I had an epiphany about 10 years ago when along with the other members of the senior executive of the company I was working at; I took a training course called “Management by Responsibility”. This eight week course opened my eyes to human behaviour and my own behaviour in such a way as to literally change the way I look at the world. I know that the other managers enjoyed the course but I don’t think any of them were affected the way I was with the material.

The course was designed by Dr. G. Michael Durst and instructed to our executives by Mr. Lorry Schneider, I have to recognize not only the creator of the course but the instructor also as I believe that Lorry’s style of instruction added the secret ingredient to having the message have such an impact on me.

The training delivered many important messages but a couple of the more important ones that I took away from the course go like this. You should be 100% responsible for your actions and be sensible enough to realize that you are in the position in life that you are right now because you put you there. You did all the things that were necessary to be where you are right now, be that a good place or not so good. As many of you know this is a big one for this industry, I love trucking and all things truck, always have but we are rampant with the victim mentality.
All you have to do is spend a little time in most drivers’ rooms or listen to the CB radio for more than a few minutes and you know exactly what I am talking about. People aren’t as successful as they want to be because of the company they work for, the government is keeping us down, the oil companies are keeping me from making the money I want, the shippers are screwing us all, the load brokers are all thieves it goes on and on. The last couple years that I drove I only turned the CB on when I needed directions or needed to know if a coup was open, I couldn’t take all the negativity that came at me mile after mile.

Even then I wanted to challenge all of the whining I was hearing; maybe that's why this course I took had such an eye opening effect on me. I was smart enough to know that there was no sense in arguing with people who have the victim mentality embedded into their DNA, what I wanted to say to these folks was, don’t like the company your working for, find another one, you’re not chained to that one and if there all the same, get out of the industry, I won’t miss you, promise, the government does stupid things that are counterproductive at times no doubt, what have you done to try and change any of those things, do you even vote? Complaining sure isn’t getting much done, the price of oil is the price of oil and it’s to high, what do you do to minimize the expense of fuel, if you’re an O/O do you know your cost of fuel out to 3 decimals? At the end of the day do you focus your attention to being as productive as you possible can be or do you go about your daily toil like a robot complaining about every challenge that comes up?

The other lesson learned for me was that people are not all alike and if you want to challenge people and have them perform at a level that will help your organization succeed you better learn what motivates each person on your team. Durst broke each person into five separate categories, the Unconscious Level is someone who is not tuned into reality, this stage is usually reserved for young children, but many adults continue to go unconscious as a defence mechanism. The Self Protective Level, these folks protect themselves by blaming other when things go wrong, your misery can never be your own fault when you can lay the blame on someone else. The Conformist Level, these folks do as their told without ever questioning why, they check their brains at the door and only do what have to do and nothing more. The Achievement Level, these folks need to be continually challenged and recognized, their self worth is decided by their latest achievement, everything is a crisis and an emergency, these folks also have a sense of independence are goal driven and are productive. Finally the Responsible Level, this is the type of person successful companies have an abundance of, these folks have a strong sense of who they are, what they need to do and why they are doing it, they take responsibility for failure and in doing so they are much more resilient, they don’t play the blame game. Their self talk is “I know I am the one who will answer for my every action, and I will profit or suffer accordingly”

Effective managers in today’s companies need to understand the dynamic of the group they are responsible for, each individuals is motivated by different interactions. Don’t get me wrong a manager must deliver discipline even handily, that s not what I am talking about, I am talking about the fact that we are not all made from the same mould. We have had influences during our formative years that have made us what we are and sometimes those influence were not good, being a manger who understands this and is willing to take the time to ensure that helping your people learn, grow and to be productive could not only help them but could result in being the highlight of one’s career.

Safe trucking
Rjh

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As Ontario's pilot LCV program is getting ready to wrap up for the winter, I've noticed something strange going on. They're getting faster. Some of the long trains are pushing the 90kph limit, and I don't just mean downhill.

