18 Wheels of Justice - Real Solutions for the Transportation Industry: 2012-07-01

Friday, July 6, 2012

Part 3 of 3 - Top Ten Driver Checklist How to find your new employer

This is part 3 of 3 of the "18 Wheels of Justice Top Ten Driver Checklist".

The Top Ten list covers how to find the best company and what to look for in a company. I will keep it simple and to the point. It's in three parts, because blogs are supposed to be short, according to my editor. Anyway, back to the list... Print, email or just find a pen and notepad and keep this list, so you will have it with you. Forward to your wife or significant other, so they can help you. This is a major life decision, it is important to get a second opinion. You will be thanking me a year from now, when you are no longer chasing rainbows and will have found a happy home and a serious career. If you're not serious about your career and making money, and most importantly, being happy where you work, stop reading here. This article is not meant for you. You spend the majority of your adult life working, why not enjoy it?

Presenting The Final Five of the Top Ten List Continued(see previous blogs for parts 10-5)

5. Equipment - Take your time and look around the Terminal. What does the equipment look like? Are trailers well maintained & washed? Tractors - late model or well maintained? Owner Operator's trucks. Are they newer/older in good shape? Make sure you see and inspect the actual truck you are going in.

4. Spend time at the potential employers office in or near operations department and get a feel. Is it organized? Is it chaos? Take a few hours and listen to what is going on, meet some of the drivers, are most of them happy? Is operations begging them to stay? Apologizing for lack of miles?

3. Your work history - your resume, your references, it tells your story. Have one! This is very important, there are many easy templates on word,etc to type out a simple resume. It should have work history, years experience and references. Awards you have received, community involvement. It is your story, things you are proud of and show you to be a good citizen. It may sound unnecessary, but, again, it tells your story. References don't have to be prior employers, but people who will vouch for your character, etc. If your not good at that type of thing, ask your wife or a family member to prepare it for you.

2. Is more money per mile worth it? Changing a job for another $.05, even $.10 a mile is not always worth it. What kind of miles will you get? Will you be home when you need to be? Most importantly, will you like the company?

1. Cost of quitting and finding another Job. Assuming the next driving job you get will produce roughly the same amount of miles, you will lose two to three weeks of pay, between:

-finding a job
-actually starting your new job
-waiting for your first paycheck(sometimes two weeks alone)
-trying to get paid from your last company, and all the deductions they will take out(they always do)

If you find a job paying you an extra $.05 per mile, it will take you 6 months to make up for what you lost just switching companies, again assuming your getting the same miles. Next week - How to negotiate the best pay - Owner Operators and Company Drivers.

Have a good week-end and most popular blogs will be reposted on Saturday and Sunday...

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$75 Advance Copy Orders only - includes Free Copy of "Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's" Book and CD(Free Book and CD shipped separately and immediately upon order) $75.

Negotiating with Brokers & 3PL's Book $29 CD $19 Book and CD Set $39

http://www.18wheelsofjustice.com/
18 Wheels of Justice Series also available on Amazon and at: http://www.18wheelsofjustice.com/ EMAIL - Negotiator@18wheelsofjustice.com

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Drivers & Operators - Love 'em as They're Walking out the Door

Good Morning and Welcome.

"90 Days to 75% Retention" is an oustanding production and offers seamless delivery of concept into the core of your organization.

In 2012, driver and owner operator turnover within our industry has skyrocketed to disastrous proportions. What percentage of your trucks are sitting idle and not producing revenue? How has retention issues stopped your growth in a rich freight environment?

"90 to 75%" is a specific approach to retention and not a "Be The Best and Attract the Best" cheerleader approach. There are no free posters with this book for your drivers lounge. This is a step by step plan of attack on the roots of the retention problems within your organization. "90 to 75%" effectively shows how to identify the weak areas and how to fix them.

There is a science and a formula to successful retention.

Driver retention is the one area of your business where you are in direct competition with virtually every trucking company in the country. The truth is, you don't have to be the best of the best to succeed with retention of drivers, you just have to be better than your competition, which is easier than you may think. We offer a unique solution to the retention issue, we do not promote financial incentives to drivers or owner operators. The core concepts of this approach will in fact, save your company money on advertising and bonus programs, utilizing your readily available existing assets - your staff.

