On this week’s episode of Taking the Hire Road, Leah Shaver, president and CEO of The National Transportation Institute (NTI), sat down with Jeremy Reymer, founder of DriverReach, to discuss how leveraging data can help both drivers and employers make the best decisions and remain successful despite challenging freight rates and carrier demand.
According to Shaver, consumption of NTI’s resources is at an all-time high. The company’s client base includes trucking companies, private fleets, manufacturers, shippers and equity analysts.
“The distribution of our materials right now is out of this world,” Shaver said. “The NTI team knocks it out of the park with reliable data intelligence that these professionals can incorporate into their business decisions every day.”
NTI’s database includes granular, accurate data for every kind of commercial driving job in the U.S. “No matter the qualification requirement, we can tell you what drivers are earning at a fleet-specific, site-specific, job-specific or license-specific level,” Shaver said. “Same for technicians, based on location, experience, certification, everything. We call it the bull’s-eye.”
Fleets rely on NTI to provide details on programs and best practices that attract the most qualified drivers and technicians. “We can demonstrate what’s rewarding for the leaders and the workforce – things like student pay, trainer pay and benefits down to the last detail,” Shaver said.
To keep data transparent for customers, NTI provides an index that fleets and shippers use as a neutral benchmark to ID catalysts for labor rates, as well as numerous downloadable resources from the website and regular weekly insights.
“It’s a tough year for most of our audience, for us and for our peers in the industry, and putting out information can be a beacon of hope and positive thinking,” Shaver said. “That consistency is a big part of how I manage and lead, and that’s what I want NTI’s voice to be.”
Asked how carriers can manage pay concerns against the backdrop of a challenging freight market, Shaver said three solutions come to mind:
“Firstly, available on our site is a list of talking points that carriers can articulate when negotiating with customers,” she said. “Are you able to articulate the value of safe, qualified drivers to your customers and to their supply chain? If you need support in articulating the key points, you can get that info on our website.
“Secondly, in terms of internal communication, are you speaking with your employees on a regular basis and speaking to the public about your priorities and what you’re doing to potentially attract people from the outside?
“Internally, people have shifted their pay acceleration, which is a standard that happens anytime there’s a pullback in demand and of course freight rate,” Shaver said. “Are you incentivizing great performance in the areas that could otherwise cost you? It’s important to know where being tempted to cut corners could be costlier in the end, and not retaining qualified drivers is certainly one of those areas from a safety perspective and a performance perspective.”
Fuel economy, network adherence, safety, productivity, training, teaming, endorsements and skill enhancement opportunities, according to Shaver, are among the best ways to articulate a career path within your organization despite whatever is happening with the market at large.
“Lastly, communicate clearly and effectively with customers and employees at all levels,” Shaver added. “Not just leadership teams but all the folks who make up your organization. Communicate what you’re wanting to do well and what you’re going to do more of so that everyone has transparency into the trajectory of your near- and long-term future.”
In these tough times, Shaver says, the companies that know how to communicate and humanize their employees are the ones that stand out.
“If we’re really worried about how someone’s feeling, we have to ask. To move forward, you have to share what’s on your mind and figure out where to go together,” Shaver said.
Book recommendation: “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site”
Click here to learn more about The National Transportation Institute.
Click here to learn more about DriverReach.
Sponsors: DriverReach, The National Transportation Institute, Career Now Brands, Carrier Intelligence, Infinit-I Workforce Solutions, WorkHound, Asurint, Arya By Leoforce, Seiza, Drive My Way, F|Staff, Trucksafe Consulting, Seated Social, Repowr