WAKE UP, JOE!
Page 14
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According to Kaiser Bill, the British Expeditionary Force which dared to stand in his way in France in 1914 was a "Contemptible Little Army". So much for his judgement.
One of the biggest mistakes an employer can make is to underestimate the skills that a driver brings to your company. They can be the wheels that deliver the profit, or the spanner that jams the works. How many hauliers recognise this outburst: "You'? What do you know about it? You're just a driver. Get that truck out of it and let me run the company." With an attitude like that it's no wonder that the Great British industrial tradition of "Them vs Us" still exists. If you treat your drivers like serfs don't be so surprised when they rebel.
Of course there are some enlightened hauliers who know only too well what benefits can acrue from a workforce which believes in the company and their contribution to its success. The National Freight Consortium is a recent and classic example of worker participation, or more accurately worker ownership. The goal of the fledgling NFC was sold to its workforce and they bought it—literally.
"You should try it with my drivers." No doubt that reply is already on the lips of Joe Soap, Haulier. But what has Joe done lately to energise his workforce? Tucked away on page 14 of this week's issue you'll find a small story relating to Russell Davies' 'Driver of the Month" bonus scheme. A mite Madison Avenue perhaps, but the principle is as solid as a 38-tonner. Reward someone for doing better and the chances are they will at least try. In this case if the driver hits fuel return targets, looks after pallets and does well in other areas he's in the running for a £100 bonus.
"A £100 bonus!" says Joe. "Cor, they must have money to burn. I'd tell him that if he didn't get it right I'd give him the boot.Then he'd be driver of the month." And Joe can't understand why he has such a high turnover in staff—what really annoys him is that they all leave before he can sack them. Giving a driver an incentive to do better often pays the most unlikely dividends. Witness the driver economy schemes which feature a League Table based on who's got the heaviest right foot. "Try introducing that and the driver's won't stand for it." But they do. What's more the ones at the bottom don't like being there and try damn hard to get to the top. Not just for the bonus, but for the pride of being seen to excel at a job they take seriously. What's more when drivers stand to make more money by pulling together they don't hesitate to round on a slacker if their bonus, or more importantly the company, is under threat. Joe Soap may not be convinced. But then he and Kaiser Bill always did have a lot in common.