I wrote this aryicle some time ago and thought I would dust it off again as unfortunately it applies as much now as it ever did.

Business is business and all businesses run on the same principle gross revenue comes in you deduct all the related expenses and what is left is either profit or it’s a problem you need to tackle ASAP. As I am sure you know there are plenty of desperate people right now in this industry these are scary times and they aren’t going anywhere soon. So if you’re an Owner Operator and it is time for you to get tough here is what I suggest you to do and do fast.

Start by making a list of every business expense you have and I mean everything related to the operation of the truck you are operating, everything! This is where the person who has been keeping good records has a huge advantage over the driver who does their filing in a Wal-Mart bag. Now that you have everything listed organize the list with your largest expense at the top of the page in order to your smallest expense at the bottom of the page. Have a pad of paper handy that you can make a list of things to do and investigate as you dissect each expense item.

Now its reality time, take a hard look at each item on your list starting at the top of the page I am going to guess that fuel and wages are going to be number one and two. Fuel is a variable cost because the more you drive the more you spend on this one and it has two or three controllable components assuming your engine and running gear are set up properly. What speed are you running the truck at and I know we are all sick of this subject but every mile over 60 miles an hour is 1/10th of a gallon in fuel economy gone out the stack and this crunch time remember. Is your idle time cut back to a minimum and I know it is tough this time of year but you need to look at every possible area of savings possible. Have you measured the ROI (Return on Investment) on an APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) put this item on your things to do list. After you have rationalized these two areas ask yourself this question, if you are buying your fuel right from your carrier do you get a reasonable discount off the pump price on the road or in the yard? Some of the fuel optimization programs that are available for a cheap subscription cost might be helpful, maybe you should do some research here, also put this on your “Things to Do” list.

Your truck payment is a fixed cost because it does not change no matter how many miles you drive in a month; think of a fixed cost as something that is usually paid on a calendar basis. Not too much you can do here usually but you should be aware of what your finance cost is over the life of the payment schedule, separate the principle from the interest. Once you do this you can see how important it is to shop for your finance contract the same way you do a truck, every percentage point of interest over a 3-5 year contract means thousands of dollars.
Your maintenance costs are variable and regardless of your experience in this industry or as an owner operator there are benchmarks to go by that are usually fairly accurate. For a new truck put 2 cents per mile in an escrow account because you will spend it eventually on maintenance, 1 year old 3 cents, 2 year old 4, 3 years 5 cents, 4 years 7 cents and 5 years 10 cents per mile. If you are spending more than this now, figure out why and how to bring it back in line ASAP. If you’re off here, make a note to take your favorite mechanic out to lunch and discuss the numbers with them don't let this slide.

Driver wage! Here’s a toughie, what kind of money are you drawing out of the business to satisfy your lifestyle? To do this one right you need another piece of paper and you need to do the same thing that you just did for the truck expenses, highest to lowest expenses and scrutinize each one of them to ensure they’re necessary and legitimate. You got to know that your truck will only make so much money no matter how lean and smart you are as an operator and living beyond your means personally is a slow death filled with stress, who needs it.

You get the idea of what I saying here do this for every expense you have and then get to work on your things to do list; this is key component of how a business operates if you’re looking after it. Another thing I do is read and no not Tom Nicks novels or comic books, I read self help books I read business books, I read titles and subjects that I think will help me run my business better. I have stayed away from recommending titles but I can’t help it this time, I strongly recommend anything written by Larry Winget. How can I not like a guy who written books titled “Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life?” or “People are Idiots and I can Prove It” how about “It’s Called Work for a Reason” the one I recommend for drivers and Owner Operators who have trouble watching the nickels and dimes is “Your Broke Because You Want To Be”. You can also visit larry@larrywinet.com for some other nuggets of wisdom.

The last word is about the dreaded tax man, yes it is that time of the year again, get it done right and by a firm who knows this industry. Working with a good business advisor and tax specialist can be the single greatest ROI you will ever get in business.
Safe Trucking
Rjh

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Hello Folks, Hope all are well,

I recently spent a few days in one of my favorite towns attending the Truckload Carriers Association’s annual Recruitment and Retention seminars in Nashville Tennessee. I have had the opportunity as past Co Chairman of the Re and Re division of TCA along with my then Co Chair counterpart and good buddy Kevin Burch President of Jet Express out of Dayton OH to have attended many of these events over the years, they are always in Nashville at the first of the year and they are always great fun and the host city cant be beat. Although the event always seems to find a way to reinvent itself it is a little disheartening that we still spend so much time on this retention issue. Having been one of the people who were responsible for content for this division in the past I can tell you that it can be pretty difficult to bring new ideas to this issue. I know haven’t help the situation by breaking it down to its simplest element as you might have read in past articles when I state the obvious, to me anyway, “People stay in situations they are comfortable in and leave situations that they are not”

My daughter Vanessa works for one of the best airlines in Canada she is a flight attendant for WestJet based out of Calgary, she is very good at what she does and works very hard to be the best she can be at her job. If you cant tell by now I am very proud of her and what she has accomplished. I tell you this because the lifestyle Vanessa leads in this job, in my opinion parallels in many ways that of a long haul truck driver, long days combined with an irregular work schedule that takes her away from home for extended periods. She is not always sure if she will get home on time, her work schedule is controlled by the feds, she is only allowed to be in the air for a certain amount of time in a given period, weather delays and mechanical issues are always a concern. Dealing with the public can be an issues etc. She tells me that her company, she is proud a stockholder of course, suffers from many of the same issues that trucking does, they have very high turnover during new flight attendants first year and then it settles down as time goes by. I am not sure why I chose to share this but to suggest that we are not alone in this problem of lifestyle associated retention. My daughter was raised in a trucking family so it might not seem as foreign to her to live this type of lifestyle compared to someone who was brought up in a 9 – 5 type of environment. I guess my other motivation for sharing this is that misery loves company, WestJet is one of the best in their field and they fight the same issues we do.

Recruitment is a totally different animal of course and with the advent of social media, twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn all these new technologies have all changed the game. If your into recruiting and are not involved with these recruiting strategies then here’s a little information for you, the bus has left the station and you better find a way to get on board, Fast! Many of you have also heard about the new products related to behavioral modeling, my favorite of course can be found at www.jobehaviors.com I don’t understand why fleets aren’t flocking to theses new tools, I am convinced that they will be the new norm within the next couple years.

To offer an insight as to how quickly things are changing, one of the many great speakers at the Re and Re event I attended was a professor of social media from Rutgers University Mr. Mark Schaefer. During Mr. Schaefer’s session he revealed that email activity over the net dropped last year by 25%, so what does this mean, it sure doesn’t mean that less people are using the net, it means that they are using other platforms of social media other than email on the net, this is a dramatic change. Again if you’re a recruiter you need to be on top of this because the future is here and if your not involved you will be left behind. You can see what were doing at Transrep on the social media front by visiting www.transrep.ca

Ms. Debbie Sparks who is a VP of Development for TCA hosted one of the most enjoyable sessions I attended, where she and a panel of carriers explained how they have leveraged one or more of TCA’s many image efforts developed for the benefit of the industry and their own companies. There are many of them and they can all be found at www.truckload.org they include one of my favorites, the “Highway Angels” program along with National Fleet Safety Awards, The Best Fleets to Drive For, Driver of the Year, Owner Operator of the Year to name a few. TCA works very hard to try and raise the image of the industry both externally to the public and internally within trucking companies walls and Debbie along with all the members of the Communication and Image Committee all TCA staff should be congratulated for the outstanding programs that they currently manage and promote for the trucking industry in North America.