Order Advance copy now from website, and receive immediately, a free copy of 18 Wheels of Justice - Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's Book and CD. Offer good until July 10th, 2012. "90 Days to 75% Retention" will be shipped by August 1, 2012 from 18 Wheels of Justice website only in limited quantities FCFS. Debuts on Amazon September 1, 2012...
18 Wheels of Justice "90 Days to 75% Retention"

"90 Days to 75% Retention" will be shipped by August 1, 2012 from 18 Wheels of Justice website only in limited quantities FCFS. Debuts on Amazon September 1, 2012...18 Wheels of Justice "90 Days to 75% Retention"
©2012 Michael Komadina

$75 Advance Copy Orders only - includes Free Copy of "Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's" Book and CD(Free Book and CD shipped separately and immediately upon order).

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July - Driver and Owner Operator Retention

"90 Days to 75% Retention" is an oustanding production and offers seamless delivery of concept into the core of your organization.

In 2012, driver and owner operator turnover within our industry has skyrocketed to disastrous proportions. What percentage of your trucks are sitting idle and not producing revenue? How has retention issues stopped your growth in a rich freight environment?

"90 to 75%" is a specific approach to retention and not a "Be The Best and Attract the Best" cheerleader approach. There are no free posters with this book for your drivers lounge. This is a step by step plan of attack on the roots of the retention problems within your organization. "90 to 75%" effectively shows how to identify the weak areas and how to fix them.

There is a science and formula to successful retention.

Driver retention is the one area of your business where you are in direct competition with virtually every trucking company in the country. The truth is, you don't have to be the best of the best to succeed with retention of drivers, you just have to be better than your competition, which is easier than you may think. We offer a unique solution to the retention issue, we do not promote financial incentives to drivers or owner operators. The core concepts of this approach will in fact, save your company money on advertising and bonus programs, utilizing your readily available existing assets - your staff.

Order Advance copy now from website, and receive immediately, a free copy of 18 Wheels of Justice - Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's Book and CD. Offer good until July 10th, 2012. 90 Days to 75% Retention will be shipped by August 1, 2012 from 18 Wheels of Justice website only in limited quantities FCFS. Debuts on Amazon September 1, 2012...
18 Wheels of Justice "90 Days to 75% Retention"

90 Days to 75% Retention will be shipped by August 1, 2012 from 18 Wheels of Justice website only in limited quantities FCFS. Debuts on Amazon September 1, 2012...18 Wheels of Justice "90 Days to 75% Retention"
©2012 Michael Komadina

$75 Advance Copy Orders only - includes Free Copy of Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's Book and CD.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

"90 Days to 75% Retention" 4th of July Special

A Book, A Free Book and A Free CD. Happy Forth of July! Click Here for the Details

18 Wheels of Justice Fourth of July Special. Pre-Order Greatly Anticipated "90 Days to 75% Retention" and receive Negotiating with Freight Brokers and 3PL's Book and CD free with order. Don't spend your Holiday worrying about all the empty trucks, do something about it. $75

Monday, July 2, 2012

Part 2 of 3 - Company Driver Top Ten Check List

This is part 2 of 3 of the "18 Wheels of Justice Top Ten Driver Checklist".

The entire Top Ten list will cover how to negotiate the best pay, find the best company and what to look for in a company. I will keep it simple and to the point. It's in three parts, because blogs are supposed to be short, according to my editor. Anyway, back to the point...

Print, email or just find a pen and notepad and keep this list, so you will have it with you. Forward to your wife or significant other, so they can help you. This is a major life decision, it is important to get a second opinion. You will be thanking me a year from now, when you are no longer chasing rainbows and will have found a happy home and a serious career. If you're not serious about your career and making money, and most importantly, being happy where you work, stop reading here. This article is not meant for you. You spend the majority of your adult life working, why not enjoy it?

Presenting The Top Ten List Continued...

7. Talk to your prospective dispatcher before you fill out an application! This is a very important step! This will be your entire means of communication with the company. This is the person you will be dealing with for a long time and when you have a suggestion or a problem. Not getting miles? Not getting revenue? Not getting home? Do you want to have to go there, have a meeting with the operations manager, recruter etc. when these things aren't happening? I wouldn't. I would want to talk to my dispatcher and address all your concerns with him. See if they has any authority or control over you earning or not earning a living! Make sure the company let's you speak with your prospective dispatcher first! If they say they don't assign a dispatcher until you start, politely tell them, this is a requirement of yours. If they refuse or don't guarantee who your dispatcher will be, thank them for their time and move on to the next company. This will build a personal relationship with your dispatcher, they will have more respect for you and will remember your conversation. Trust me, you will be on the top of their list to make sure these things happen.

