WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FOR DINNER?

Where is the best value for my investment?

Italian, Mexican, or Chinese restaurant?
Who has better service? Menu? Seating availability? Parking?
Which one offers the best price for the meal and evening?
Do I feel appreciated for spending my money there?

Do we hear restaurateurs say “There is a customer shortage!” No. They compete for the market. They make their establishment “customer friendly” and work hard to draw clientele to their restaurant. They give them an experience that keeps them coming back. Good service, good food, friendly staff, and a “Thank you for your business” when presenting the bill.

And if the evening wasn’t as good as what you hoped for, they are willing to listen to you and make adjustments. After all, it is a “buyer’s market!”

Trucking companies can take the same approach as they compete for drivers to fill the seats in their trucks. They are also in the business, or should be, of drawing people to their establishment. Drivers want to be satisfied with their employment situation. They want to be appreciated for their efforts, their time away from home and family. They want to know that their experience with this company will be beneficial to them as they keep coming back to earn more for their family and to grow with the company.

They want to hear “Thank you for a job well done!” Like a restaurant goer wants a good table, the driver wants good equipment to drive. And if their overall experience is less than what they feel is basic to their needs, they will move on looking for a better employer, a better restaurant, one who will appreciate their time and efforts. After all, it is a “Driver’s Market!”

Before we go too far over the edge, the intent here is not to draw absolute similarities between the restaurant and the motor carrier industries. However, some similarities do exist.

The difference is, too many in the transportation industry rely on the way it was in the past where drivers came to them looking for a job. Now the attitude of management has changed, or in some cases has started to change. Still, many are reluctant to admit their own failures to provide an establishment that drivers want to be a part of. Instead, they claim a “driver shortage.” It’s not management’s fault that there is a driver shortage. It’s the government’s, or a soft society, or anyone but them.

And whether anyone wants to admit it or not, the type of driver that any company would want and need, one who is conscientious about his/her work, one who plays by the rules, one who values a good job and knows that the employer values the job the driver does for them, will tell you that there is a “company shortage.”

For a transportation company who wants a full roster of drivers, they (like the restaurateur) must draw drivers into their establishment. They have to have a menu that offers a pleasing array of valued choices: good pay, good equipment, respect, home time, benefits, and most of all, “Thank you for a job well done!”

Yes, the driver pool may not be as deep as it once was, but companies must create their own workforce. This is true in many industries. Motor carriers must take steps now to create a professional workforce that offers not only a good job, but a good career!

Now that’s a great menu!
Posted February 19, 2016
http://www.jjkeller.com/shop/Category/content_category_Transportation_article_Where-Would-You-Like-to-Go-For-Dinner*022016_10151_-1_10551

http://www.compasstruckrental.com/index.php/blog/194-where-would-you-like-to-go-for-dinner