While you’re on the site check out the many other image efforts that TCA has developed or put significant effort behind, including Ms. Lindsay Lawler who is a Nashville resident and has been recently adopted by not only TCA but all truckers for her amazing voice and outstanding music that celebrates all professional drivers in North America, www.lindsaylawler.com . Wrap all this up in a town that host the most amazing musical venues in the world and you have yourself a recipe for a good few days that I highly recommend.

Take Good Care & Safe Trucking

Rjh
Transrep Inc.

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The industry received a couple of serious blow this past couple months with the passing of two great folks and I thought I would share my brief experience with each of them. I had the great honor of meeting one of the industry icons some dozen years ago at a TCA Board of Directors meeting in Chicago. I still recall the introduction vividly I was a new TCA (Truckload Carriers Association) board member at the time when one of the staff walked up to me just prior to the meeting and asked if I would like to meet Don Schneider. I was shocked for a few reasons not the least of it the rather casual way I was asked (wouldn’t I need an appointment and a purpose, agenda etc) but also the fact that he was attending the meeting, I knew he was a past Chairman of the TCA (1979-80) but I hadn’t seen him at prior TCA events. My third revelation came as I stumbled through a few words trying not to appear totally star struck in front of him because I quickly realized that I was in the presence of a true gentleman.

Those of who have experienced the sensation will know what I mean, it has happened to me a few times with different people I have met where you instantly know that the person you are standing in front of is special, and they have that aura about them. Just to clarify I am not nor have ever been a celebrity hound or hero worshipper, quite the contrary it has always confused me who folks choose to idolize and place on pedestals, to my way of looking at the world usually all the wrong folks are given star status by the masses and the true heroes typically go unnoticed. Want to learn about some real heroes go here http://truckload.org/Highway-Angel now these are heroes!

I had about a ten minute conversation with Mr. Schneider just he and I and he was as gracious and classy a person as I have ever met. This past January we lost Mr. Schneider In reading some of the many epitaphs it was no surprise to read that although his Dad started the company, he had to earn his way up the ranks through the shop and as a driver while he went through school and attained his education, then and only then was he allowed to come into the office. He earned what he had, you could tell and you also knew he cared about the industry and folks around him. What he did from there is well known leading Schneider National on to become the largest carrier in North America.

What is not so well known was Mr. Schneider’s industry contributions and too numerous to list charitable contributions. I like many of you drivers have not been a huge Big Orange fan having had to bid against them from time to time of freight lanes and it’s easy to poke the big dog for some reason. That was my one and only meeting with Mr. Schneider but having the opportunity to meet the man behind this company is a memory I will always cherish.

This past December we lost Mr. Pat Quinn, I have a special place in my heart for Pat Quinn for number of reasons. Pat was of course Co-Chairman and co-founder of US Express out of Chattanooga TN North Americas third largest truckload carrier. Pat was also the individual who called me at my office some 8-9 years ago and asked me if I would consider stepping up from being a Board member of TCA into the role of Officer. Again I remember this vividly for a few reasons, one I recall was when our receptionist told me that Mr. Pat Quinn was on hold for me which was a serious rush at the time, secondly it was an amazing honor for me to be asked to enter the Officers ranks by Pat and I remember him telling me that the invitation comes with a caveat, which is that I must be prepared to assume the role of Truckload Carriers Association Chairmen if called upon.

I gotta tell you folks that scared the stuffing out of me, talk about the hair standing up on the back of your neck, this was a game changer for me. I always like playing it under the radar and this was on the other end of the scale this was profile and exposure. Pat asked me to think it over and of course I decided that it was just too big an opportunity for me and the company to pass up. What Pat didn’t know he was doing was that he also recruited two others who in short order would become a couple of my closest allies and lifelong friends, Mr John Kaburick Past TCA Chairman 2010 -11 and President of Earl Henderson Trucking and Mr. Kevin Burch Past TCA Chairman 2009 -10 and President of Jet Express.

We each took our turns a Chairman of TCA in order and each have thanked Pat many times for putting us together, Pat saw something in each of us and I will eternally grateful for his confidence in me to make that call because it changed my life.

Pat was a selfless promoter of the industry with what seemed like boundless energy, playing one leadership role after another Chairman TCA, Chairman ATA, Chairman Tennessee Trucking Association to name but a few of his roles.

There will be a big void at all the events of these Association events for the foreseeable future as Pat was usually in attendance, always approachable and could always be sought out when the voice of reason and a common sense solution was needed. I along with anyone who was fortunate enough too have been able to meet Mr. Pat Quinn will miss his generous nature and down to earth ways.

These were a couple of our best folks and I know it sounds cliché, but they don’t make um like that anymore!

Safe Trucking
Rjh

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Welcome to 2012. I know this sounds very cliché but 2011 flew by in a flash, and it seemed to me to do it with little or no notoriety. Why? Probably because all sectors of the economy were sluggish. Certainly freight picked up a little but only marginally, unemployment was and is still out of control, yadda and yadda. I am much better off when I ignore what’s going on in Europe with their debt crisis and the things that legally trained politicians everywhere in the world seem to be messing up, almost daily, (just a thought but should it be illegal for a lawyer to be a politician, think about it driver?) I have heard of 2011 being nicknamed the “Year of Fear” makes sense to me.

I realize that I am much better off when I ignore this minutia, but in some circles these days you need to know some of what going on in this world or people seem to ignore you. Whatever! One thing that I can share on a brighter note for me is the fact that my new role as CEO of Transrep Inc. www.transrep.ca is going well and I am enjoying it more and more each day. One thing that has opened my eyes in this new role is all the new technologies and systems that I now have time to learn about. One of the significant challenges of this effort is how difficult it is to get trucking executives to spend time with some of these new things. They are so busy doing what they have always done that it is very difficult to get them to learn something new; even though you know that it will save them time and money. Of course they are also busy managing the 10,000 moving parts that go into running a trucking company; been there, done that and I get it, to some extent!

Through this whole experience I have gained a respect for those companies that are open to new ideas and systems, the ones that make innovation part of their culture, whether they are a big or small carrier. Typically, we in this industry will let everyone else test the waters before we entertain the possibility of the indoctrination of a new process or system. I thoroughly understand the old analogy of pioneers being the first ones with arrows in their backs, but by the same token none of us would be where we are today if we hadn’t taken a little risk in our lives and our business.

The secret to deciding on whether or not to try a new product or service, whether you’re an Owner Operator or a fleet owner is in the comparison of the risk/cost factor to the potential revenue/reward. In the difficult decisions I have had to make in my career I have typically followed the same procedure after all the facts are collected and an ROI (return on investment) has been estimated; I would draw a line horizontally down the middle of a lined piece of paper. On the top of the page I write what the new service, procedure or product it is that I am considering moving forward with. Under that I also articulate in one short sentence explaining what I see as the potential benefit of this change. Next step was that on one side of the page I write the pros and on the other side the cons concerning the implications of making this decision. When I was done I would put it aside for at least 24 hours and continue to think it through. Part of this exercise might just reveal additional information that you need to precede to your final decision.

