In this episode of Taking the Hire Road, Jeremy Reymer, founder of DriverReach, is joined by a great industry friend and fellow compliance nerd, Stacey Gibson. Gibson is personnel operations manager at TLC Cos.
TLC Cos. is a professional employee organization (PEO) that helps small and midsize motor carriers grow their companies by taking on the bulk of the administrative load.
Despite the freight recession, demand for the company’s services has grown over the past few years. Gibson attributes this increased interest to the fact that carriers are simply realizing they need help managing their businesses.
“There is a lot you have to manage, and all of that back-end stuff is just as important as finding freight, dispatching drivers and getting everything where it needs to go,” Gibson said. “When you’re a small to midsize carrier, you don’t necessarily have the internal office head count to manage it all properly.”
For most companies, partnering with a PEO like TLC Cos. is more cost-effective than hiring additional internal staff to handle back-end tasks. These companies also bring a level of expertise to the table that allows carriers to mitigate significant risks, especially when it comes to factors like driver qualification and compliance.
“I don’t know of anyone in the industry that has not heard the term ‘nuclear verdict,’” Gibson said. “It is at the top of our minds when we’re talking about qualifying drivers.”
While no one can predict every incident, utilizing data and statistics at the hiring stage can help reduce the odds of tragic accidents and nuclear verdicts.
The majority of nuclear verdicts involve either driver qualification and compliance issues or a proven history of negative driving behaviors. A carrier does not have complete control of a driver’s behavior, but it does have total control over driver qualification files.
Gibson noted that it is time for carriers to stop looking past issues at the hiring stage just to fill seats. This approach is too risky from a safety standpoint, and it tends to backfire when it comes to driver retention.
“Let’s fill seats with the right people so they stay filled for a long time,” Gibson added.
For carriers looking to ramp up their retention efforts, focusing on driver wellness can be another winning strategy.
In general, drivers suffer from more health ailments — and shorter lifespans — than the general public. This is often attributed to the fact that trucking is notorious for its lack of health and wellness opportunities.
Poor health is one of the leading reasons people leave the driver’s seat. In fact, 5%-10% of all drivers exit the industry every year because they are unable to pass a Department of Transportation physical, according to Gibson.
When carriers focus on providing drivers with the time and resources they need to access healthy food options and move their bodies on the road, they will be rewarded with healthier, happier and safer employees.
“Make the driver’s health part of your safety program,” Gibson said. “When you show an interest in the driver –– and their health and well-being –– that is going to totally change the relationship.”
Click here to learn more about TLC Cos.
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