How to stand out from the crowd as a driver

And get paid the same or less than the sockhead that rushes around and doesn't care.

 

We are drivers. A big portion of us are motorcyclist. Some of us are CCW gun owners. All of the above require us to bring that A Game every single day. It is easy to spot A Holes on the road, because they drive on the road like they own the road. Operating any motor vehicle isn't a right, it is a privilege. Understand what that means.

Certain States on their OSOW permits will say something about how, if you, an OSOW driver, have traffic backed up behind you, must pull over and allow the back up traffic to get around you and if not, this can be a reason for a LEO to void your permit. This goes for our pilot cars too. So drivers, if you have an A Hole pilot car, you'd better check him...otherwise, you're the one that gets the ticket.

If you find yourself getting heated in traffic, if you're constantly flipping people off and getting flipped off, you HAVE TO BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. If you're hard braking, if the Swift driver in front of you is making your blood boil just by being in front of you, you need to check yourself. If you're always in a hurry, you suck at trip planning.

If you are average, and working at a mega carrier, your primary goal should be to be at the top before looking for a better company. Why? Average at a mega will mean you're the bottom of the barrel at a decent company. The guys at the top will make 1.5-2x the wage that the average do. Same company, same trucks, same dispatchers, same loads.

Want to be an A Game driver? Surround yourself with A Game drivers.

 

I stand out, in that I never miss work, and my truck is polished and well maintained. Management has told me plenty of times they will allow me to do things they won’t allow others to do because they trust me. I also get paid to do things a lot of others don’t. It’s because I am dependable, professional and quite capable.

 

Drive without a phone in your hand. You'll be a shining star of uniqueness.

 

No one has stated the obvious...wear a big Bluetooth headset *everywhere*.

The only other profession that uses them, takes them off at the end of their shift at the McD drive through.

 

Working for a small outfit, which is rather picky about who they hire, makes it a touch more difficult to stand out. We have trouble keeping drivers here. Not because of low pay, junk trucks, and crap benefits, but because our standards are very high. You gotta be on top of your game, everyday, all day. But, the reward is definitely worth the effort if you're with a great company.

Standing out at a large carrier, is really easy. Just be on time, don't give your dispatcher any grief, and don't tear stuff up. That alone put you above most of the rest.

You wanna be on top? Do your job better than everyone around you, day in and day out. Eventually, those who sign the checks will notice. And in some cases, the customer will notice as well. Then they begin requesting your services, some will pay a premium for this. And over time, you build a reputation. That's when you've made it to the top of your game.

Ridgeline has some good points. Until drivers learn to show up for more than just a paycheck, nothing will change. But I kind of disagree on his theory of drivers being just a commodity. While it's true most drivers are just that, there's a handful that are not just meat in the seat. And companies need to realize when they have such a driver, and compensate them for it. Otherwise, the downward cycle of the industry will continue. Think about it. If you're working your tail off, doing better than everyone around you, and not being recognized and compensated for it, then all your effort is in vain.

 

That's great to show professionalism, which we need more of but reality is that it doesn't mean a thing when you move to another company, those qualities are not transmitted to other companies or appreciated.

I agree with you there, it is hard to keep good drivers. One of the things I learned from my uncle and others who owned fleets is that the most demanding driver is on either end of the worth scale, he is either a buffoon costing you money or really good and making you money.

But that's a problem, you can't stand out in a large company. It is like any other large business with a mobile workforce, the office can't put a face or name to any one person in the field as the norm, be it sales or trucking. You are the invisible part of the work force and until you move out of the driver's spot, you will be a driver and do what a driver does.

I agree

I agree, there are some who are not commodities, I am one owner who shows my appreciation to the drivers, I work under the premise that they are the most important in the company and treat them well, they will make money for me.

 

Hehehehhe

 

@Ridgeline

I am more than the consummate professional. I have mechanical skill, problem solving capability and a vast knowledge having been around this industry since the late 70s. I started hauling multi stop furniture loads OTR (up to 15-16 stops). I have hauled walking floor trailers, dump trailers, both unbaffled and baffled tanker, hook tinder trailers full of fertilizer into farm fields, cattle pots, vans and flat. I have been inspected 14 times with my current company in 7 years and passed every single one. (My company doesn’t have a fantastic safety score either) in part because I carry tools every day and fix things.

Due to some maintenance circumstances, I have adjusted more brakes, fixed more lights and aired up more tires than our mechanics and this is a large fleet. I even offered to buy the equipment to perform all the repairs on weekends because I got tired of fixing it in the dark with hand tools. In seven years I have yet to call in sick. I have spent hundreds of dollars of my own money maintaining equipment just so it doesn’t hold me up. I have plenty of money, mechanical skill and don’t mind at all. The loads our other drivers run out of time on, like today, I have an hour driving time left.

I get that you hire a bunch of lazy steering wheel holders because that’s what the industry is coming to. You can replace a driver like me, and get the freight moved if that’s the bottom line. You will never realize the savings or value I bring. I take pride in my job and can do anything out here asked of me.

 

I'd say that being courteous, respectful and having pride in yourself wouid be biggies.