The other method I used a lot when time was of the essence and I needed to move quickly is the smell test. It works like this. I look things over as completely as I can and then try and find where it stinks. Sounds simple and sometimes it is, other times though, not so easy. The root of all of this is that there are times when you just need to trust your gut, hard as this might be; trust it. For years I was intimidated by people with education and academic credentials. Here I was this young trucker who never made it out of grade 12 sitting around boardroom tables with Lawyers and Chartered Accountants and talking to bank managers. You kidding me man?

It took me a number of years to learn that all the education in the world will not begin to replace common sense and courage to follow your natural instinct and unwavering passion. Many of the decisions that I regret the most are the ones where I didn’t trust my instinct and followed the advice of someone who had the educational credentials but didn’t have my instincts. My bad not theirs, I blame no one for where I am in this world. I did everything perfectly for me to be where I am right now, no doubt about it and by the way so did you!

I vividly remember when Connie and I decided that we would start a company and apply for an operating authority and our own company. I went and spoke to two professionals; one was an experienced transportation Lawyer in London and another was a local Chartered Accountant. They both told us to play it safe and not take the risk. In retrospect, it might have been because we already had two mortgages on our house at the time. Of course we didn’t listen and went ahead anyway.

In between then and now there has been a lot of water under the bridge, some of it sweet smelling and some of it foul. That being said I am not one of those folks who suggest that if they had it all to do over again they wouldn’t change a thing, because I definitely would change many decisions that I have made. But in retrospect and despite some of the advice from my educated advisors and my own bad decisions, I believe that I have made more good decisions than bad.

Safe Trucking
Ray J. Haight

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Over the past number of years I have offered advice on how Owner Operators can make themselves more profitable and hopefully some of you have listened and derived benefit from my writings. What I want to explain in this article is how to protect the small business that you have worked so hard to build. As with most small businesses, the owner is also the company’s only employee and if something should happen to that person the entire company is at risk, along with any personal assets that might be owned or co-owned by them, why would personnel assets be on the line? This is an easy question to answer but could end up being a hard pill to swallow if you ever find yourself in this situation after an accident. If you have a bank loan on your truck, chances are the financial institution you used, asked for (or demanded) a personal guarantee as a prerequisite for the loan. By signing that document you gave the bank the authority to force you to sell any personal assets that you might own to satisfy the balance of the loan should you default for any reason.

Have an accident with inadequate insurance? Doesn’t matter, make the payments - pay the loan. Got sick? Had a Heart Attack? Doesn’t matter, make the payments - pay the loan. You can see where I’m going with this. I know these scenarios are not pleasant topics, but I felt the need to get them on paper - because I have seen it happen (too many times). One of my favourite Owner Operators when I was running a carrier had a minor heart attack but was still going to be out of commission for at least 6 months, this guy was a great operator, clean equipment, worked hard, everyone liked him and then bang he had a heart attack. I remember going up to the hospital and seeing him, which is where I learned that he had no insurance for such an event and no nest egg at all. He and his wife had a house with a mortgage and a small amount of money in RRSP’s, that's it!

Of course you can find a driver and put them in your truck while you’re convalescing but I gotta tell you that this is a risky path to take, you better be sure the person knows their stuff and doesn’t cause more problems than they solve. The other thing to consider is that you might be able to make your truck payment, but of course any income that you might have used to satisfy your needs at home will now go directly to the driver, so what now? The correct thing to do, as usual, is to do your homework and make sure that you have all (or most) of these scenarios covered with insurance. I have been working with the good folks over at NAL Insurance Inc. for the past number of years, and have seen how things should work when the proper insurance is purchased and problems happen.

One of NAL’s primary products is WSIB/WCB Alternative Insurance; this product is a no-brainer for Carriers that contract with Owner Operators. This type of coverage provides long-term protection for on and Off the Job Injuries (unlike WSIB, which only covers On the Job situations), and is usually packaged with comprehensive Out of Province Medical Insurance (to cover Emergency Medical Expenses when travelling across the border). This Insurance should be a mandatory requirement at Carriers. Further, NAL makes sure each Owner Operator is aware of the scenarios listed above, as well as other possibilities, for instance, the negative effect on cashflow in the event of an accident (Deductible Buydown Coverage), the impact of a Cancer Diagnosis (Critical Illness and Sickness Coverage), or the getting stuck on some lonely highway in the middle of the night (Truckside Emergency Road Service). I hate to sound like a commercial, but I wouldn’t write it if I didn’t believe in it. Proper insurance protection is a necessary component of any sound business; unfortunately too many Owner Operators lack proper coverage and only find that out after it’s too late.

To reinforce my point, here are a couple real world scenarios that NAL has passed on to me, one with a good outcome, and one with a not-so-good outcome. The first one deals with a 47-year-old driver from the Windsor area. During a driver meeting, this gentleman was vehement that he didn’t need WSIB Alternative Coverage or Critical Illness Protection. His comment was “all insurance companies are jokes, they will gladly take your money, but when it comes time to claim they throw up as many road blocks as possible”. Luckily, the fleet he drove for made the coverage mandatory. Further, after the NAL rep got a chance to meet him one on one, he decided to increase his Critical Illness protection to $50,000. It decision turned out to be very timely, because 13 months later he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Luckily, they caught the cancer in time; he has since recovered fully, but did admit that if it wasn’t for the $50,000 Critical Illness settlement he may have lost everything.

This brings me to the not-so-good story. After a two-hour sit down with a NAL rep, an Owner Operator from rural Ontario made the unfortunate decision to “pass” on valuable Disability coverage. His premise was “I own my truck out right, no loan. If something happens, I’ll just sell my truck and live on the proceeds until I recover”. Unfortunately, too many drivers have similar opinions. The reality is that equity in a depreciable asset is certainly not the foundation of a solid financial plan, especially in a distressed situation. Unfortunately, within 12 months, this driver was tarping down his load fell from the deck and broke his arm and collarbone. The results, Due to the nature of the injury, he required two surgeries and was off for an entire year. The truck was long gone (sold for less than half what he thought it was worth), and a house in foreclosure proceedings. This could have all been avoided with a little per-planning, food for thought (and motivation to get you financial house in order).

Safe Trucking
Rjh

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In my new gig as a partner at Transrep Inc, I get to meet both new folks and old friends while we showcase some of the new products and services that we have chosen to represent to the trucking industry. I have never been one for using this particular format to showcase these products and services because for too many of the readers of these articles there just wouldn’t be the interest to keep you all engaged. I thought that I might change this rule this time because I think everyone is interested in some of the new services that are available for screening and hiring new drivers into the industry and to screen experienced drivers into a new company. Whether you’re hiring drivers or looking to get hired or are entirely new to the industry, there are new tools afoot that you should be aware of.

I had the opportunity to join a couple other fellows last year to do some consulting at a trucking company that was performing well below what the ownership believed was possible. During our review of the entire company, when we got to recruiting I was amazed when I heard from one of their recruiters that 80% of the company’s new hires were coming through Kijiji. I knew of course that this type of recruiting was the future and that eventually it would dominate but when I heard the numbers from this high profile, mid-size company for the first time it was a little shocking. The future is here! I mention this because as many of you know a lot of great products and services are victims of poor timing. It might be a good idea but if the market is not ready for it, it won’t fly.

