disengaged—and consider looking elsewhere for a job.

How can company owners like you keep drivers updated? How can you let them know that their concerns are being heard?

The Importance of Feedback and Follow-Up

As Business & Legal Resources outlines in an article, when handling an employee complaint, you need to be an active listener. Listen for the facts: who, what, when and where. Do not presume you know where the person is going—follow the road map they give.

But the real mistake many make when handling complaints is a lack of follow-up. You might be invested in making the change the driver wants, but without letting them know along the way, the problem won’t stop there. In fact, it can get worse.

Instead of making your drivers wait for their suggested action or policy resolution to roll out, it’s crucial that you offer real-time updates on how the issue is being addressed.

Even though you’ve been doing your work for a long time, your drivers are the front lines of your organization. They’re on the road every day, and they encounter issues you hadn’t thought of.

That’s why it’s important to put that feedback to work to improve your whole organization.

How to Gather Feedback

When your people have the ability to make their voice heard in an anonymous way, companies like yours can keep their finger right the pulse of what’s really happening.

With WorkHound, drivers can anonymously share their concerns through their smartphones, wherever they might be. That allows for an incredible level of engagement, all using the phone your driver has in their back pocket.

Follow through on the issues you know your drivers are having and take a deeper dive into the ones that you might not know about.