The Ontario/Quebec reg's are pretty clear: Thou shalt not exceed 90 kph, and most of the big boys seem to be keeping it there. But the tractors are governed for 105 and when the law's not looking some of the trainmen are dropping the hammer part ways. Usually at night, and I suspect they're trying to do Montreal-Toronto round trips and trying to keep within HOS. When the highway gets closed they also get all messed up because they can't take detours, and don't forget they're not allowed in the Big Smoke during rush hour.

So if you're trying to run say, Mississauga Road to the Montreal suburb of Anjou, you'd be pretty hard pressed to do it in 6.5 hours steady driving at 90kms without a break. Even if the trains hooked up when you get there, pulling a round trip in 14hours, without exceeding 12 hours driving time is nigh impossible.

Quickening road trains are a new issue. Maybe it's not a big deal, and I'm sure they can do 100 yards safely, no problemo, like they do out West. But this is while the pilot project is still in effect. Why jeopardize the trial, when most companies only have one or two permits?

And remember, these are supposed to be the best, most qualified, conscientious drivers, the cream of the creme brule, exemplary knights of the blacktop. But unless you've got the cruise control set at nine-zero, a driver could be excused for letting it go a little bit down the gentle rolling hills of Northumberland County. But that's not what I'm talking about. These daredevils are up to 95 and maybe more when no one's looking. Yikes, I say.

So what's the big deal? Truly, I only noticed because I used to whip by these guys doing my 99 kph, and lately it seemed to be taking longer to pass them. Speed limiters setting the max at 105, and the 90kph LCVs, have changed the dynamics out there.

As my colleague Bob Sherwood explains: "One night they closed the 401 for 15 or 20 minutes at the 613 in Kingston. I noticed it took almost one hundred kilometres before traffic worked its way out, to about the 710 marker. That's with four-wheelers going crazy and trucks running side by side for a long ways.

"LCVs, if they're working right and running 90, straighten the traffic out. People have to pull into the left lane to pass and the traffic gets spaced out quickly. But if I come across an LCV doing 97, I can't get around him."

This really is happening, but I'm not going to name names I've asked around and other drivers have noted this trend as well. Like I said, most of them are playing fair. Two I came across last night were doing 90 right on the button.

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I find the consistent and loud opposition to electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) coming from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) puzzling if not irresponsible.

This summer OOIDA went so far as to file a legal challenge of an EOBR regulation by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that will mandate the use of the devices for motor carriers with a record of chronic non-compliance with hours-of-service regulations.

According to Todd Spencer, OOIDA's executive vice-president., "the burdensome cost, the violation of privacy and lack of relevant safety verification make any mandate unjustified." He’s also apparently concerned that information gathered by EOBRs “could be used against drivers that has nothing to do with hours-of-service, and that is beyond the authority of trucking safety regulators."

Okay, give me a break.

What is it with owner/operator associations on both sides of the border these days and their fixation with government conspiracy theories? No sooner are we done with the greatly exaggerated concerns over speed limiters (hey, what happened to all the traffic mayhem that was supposed to happen anyway?) that the associations have rallied to the banner against EOBRs.

The FMCSA is looking to first target motor carriers with a CHRONIC record of non-compliance when it comes to respecting hours of service. Trucking companies found to have a 10% hours-of-service violation rate or worse during compliance reviews will be required to monitor hours of service using EOBRs. It's estimated nearly 5,700 interstate carriers will require EOBRs after just one year of the new rule's implementation, the FMCSA predicts.

Such motor carriers are not only endangering the public and the industry’s reputation with their disregard for hours of service rules, they are putting the lives of their drivers and owner/operators at risk by strong arming them into running illegal hours.