I first met the folks from JOBehaviors www.JOBehaviors.com/transportation at this year’s Truckload Carriers Association’s annual convention this past March. It was during the Schools Committee meeting that I was co-chairing that we revealed that our committee had been charged to build a case for FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) to review and hopefully have them consider allowing 18 year olds to drive interstate in the US. For those of you who don’t know, it’s illegal for an 18 year old to drive across a state line. The strange piece here is that in more than 40 states, an 18 year old is perfectly legal to drive a class 8 vehicle within a state’s borders. There are no restrictions in Canada for an 18 year old to drive from one province to another.

It was during this meeting that I became aware of JOBehaviors and what it can do for a trucking company. How it works is that, an individual goes on-line and answers a list of questions. It usually takes 12 minutes to complete and at most, 15 minutes. What it produces is a behavioural profile of two important personality traits that are imperative for the success of a driver in their career and also the long term success of the company hiring them. The results come back in the form of a zero to five star rating that measures the individuals global prospective on safety; do they get it and, an individual’s propensity towards loyalty.

As an employer in the trucking industry this is a GAME CHANGER of the first degree. To be able to get an inside look into an individual’s behaviours and get a measurement like this allows the trucking industry to change with a tool like this. Let’s face it people, we don’t want a low scoring individual on our highways. But they’re there right now. They went for their written and their road test, they passed because they are not stupid…….they are just dangerous and in the wrong profession and they are on our highways wrecking havoc as we speak.

So getting back to the shift to on-line recruiting, this is where it gets neat for me and again it is all in the timing. A trucking company places their application on their web page and invites potential drivers to fill it in. If the individual has a profile that would qualify them to go to the next step, which is normally an interview, their info is forwarded to the on-line questionnaire center at JOBehaviors. The individual is assessed and a zero to five star rating is sent with the application to the recruiting department. Now the recruiter knows whether they want to go to the next step or not. JOBehaviors has screened the minutia out. The trucking company may have a policy to only interview the three stars and higher or they may be almost fully seated and say we are now going to only hire four or five star rated drivers. Like I said, a “game changer”. With a tool like this we could clean the bottom feeders’ right out of this industry, make the roads safer, and bring folks into the industry that will have a much higher chance at having a successful career.

We are of course planning on including this technology in our presentation to FMCSA on the young drivers program. We could try it with nothing but five star individuals to begin with. The State of Arkansas www.truckingarkansas.com is a believer and have built their workforce development program for entry level drivers around JOBehaviors as has the State of Utah.

There is always a new widget or gadget parlour trick in this industry but this one has the pedigree to raise the bar on every measurable there is in this industry and I can’t wait to see the results as it gains more and more acceptance.

Safe Trucking
Rjh

Ray J. Haight
CEO Transrep. Inc
Past Chairman TCA
www.transrep.ca

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As I write this article the financial markets on both sides of the border have been in complete turmoil for a couple weeks and have lost the overall confidence of pretty much everyone who has been within earshot of a radio or have watched the news. These latest financial headaches were all living through were brought on by the division between the Republicans in the US not being prepared to allow the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling so they could pay their bills.
It makes one wonder what their budget exercise is really for, it wasn’t that long ago that both sides fought vehemently over what the US budget would contain and finally each side appeared to capitulate and they had an agreement. Didn’t that budget spell out the money the US would need in the foreseeable future, it’s a financial budget right? Of course it did, so what was this debt ceiling crisis all about, nothing more than grandstanding and arrogance at the people’s expense, and complete disregard for what the implications might be.
So how does this affect you as you drive down the highway trying to flog your freight? I’ll get to that a little later, we as Canadians do not have a perfect system, no doubt about it but when the rest of the world look over here at the great White North and notice that we have our house somewhat in order, I like that, I think our guys at the federal level did and continue to do a pretty good job overall. We all got a bit of a beating back 3 years ago but it was mild compared to the rest of the industrialized nations of the world.
What happened in 2008, coming out of the US was an exercise in greed at its worst, banks selling security backed mortgages that had no equity and then absolving themselves of the responsibility of any kind of recourse when the bubble finally burst. I have always said that you can steel more money with a briefcase that you can with a gun, but this little charade was a theft of biblical proportions brought on by politicians who were grossly incompetent to say the least and these folks had no conscience as they pretended to be the stewards of that countries piggy bank, and no one goes to jail despicable! It is out of control, if the US government was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year; they spend $75,000 a year and are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget that we can understand.
This latest financial crisis in the US is almost as bad, the fact that two political parties have such distain for each other that unless there is complete capitulation to the other party’s position there will be no agreement on anything. These folks have no regard for the greater good of their constituents’ or the general population, they appear in a continual state of campaign, the thought of governance never enters into their mind until they get into full campaign mode and have to formulate platforms that they then sell like a commodity to the voter, with no real intention of seeing anything through to fruition let alone fight for what is right.

Our own Dalton McGuinty here in Ontario is a great example when he ran on a platform of no way he would harmonize the sales tax with the GST and here we are folks. As I recall the HST was sold to us as a short term pain making our industries more competitive on the world market and then after some time we would see a relaxing of the pain and we would all see lower pricing, of course that didn’t happen. I also can’t believe that we receive rebate cheques from our government, who ever thought this up is a on the Premier’s Christmas card list forever, you got to know that. Here is the premise, we will take more of their money from the tax payer than we deserve up front and then we will give them some back a little at a time, every once in a while and they’ll think were great!
It’s kind of like your parent giving you an allowance right, NO, it’s our money and you ripped us off for it and then give us some back every once in a while, this don’t work for me folks, I for one can’t wait to get into the voters booth, can’t happen soon enough.
A quick overview of the pedigree of the American congress shows that 67% of the folks currently sitting in these chambers are lawyers, if that doesn’t scare the average Joe I don’t know what will. A good lawyer is a good debater, good debaters don’t really care what side of an issue they are on, they are motivated by winning first not by what is right but by winning the argument and ensuring that the other side is revealed to be inadequate. This is how gridlock happens; it is almost a pre-requisite to be a successful Politian these days that you need a law degree, getting scared yet. Politicians should be business people, they should be scientist, they should be truckers, they should be folks who live in the real world that interact with other real people so that they can represent other real people and know what their needs and desires are, legal ease does not replace common sense, cant, never will!
We are tied to the hip to the US and as the old saying goes if they get a cold we up here get the flue. Canada has shown amazing resilience with how we have managed our affairs at the federal level compared to what is going on around us but that can only last so long before we are drawn down with what is happening in the rest of the world.
So when you’re wondering where your next load is and worrying if you will make enough miles to cover your expenses, think about the silly display put on by these supposed political leaders and watch as folks lose faith, stop buying new homes, aren’t interested in risking their credit a loan for a new car or the cottage and trucking slows down to a little more. People become worried about their job security so they are not going to spend money on items that are not absolutely necessary, boomers are not retiring at 60 or 65 because they are worried for what might happen to their RRSP’s or their 401K’s and will their old age pension even be there? And trucking slows down to a crawl, rates don’t do go up, wages don’t go up, the middle class that drives our economy stops spending and continues to shrink while we watch and wait for the next display of stupidity to go on display by our elected officials?
Safe Trucking
Rjh

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Hello all. I hope you are all enjoying a great summer and the trucking is good. I myself have recently experienced a milestone of time; my 55th birthday. I was going to say I enjoyed my 55th but that would not be accurate. Pushing the down side of 50 is not something I am happy about. I am not afraid of it other than the fact that I come from a family with a short life span, but I sometimes feel like time is running out and of course it is. I am reminded of an old joke; life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer to the end, the faster it goes! Just as an FYI driver, I can tell you this and in fact I can state emphatically that longevity on this planet doesn’t equate to maturity. Having spent my fair share of time around folks my own age and older I can tell you younger drivers that stupid is stupid. Age doesn’t fix it. You might even hope that experience will dull it and probably in some cases it does but for the most part, as my cousin Tim Stewart in Vegas is prone to saying, you can’t fix dumb. I think Tim is right because I will attest that age sure doesn’t fix it!