6. Talk to the Operations Manager or Your Dispatchers Supervisor. Even more important. Make sure you do this, and that this person is readily available. If you don't hear back from him/her for a few days, then expect that to be an acceptable standard for this particular trucking company. This is not an acceptable standard for you, however, and move down the list. What happens if your pay is not correct and it's a Friday afternoon, you have bills to pay? Who can you talk to and get a response? It is important to be able to have someone else within the company that you can address your concerns with.

Part 3 of 3 will be published on Friday. Please review the first 5 during the remainder of the week. This is required reading for your own success, Ladies and Gentlemen...

New Publication - "90 Days to 75% Retention" information click below

Free your Company from the Retention Stranglehold

18 Wheels of Justice - Book and CD - $24.99 Combo

www.18WheelsofJustice.com

18 Wheels of Justice Series available on Amazon and at: http://www.18wheelsofjustice.com/

EMAIL - Negotiator@18wheelsofjustice.com

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Driver's! Most Important Blog Post of the week!

Good morning and Welcome. I know that I usually re-post the most popular post of the week, but today I want to present you with what I feel is the most important one this week. Ladies and Gentlemen, you owe it to yourself, your families and your loved ones to go through this process when choosing the next company. America's Drivers are the most overworked and underpaid people in this great Nation of ours. Please, read on and Part II will be right here on Monday.

Company Drivers. Are you happy with the company you are driving for? How and why did you pick the one you're at? Was it an ad? A reference? Did you just need the job and go with the first place you could find?

Here at the Bleater, we hear a lot of complaints about lack of pay in the OTR trucking industry. Why do trucking companies spend so much on advertising and recruiting? It seems to me that if they spent more money paying drivers, instead of advertising, they would have all the drivers they needed. Not neccessarily true...

Think back through your driving career. Where were you employed at the longest? Do you tend to work for a company for less than a year and leave for something that seems better? Pays better? Were you promised something that never happened? This happens way too often.

The recruiter promises you the world on a silver platter.  You can't wait to get started and then guess what? The first week on the job you realize that this was a big mistake. So, you contact the recruiter to ask, "why am I sitting so much? Why can't dispatch seem to get me home?" He says he will look into and address with dispatch, but nothing changes. You stay a month, maybe three, hoping it will work out, and it never does...

Are all recruiter's dishonest? Of course not! Are all trucking companies dishonest? No! There is often a disconnect between recruiters and operations.  Read on and I will show you how to find out before you start...

This is part 1 of 3 of the "18 Wheels of Justice Top Ten Driver Checklist".   This list will cover how to negotiate the best pay, find the best company and what to look for in a company.   I will keep it simple and to the point. It's in three parts, because blogs are supposed to be short, according to my editor. Anyway, back to the point...

Print, email or just find a pen and notepad and keep this list, so you will have it with you. Forward to your wife or significant other, so they can help you. This is a major life decision, it is important to get a second opinion. You will be thanking me a year from now, when you are no longer chasing rainbows and will have found a happy home and a serious career. If you're not serious about your career and making money, and most importantly, being happy where you work, stop reading here. This article is not meant for you. You spend the majority of your adult life working, why not enjoy it?

Now, without further ado,(drum roll, please!)the Top Ten List!

10. Make a list of no more than 5 potential Trucking companies you want to work for. Big, Small it doesn't matter, there are many different benefits with both.  This seems like a lot of work? Yes it is, but do once every 10 years, instead of once every 3-6 months and enjoy your success. Approach driving like a career, and you will find your way.

9.    Ask them for a random list of Ten drivers phone numbers, that currently work there. This is your first step, do not skip this one. The Drivers who work there and like it, are more than happy to tell you about the company. Driver's who work there and don't like it, are even happier to talk to you about the company. If the recruiter tell you he/she doesn't have a random list, but a list they give out to new drivers, that's fine, they are honest. Ask him for five from that list and ask him if he can pull up five more at random. Take an hour, call all ten, if you only reach 5 right away, that's fine, leave a voicemail, the others will call you back before you make your decision. Keep track of who you have talked to. If the recruiter balks or refuses to give you a list of ten drivers, while you are on the phone with him/her the first time(this is important), run, don't walk, but run away from this company. If they can't produce on the spot, don't work there, you will regret it later.

8.    Pay! - Don't ask, Don't ask, Don't ask. Should I say it again? Don't ask yet! This is for later in this new realtionship, Ladies and Gentlemen. If they mention pay, don't acknowledge it, just mention you are on "the market" and are looking for a home.

Please check out our New Products link above and on our website - New Products - 90 Days to 75% Retention
Part II on Monday. Tomorrow's Bleater - Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Part II - Where did my Owner Operators and Driver's go?
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