To be fair, OOIDA bases its opposition to EOBRs, in part, on a belief there is no evidence these devices would increase highway safety. I’ll buy in to that argument but only to a point. True EOBRs can’t address such things as a driver who has the right number of off duty hours but spent them tossing and turning in his bunk unable to sleep; the low periods in our natural circadian rhythms or the individual differences among drivers when it comes to fatigue susceptibility. But EOBRs will make it much more difficult (unless someone is a software hacking expert) to “game” the system to mask illegal driving time. And keeping HoS records electronically should be much more efficient and less costly over the long run for carriers and much more efficient to audit for the enforcement agencies.

So that leaves OOIDA’s concerns about “burdensome costs and violation of privacy” it claims are involved in mandating EOBRs. There’s not much I can say about the violation of privacy concern – my experience is that people stuck on believing that Big Brother is out to get them, can rarely be convinced otherwise. As for the “burdensome cost”, let’s get real here folks. That argument is used EVERY TIME a new technology is mandated, whether its EOBRs or new engine standards. The industry should have been dead many times over if we bought into it. And if there really are companies out there that in 2010 still can’t afford to invest in computerized record keeping, perhaps they should not be in business.

There really are no valid arguments against EOBRs

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In one of my blogs not too far back, I suggested that if you have a diversified service mix you need to maintain the quality of each product to a similar high standard…maybe not. Last night some musician friends of mine were backing up a Japanese blues guy and invited me to come by. After viewing the performance it made me rethink my previous stance.

So here is a young blues man who has studied the traditional greats like Little Walter, Muddy Walters, Big Joe Williams and so on. His main thing is playing harp (harmonica) and he is extremely good at it, way above average and most definitely at a professional level. Born in Japan, he hasn’t quite mastered the English language and you can clearly hear a thick accent in his voice. If he had started off singing, you might have dismissed him totally as a bad karaoke performer, for at first it’s almost comical to hear his rendition of the traditional blues classics that make up his repertoire. But…

..but he started off with his strongest talent first. He was very credible as a blues harp player so you gave him a little more rope before judging his vocal abilities. And guess what? Although an acquired taste, he was very sincere in his performance and within a few songs you couldn’t help but accept him. And after a set of his brand of blues, with an awesome back up band (another immediate source of credibility) and confident performance…he was an undeniable hit.

It was a bit of an epiphany for me and maybe a lesson for us all. If we lead with our strength, are prepared and confident… maybe clients will let us sing the occasional number that is a little out of tune, providing we continue to impress them with our core service talents.

Lee’s quote for the day

“It’s probably true that you never get a second chance at a first impression… so let’s hone our talent and lead with our strength so that by association, the odd sour notes that come later aren’t quite as noticeable!”

Lee Palmer is the President and Creative Director at Palmer Marketing, a company that specializes in creative marketing and advertising solutions for the transportation industry.

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I received the following note the other day about the loss of industry pioneer and well-respected businessman Vic Pettigrew. While I didn’t know Vic personally, I thought I’d turn this space over to Bill Cameron of Parks Transportation, who wrote this thoughtful eulogy. Over to you, Bill...

On October 9, Victor Pettigrew passed. He was previously the third generation owner of Millers Garage, Owen Sound's International dealer. At the time of his retirement just a few years ago, the company had been operating over ninety years.

Victor had a well-earned reputation as one of the more obliging, nicest people you could do business with. Over the years, more than one brand new truck was ordered with nothing more than a handshake for a down payment. His Yellow Pages ad always had his home phone number, as well as at that of at least one parts staffer. After hours parts availability was, in his opinion, a necessity.

"We're under no obligation to be here 24/7," he told me once, “but we damned well better be available 24/7."

This was mentioned during one of many long conversations I had with him over the years - conversations that occasionally actually concerned business. If he knew you, and you had time and an inclination to solve the world’s problems, he was game.

I've seen more than one farmer or small contractor bring an old truck into the shop, only to have Victor do his best to convince them the vehicle was not worth repairing. It didn't matter that his shop wasn't particularly busy that week; his integrity didn't have a dollar figure.