55 is a self-reflective milestone for me. You see, when I was first introduced to Bill and Evan at MacKinnon Transport at the ripe old age of 34, I made it quite clear with them that if I was still in the trucking industry when I was 50 years old, that it would only be because I couldn’t imagine doing anything other than running a trucking company or because I wasn’t financially in a position to get out. My motivation for this goal was my mother Joan Haight, salt of the earth, who was taken from us at the age of 47 by leukemia and my father Ron Haight, a south paw who liked a drink or ten and was always looking for the slightest reason to show those who were interested how quick he was with his mitts, who died at age 51 of a massive heart attack. Neither of my parents lived to enjoy their lives with any independence from debt, nor from the freedom that retirement should bring. I am not whining here folks; plenty of drivers have lost parents and close family earlier than I did and you do what you need to do. You either give in to a victim mentality; ‘why’s everyone always picking on me’ type of crap or you persevere and work through it. It does give me great heartburn though when I hear people complain about their parents being a drain on their lifestyles. I would give dearly to spend just five more minutes with either of my parents.

So here I am 5 years past my self-imposed deadline of 50 and I have decided that this retirement thing is not all it is cracked up to be. In fact I never really retired. I would call it more of a slowing down process. So I, along with my good friend Kim Richardson have started a company we call Transrep. We profile and market products and services that we have screened and feel would benefit the industry. Most of these products and services just need a few introductions to the right folks or they need some slight adjustment of their service to better fit with their target market. We are having a blast with it and are enjoying some great success. It is fun watching folks succeed and helping them achieve their goals.

I do, however, take a little more time now to ‘smell the roses’ and I also enjoy the good things about our industry more than I used to. I have the privilege now of being able to stand back and write about the things I feel have value to the industry and complain about the things that irritate me. This week I ran into a website that rejuvenated my excitement for the future of the owner operator model so please visit www.sliceoftruckerlife.com I encourage all owner operators to read Mr. Henry Albert’s blog and see how he runs his business and conducts himself as a professional driver. This guy has class and understands that success in this industry comes in the form of incremental gains and that if you pay attention to all the small moving parts, that contrary to all the so called experts, you can make a decent buck. Mr. Albert also goes to work each day as an owner operator with a clean shirt and tie. Do you think he has a different paradigm than most folks about this great industry? I think so too - so thanks Henry, keep on blogging my friend. We need folks like you in this industry.

And then there is my good friend Nevio who will soon be tying the knot. Nevio is the national sales manager for Select Trucks and an all around good guy, straight shooter, salt of the earth buddy. Unfortunately Connie and I will be out of town and can’t avoid missing what I am sure will be a great event. I called my partner Kim to find out what he and his bride Lisa were going to be doing for a wedding gift so that we could still show our gratitude for the invitation and wish them all the best. Kim informed me that he had just learned that Nevio and his beautiful bride Linda have asked that all guest make a contribution to the Trucking for Wishes charity through the good folks over at NAL Insurance. Pretty cool; way cool; what class. I am proud to have you as a friend Nev and all the best to you and Linda.

We have some great folks in this industry and we need to spend more time telling their stories and less time listening to the whiners. If you happen to have some stories you would like to have shared with the industry, send them to me and maybe I can shed some light on them.

On a final note, Mr. Bill MacKinnon is convalescing at home with his beautiful wife Lois after a couple weeks in the hospital. Happy 83rd birthday Billy. I’m glad to see that you are on the mend my friend and all the best!

Safe Trucking
rjh

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I wonder sometimes how difficult it is for the person who is just about to make the leap into this industry to get a good start. When I think back to my start I really had it all mapped out for me, dad was a trucker and I was going to be well schooled including the kick in the butt when needed. I was in my early teens when I started spending most of my summer breaks in the truck with him. I witnessed the way things were done back then and it always stuck with me. I saw him hit the brakes whenever there was another truck on the side of the road with its 4 ways on or the hood up, no question it was immediate, we were there to help. To date myself this was the time when CB’s were just becoming popular and just like any other technology they weren’t all that cheap when they first arrived on the scene either.

I was taught how to read a road map over many coffees in many different truck stops, so were here in Tennessee heading to here in Texas, how are you going to route us there partner? I spent more than my fair share of time on the ground also, servicing, greasing and performing all the minor repairs that saved a few bucks that would have been given to a repair shop. The real lesson though was how to fend for yourself when an on road repair might be required, it was fix it yourself time and if you couldn’t you at least had gained enough experience by crawling around under the truck for all that time to know if you were being scammed or oversold on a repair.

I was shown how to axel weigh and what a bridge law was and I was also shown how to get the job done if you couldn’t quite get it right, not that any of that exist today of course! I learned what a logbook was and how to fill one out; nuff said there, we got the job done driver! When I look back I was trained schooled mentored whatever it’s called over a 4-5 year period before I ever took the wheel by myself and I was prepared, I remember being scared silly the first time I headed out on my own in a truck at the ripe old age of 18 but I got it done and brought it all home in one piece, I think the old man was pretty proud of the kid on that day now that I reflect on it.

So how is it getting done today the training of these new drivers, I know I couldn’t do it, don’t have the patience for folks, I wish I did, but I don’t. I believe that one of the most important groups of people in the industry today who get very little recognition is the driver trainers of the world. We have dispatch awards driver and Owner Operator awards all the time and not that these folks are not worthy of our praise because they are. I will tell you one thing for sure though without a good amount of time in a truck with a good quality trainer who instills the type of foundation a driver needs to move forward and become a professional not to many awards would be handed out. I wonder if these unsung heroes don’t get a real charge when one of the folks they helps train wins one of these awards, I bet that more than a few of this breed walks a little taller when this happens.

Those safety managers who read my ramblings know what I speak of, a good driver trainer is worth their weight in gold. They set the tone for the raw recruit’s future and not just for the individual company but for the individual’s entire future in our industry. You can take all the best training in the world but unless there is a knowledgeable companionate individual with the patience of Jobe and the skill to be able to teach, you will not reach your full potential as a driver.

The proper training of this industries work force has become a favorite discussion as of late by people like me who have an unswervingly believe that a solid foundation starting with a quality school followed up by the trucking company supplying a quality finishing program is critical to an new drivers success. I would be remiss if I didn’t put a plug in this part of the article for the apprenticeship program that is available for entry level drivers it’s an excellent program that is a natural extension to any finishing program, if you’re not part of it yet get with the program at www.drive4apprenticeship.com.

Here’s a tip for you wannabe drivers out there, after you have done some research and found a quality training school and a word to the wise they won’t be the cheapest and before you sign on to a trucking company find out what their finishing program looks like. You want to know the duration and intention of the program, is the intention to teach you in real life situations the skills you learned in school or is it to get as much work out of you as possible with another driver before you go out on your own and are they a supporter of the apprenticeship program? Check it out. You can also ask to see their finishing program, is it documented, how long is it, what are you measured on, what qualifications do their driver trainers have, are they interested in helping you to develop into a long term successful driver?

There are so many unsung heroes in this industry, folks who are taken for granted who without a company could not function they are relied on to perform day in day out at an optimum level, Kudos to all the Driver Trainers who might be reading this article and thank you for your dedication and that you have the patience that I never had!
Safe and Healthy Trucking
YT
RJH

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In preparing for this month’s blog for Truck News I decided to do some homework, so I cataloged every month’s writings by date and subject matter that I have written to date. Time flies and I hoped to discover some pattern of thought I might have followed over the past number of years from my many articles.

I won’t bore you with the chronology of articles I have submitted and truth be told, it really didn’t reveal anything to me that was overly thrilling; and I was even less thrilled after I shared my findings with the wife after which, she gave her reply and said “yea, so!” At that point I took matters into my own hands and gave her, the “do you know who you’re talking to and how important this is” look! For which I got another “yea, so!” Then she said, if you want a good article, tell those drivers to plan time with their families; its summertime! I think she likes it when she’s right a little too much, but that’s another story.

For some of you the title of this article might ring a bell as it is a title an old Toby Keith song. The message becomes obvious as the song unfolds, which is, what in the world takes priority over the ones we cherish most… our families and friends. My wife Connie has an honest appreciation for the songs sentiment and knows it, the same way every drivers spouse knows it. I was on the road for ten years and family holidays were not had, period. I did my 12,000 miles plus consistently, month in and month out. In fact for years I would leave on Boxing Day to run to Texas and return from out of the valley with 44,000 pounds of citrus hoping to make it home before New Year’s Eve. There was decent money to be made when others didn’t want to truck; the traffic usually wasn’t too bad either.

Don’t fall into this trap folks, as life is too short to ignore what’s important. I know this first hand as I lost both parents at a very young age. My dad was a driver who worked hard his whole life and died when he was barely fifty. Many of my summertime memories as a kid were vacations with my sister and Mom while Dad was on the road doing what he felt he had to do. Next thing we knew they were both gone. Shudda Woulda Coulda won’t get the job done.

During a recent trip I made to Dallas where I was part of a seminar program on success, I ran into an old friend Mr. Marvin Shefsky. Marvin is the principle behind a couple of US publications on recruiting/retention and other trucking related topics. One of his latest endeavors is yet another innovation in marketing which Marvin is known for. He has partnered with the company that distributes blood pressure machines, which I am sure many of you are starting to see in many of the US Truck Stops. The machines are currently servicing 150,000 drivers per month

Marvin revealed to me that during the rollout of this promotion at the Louisville Truck Show, his booth had checked more than 2,000 driver’s blood pressure in 21 hours. The results were a little scary according to Marvin and in fact, there were 20 drivers that were taken immediately from the show to the hospital because the readings were so critical that these drivers needed medical assistance immediately. To emphasize the problem even further, one person actually had a heart attack on their way to the emergency room.

As we all know, the sedentary lifestyle of a driver contributes greatly to an increase in health risk; this is obvious to us all. The other item that relates to this though is of course, stress, and not just the stress of driving or finances, it is the stress we put upon ourselves through the strained relationships that are prevalent in this industry because of separation.

I share this story for another reason. It has been well documented that success in business or a career cannot be achieved fully without a balance in life style. The balance referred to is between work/career, family and oneself - including your own health. Of course that balance is all the more difficult when your occupation causes long separations from your family or whatever significant relationships you might have. But keep this in mind, there are no tombstones that I am aware of in the great drivers bone yard that read “Here lies John Brown, his only regret is that he didn’t get more miles in.”

In my research into my past writings the majority of articles have been about planning. They were about planning to be a successful Owner Operator or career driver, choosing a career path or planning an enjoyable retirement by budgeting etc. Here is a budgeting idea for you. Set some money aside from each statement for a family vacation away from it all. Plan it well and include as many of you’re close relationships as you can, and Just Do It. You need the brain drain…we all do!

Get out of the truck, park it someplace safe and forget about it for a couple weeks. Regroup, refresh, relax and reacquaint yourself with the important people in your life away from the industry. It just might save your life!

Safe and Healthy Trucking

Rjh

Here is an interesting web page with driver tips on healthy hearts.
http://healthytruckinginfo.org

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I have been back from the annual convention of Truckload Carriers Association now for a few weeks and have had time to soak in all that I experienced. If memory treats me right I haven’t missed a convention now for about 20 years, these events are truly the highlight of the year for me in trucking and a great way to start the year.

When I attend any function as a trucking executive my goal was always the same, I had to bring value back to my company that I felt was equal to or preferably exceeded the cost of my trip to the event and time away from the office, if I couldn’t there was no reason for me to attend that particular function again. It is all great and lofty to say that you are giving back to the industry when you belong to an organization and that is true to an extent, but in the long run over extended period and years of membership dues it had better be a give and take relationship because giving back to the industry is important but nothing is more important than black ink on a company’s bottom line. Without that nothing else survives and all the good wishes in the world and good deeds will mean squat when the bailiff is at the door.

The TCA membership and the quality of information and contacts gained from attendance at events has always been an easy payback of time and money spent for me. This year was no exception the quality of the round table sessions was first rate, the general sessions were well attended and had valuable information and insight from Anne Ferraro the head of FMCSA talking about CSA along with an update of all the pending rule making that is about to descend on truckers to a panel sponsored by ATBS of truckers Kevin Knight of Knight Transportation, Robert Lowe of Prime Inc or Richard Stocking President and COO of Swift Transportation moderated by Todd Amen. Throw in with this the entertainment including one of my favourites the honourable Mr. Dan Baker along with the numerous awards that are an intricate part of the program and Kudos to all the Canadian winners of the most prestigious award given by the association the National Fleet Safety Awards, most notably Bison Transport in the large fleet division and Brian Kurtz Trucking Ltd In the small fleet division. There is no shortage of Canadian content at a TCA event and most recently you have been able to identify many of the Canadians easily buy the glass trophies they were carrying.

For me and for the majority of people attending this annual event the most value is gained through the networking opportunities. Numerous surveys have been done over the years by TCA leadership including during my tenure as an officer and time after time the feedback received by membership is that networking is the number one value ad proposition gained from a TCA membership. Because of this feedback, networking opportunities are enhanced at the trade show at the annual event, most round tables are ran by truckers for truckers all committee meetings are open to everyone and everyone is encouraged to participate, during the gala awards dinner, new members are indentified by a special badge and experienced members are encourage to make new folks feel welcome and not just at the new members breakfast but also during the entire event.