My well-worn story about the man is not a rarity. Countless other small operators can tell a comparable tale. A few weeks after we started in business, our 20-year-old truck had a rear differential give out. Victor’s full shop, and busy mechanics, suddenly, like magic, had a space and mechanic for our truck (this was a common occurrence).

We had been in business long enough to accumulate a stack of fuel bills and toll receipts, but not long enough to have many receivables flow in. I sheepishly asked if I could take the truck away, even though I couldn't pay for a few weeks. He just laughed and said "You can't pay my bill if you're not driving it, of course you can take it."

They don't build trucks like that old 4070 COE anymore, and they sure as hell don't make businesspeople like Vic Pettigrew anymore either.

Bill Cameron
Parks Transportation

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That's correct folks they are already required on trucks going out west. Yes the driver has to have them they have to know how to put them on correctly, and of course the company if the truck has your name on it, should be supplying the chains.

Chains though are only 1 of many things we should be doing at this time of year. Just like changing the battery in your smoke detector at home, it should be second nature to prepare the trucks for WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. Show the drivers and retrain them again and again on ADVERSE DRIVING CONDITIONS, Spend the money and REPLACE EVERY WINDSHIELD WIPER ON EVERY TRUCK, FILL UP EVERY TRUCK WITH WINTER WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID. ENSURE YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID IN THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY, HAVE THE MECHANICS CHECK EVERY TIRE EVERY TIME A TRUCK GOES THROUGH THE SHOP. HAVE THE MECHANICS TALK WITH THE DRIVERS.

The drivers are in the truck every day. They know of have a pretty good idea what is wrong. They put their lives at risk every day in the truck. They are on the road every day. Positive reinforcement can never be beat. Listen to them, fix what they concerns are, at the same time do a little and let them know what was done without them having to ask. Oh by the way WE TOPPED OFF YOUR WINDHSIELD FLUID WITH THE NEW WINTER WASHER FLUID THAT IS OUT. Oh by the way your right rear inside Tractor tire was a little low on air we put it in and checked all the tires for you. Soon it becomes second nature not just for the drivers but for the maintenance people as well.

For all of the Fleets CSA 2010 has started to enforce infractions, even the most minor to raise infractions numbers against even the best of fleets out there.U.S. D.O.T. enforcement agents are out there doing everything they can to find problems. Do what ever you can to avoid any problems.

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I was browsing on Yahoo! News this afternoon when I came across a story titled, “Top 10 Jobs for People Who Hate People,” written by a rep from a US-based company called LiveCareer. While a few of the occupations mentioned, and indeed the article itself, were obviously intended for laughs, (e.g. Undertaker, because “dead people don’t give boring PowerPoint presentations or talk loudly on their cell phones all day”), when I saw “trucker” added to the list, I felt saddened more than anything else.

For starters, since the general public doesn’t usually perceive truckers in the most positive light, chalking truckers up to be a group of “people haters” is probably not going to do much for their public relations game.

But besides that, it was the description of why trucking was such a great job for people who hate people, which was summed up in one concise point, that really irked me: “Spend your days – and even your nights – alone in your truck,” the article quips.

While, of course, the article is more or less intended to be tongue-in-cheek, this description highlighted to me one of the great struggles of the long-haul trucker: loneliness.

I hate being away from my family for any length of time, so I can’t imagine the difficulty of being on the road alone, all day and all night, for days on end.

What the article fails to address is the fact that most truckers don’t choose the solitude of trucking for its misanthropic benefits – they do it because they have to; they have to for us as consumers and they have to to provide for those family members – those people – that they love at home.

It might be easy to dismiss truckers as a group that thrives on the seclusion that the highway provides, and for some, maybe that’s true. But people haters? Hardly. Truckers are usually one of the first road users to stop and lend a hand when needed. Look no further than Bridgestone’s Canadian Truck Hero award program for ample evidence of that.

For my part, I’d like to think that the reason why most truckers stay with the industry is that they care enough for their fellow man that they’re willing to sacrifice their own time to keep our society functioning. And there’s nothing to hate about that.

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