Most recently I have been attending the event from the allied trades prospective through ATBS and Transrep a new project I have taken on with my partner Kim Richardson where we provide sales and marketing focus to service and products that we feel are best in class. One of my goals in attending this year’s event was to bring back to Canada an addition to our offerings. I was able to do just that when I was introduced to a couple gentlemen from Gig Harbour, Washington State, and their service, which is called JOBehaviors. This is a new internet based service that tests a drivers or prospective driver’s aptitude towards safety and loyalty. It takes about 10-15 minutes and gives the carrier back a one to five star ranking on the individual within seconds. As many of you know I have been looking for such a tool for years, this is the future and it will become a standard tool for recruiters in North America over the next few years, thanks TCA!

You will have to forgive me if I gush a little over TCA, I believe strongly in their approach to their membership; they prize them, coddle them and try their best to ensure that they stay focused on the value proposition to them, carriers and trades alike. It is always enjoyable for me to talk to a new member from the allied trades as inevitably they are in shock at the respect and accessibility they are granted at TCA. This type of treatment is usually reserved for all but the biggest most generous givers through other associations where usually a smaller vendor is looked on as being expendable and as such they’re not usually given voice on direction or input into the association and its governance.

Wrap all this up in a venue such as the San Diego convention center some great weather and a libation or two with some old friends and I think that you can understand why I am such a fan of TCA. If you are a carrier big or small looking for a place to find educational value for any position in your company or are looking for a place to stay on top of the latest proposed rulemaking effecting trucking, TCA is the greatest value for association dollars you will spend. If you are a vendor looking to gain access to the truckload sector carrier base in North America and want to have full access to those folks TCA is the greatest value for your membership dollars you will spend.
Mark your calendars folks March 4 to the 7th Gaylord Palms Orland Florida for the 2012 TCA annual convention.

Safe Trucking
Rjh
CEO Transrep.Inc
Past Chairman TCA

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In life as in business we have the enormous benefit over all other creatures of being able to review the decisions we have made over our lifetimes. Some of us chose to dwell on past situations and second-guess our decisions and some of us choose to use past experiences, both good and bad, as lessons learned and apply them today’s reality.

Even with all the advancements made in trucking over the years it seems to me that we are perceived by the public an industry that moves very slowly when it comes to change. We get comfortable with our past and we stay there, innovation is not easily adapted unless it is wrapped in something that looks very similar to what we are using now.

The current situation concerning hours of service comes to mind, we as an industry will never be free from Crash and Public Citizen type scrutiny and other such safety groups funded by the railroads until the technology that is available in the market to measure fatigue is adopted in the truck. Any legislation that dictates to a human being when they will sleep and when they wont can never be fully effective, let alone legislation that was written in 1938 and really has not changed all that much.

If you think about it, consider how trucking has evolved since 1938 in almost every aspect it has changed but for two things that remain constant we still have a graph type log book electronic or paper and we still have a human being behind the wheel. The roads that we drive on have changed every component on a truck has changed, communication and monitoring of the truck has been invented. We have even recognized that the human being needs to be trained differently that in 1938 and hopefully FMCSA’s (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Association) entry level driver training rule will have some teeth in it when it finally comes out. We have different classifications of commercial drivers and separate specific testing of skills. What have we changed since 1938 on the logbook other than finally recognize that we all have this thing called a circadian rhythm, the confusing thing is that each of our circadian rhythms is a little or a lot different.

Technology exist that measures the driver's eyelid closure rate which detects the onslaught of fatigue, Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) monitor the location of the vehicle within the lane and alert the driver when the vehicle drifts from the lane. These are just two tried and tested technologies that are based in science that should be investigated with the end result of getting rid of log books and letting science take over to determine when an individual should be driving. A recommendation was made to FMCSA in 2005 by the (NTSB) National Transportation Safety Board to adopt the new technologies available, for example, a dashboard-mounted camera that tracks a driver's eye and eyelid movements could alert a driver who appears to be falling asleep, NTSB suggested this to FMCSA six years ago.

Electronic on board recorders are nothing more than another way of ensuring that a driver complies with a format of driver monitoring from 1938. Why not push for the science to take over and measure how alert a driver is in real time. I drove for ten years there were times when I didn’t get two hours into a trip and I was bushed and just kept pushing myself, there were other times when I felt on top of my game and fully alert at the end of a shift that is now mandated as a time one should be in the bunk. Every driver knows what I am talking about, if I am physically alert after 10 hours and the camera in my truck that is focused on my eye movements says that I am still alert then I should be able to keep at it. Conversely if I had a little to much party the day before I was scheduled to go out and didn’t rest the way I should have before my trip and a couple hours in the unit says shut it down, then I should be shut down.

The governing bodies of trucking on both sides of the border suggest that driver fatigue is the number one factor in class eight vehicle collisions, ATA argues that the numbers used in the latest rewrite on HOS are inflated, this dance will never end. We are a safe industry that has made tremendous inroads in reducing all types of collisions. I truly believe that we have progressed so much on safety that the next series of advancements are going to be all the more difficult to achieve, and that we have to look at the science of individual performance if we are going to move forward as an industry.

“Safety is a moral imperative for the trucking industry” as eloquently stated by past TCA Chairman Jimmy O’Neil. We have the science, it is available it has been tested and it works. We need to use that science to come out of the 30’s and adopt it to our industry so we can advance to the next level of safety in this industry. The endless decades long arguments on HOS rules are not productive and in fact only serve to frustrate our drivers and our industry. If the same amount of effort had been spent on the science as has been on this archaic system of monitoring human behavior I wonder where we would be right now. Regret for the past is a waste of spirit, lets stop fighting over log books and EOBR's and lets start talking about moving forward and letting the science lead the way.

Safe trucking
Rjh

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I was reading an article just recently that both intrigued me and gave me hope; it was written by Adam Ledlow and was based on the rise of Social Media in the trucking industry and how Facebook, Twitter and personal Web Sites are gaining in popularity at light speed in the industry.

I was particularly interested when Adam quoted Trucker Sean Sutherland and I read these words “Sites like Twitter are bringing back some of the brotherhood that has disappeared. I’m following trucker friends all over the country; meeting up with them, and building friendships and a brotherhood with them I may not have had any other way. These sites are starting to give truckers a feeling of togetherness, and I am finding that we are starting to find a voice again. We can use these tools on the Web to further the industry and ourselves.

This article gave me hope and made me think back to an article I wrote some time ago about my youth and growing up a trucker’s son, I started it with. At the age of 10 I began spending parts of my summers driving cross-country with my father in his truck. At 18 I took the next logical step and began driving on my own. For the next 10 years I drove a truck and learned what I now call “the code of the road.”

I quickly learned that truck driving was a craft like any other and I looked up to older drivers for advice. They taught me that drivers were a road family and when you are in the position to help a fellow driver you did it without question. Even driving through most of North America at a young age I was confident that if I needed a hand on the road I would get it from a fellow truck driver. Beyond respecting fellow drivers, I was also taught the importance of respecting and maintaining my equipment so that it would not let me down. The third principle that I learned on the road was the importance of a work ethic. Drivers respected their employers, appreciated their jobs, and went the extra mile if asked.

My experience was not so different from most drivers of my generation. Many of my peers were either second-generation truckers or grew up on a farm where it was becoming more and more difficult to earn a living. We were proud to be truck drivers and took our profession very seriously. In the years since I left the cab for the office, things changed swiftly and dramatically.

First the industry’s labor pool changed. A decline in farming and second-generation truckers was followed by an increase in ethnic and inner city drivers drawn by the higher than average wage level. Then due to the lack of minimum driver training standards, many of these candidates were trained by substandard schools and given just enough information and experience to pass their driving test and enter the industry.

These new drivers by no fault of their own were not equipped for the demands of life on the road and companies, unable or unwilling to respond to the industry changes left them to flounder on their own leading to record turnover. The industry must adjust to this new reality, but adjusting is not as hard as many think, it requires common sense and a sense of our own history.

Drivers themselves have potentially one of the biggest roles to play in this whole scenario they need to rediscover the code of the road as I call it. The sense of community that was the glue of this industry 25 years ago has suffered greatly but it is still there it just needs to be dusted off and updated to today’s reality. I feel that the sole of the trucker has been trampled on. Those values that used to define the task have, but for a few, missed the past few generations and somehow they need to be brought back to the forefront of the drivers and trucking company’s frontal lobes. A huge collapse or conspiracy to mislead did not happen in trucking but a severe neglect did and we need to ask ourselves what we can do to repair the damage”.

Even back when I was driving full time I thought that there needed to be a coming together of commercial truck drivers, an North American association of truck drivers that would ban together to look after its own. United drivers could defend themselves against ridiculous legislation like Alberta’s ban on CB’s and Ontario’s delayed ban on CB’s. It could express influence over FMCSA’s proposed rule making on entry level truck driver training, that is taking far too long to become reality and could be severely watered down from its original version, when it does come out. Where is the unity of voice from the folks who live behind a steering wheel to comment on the entire book of proposed rulemaking coming from FMCSA and Canadian Ministry of Transports?

The driver behind the wheel is not being heard on issues that affect their daily lives and livelihoods, this is wrong! Think about the clout of such a banding if it could be put together to include all of North America, somewhere between 3-4 million drivers, it would include for hire, private fleets owner operators, union and non union, believe me people/politicians notice this type of clout and they will listen and be influenced.

Using social media tools and other more traditional methods of communication, this group could mobilize support and assistance efforts to assist its own members when called upon by national emergencies or for the reviving of the Code of the Road. How about developing a seal of approval for trucking companies that demonstrates their support and respect for their drivers, identifying them as a good place to work as a starting point?

Things have changed a lot since I first took the wheel of a commercial truck, but the soul of trucking has not. Helping our drivers find their place in the rich history of this industry and take pride in their future is not just nice, but necessary. This industry was once a proud and intricate part of North America’s moral fibre it can be again, drop me a line if you think this idea has merit.
Safe Trucking
Rjh

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Most recently in Ontario, there was a ban placed on handheld devises, this is an excerpt from a piece I wrote on the subject recently “I like most of you think that this is a no brainer, we have all seen people weaving all over the roads while they text away or the folks I love are the ones that come flying up beside you like their late for the free buffet and when they get right where they block you in, they slow down to the same speed your doing. After a few minutes of back in forth they floor it again and that’s when you see the cell phone in the ear. I used to fantasize about having a hydraulic battering ram strapped to the frame rails of my truck and when Citizen Joe pulled this stunt I would wait for him to get in just the right position and, well I think you can figure the rest out. I hope someone is watching the politicians so that they don't get to stupid and try and ban the CB’s, just a watch out, politicians doing something stupid can you imagine?”

Hard to imagine the timing, I just wrote that piece for a magazine I contribute to and now I see Alberta has decided to not only follow the Ontario example but add a twist, they have decided to throw truckers and their CB’s under the bus with this new proposed legislation called Bill 16. For those politicians who are unaware of this industries record, we are the safest vehicles on the highway with less accident per million miles than any other vehicles on the road, check this out www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType47/Production/2009AR.pdf the numbers don't lie.

There are many good reasons for this and part of that reason is the CB radio, I am years away from when I drove truck and I must admit to having a love hate relationship during my later years with the CB. I only used it for certain situations, I got tired of all the complaining that was taking over the airwaves. That being said it is an invaluable tool to find out weather conditions, to take warnings of what lies ahead or just around the bend from another trucker coming the other way or to warn all those around you of an emergency situation that should be avoided, like NOW!
Texting while driving is stupid and should not be done, I have done it and you cannot look at the key pad of a phone/Blackberry whatever and stay in control of your vehicle all the time, dialing a cell phone same thing, don't care what you say it’s dangerous. Grabbing a microphone and pushing one button to while staring out the windshield, give me a break, I would hazard a guess that the CB radio has saved ten times more lives over it existence than it has cost, I would win that bet, hands down.

Don't get me wrong I am all about thinking outside the box when it comes to safety, a good friend of mine and past Chairman of TCA Mr. Jimmy O’Neil President of O&S Trucking said it best, when at the start his reign of TCA he said that safety is a “Moral Imperative” of the trucking industry. Bill 16 needs to be amended and changed to leave truckers and CB radios alone, it will have the exact opposite effect should it be enacted into law.

Safe Trucking

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I have been very fortunate for the past number of years to be part of the great team of folks at ATBS Canada Inc. During this period of time, I have been busy working with Owner Operators trying to assist them in becoming successful with their businesses. I believe that success does not happen as easily as Hollywood would like us to believe. In fact, I believe the old saying “Success comes disguised as hard work” is more to the point. I would even add to this idea by saying “Success comes disguised as hard work and good planning. “

Using ATBS as a benchmark for how a successful Owner Operators should ‘operate’, success begins with an in-your-face reality check in the form of a personal/business cash flow statement. This document does nothing more than tell the Owner Operator where they stand on a monthly basis in regards to the cash that is coming into the business compared to the cash going out. Simple, right? It is simple and, if done correctly, most Owner Operators will know within an hour where they stand. If you have a good handle on what your revenue per mile is along with your fuel cost and other expenses, you can find out rather easily how many miles per month you need to run to break even.

Think about that last statement. You own a truck, or are at least making payments on a truck…you’re paid by the mile…therefore wouldn’t knowing how many miles you need to do on a monthly basis to cover all your personal and business obligations seem like something that you should know? Once we put that on paper we then move on to a budget. Budgeting sounds like a nasty subject, doesn’t it? Well it is, but remember that success comes disguised as hard work and this is necessary stuff. A budget tells you what you plan on achieving for the next year and how you’re going to do so. Some of what is contained in a budget includes fixed expenses like truck payments as well as variable expenses like fuel and maintenance costs that are dependent on the age of the vehicle. We budget for three month’s worth of operating costs, in case there is an interruption in cash flow.

The next step is the production of the monthly receipts that get mailed into a P&L (Profit and Loss) Statement. This document looks very much like the budget; in fact it’s the document that we compare the budget to on a monthly basis to ensure the numbers are staying on track with your one-year plan. You cannot manage what you do not measure and you need to manage your way to success, not try to stumble into it. Believe me; your chance of success will increase 10-fold when you do your planning and paperwork before turning your wheels.
There are other things that make up good practices as an Owner Operator. Once again, using ATBS as a benchmark; a good program should include general business consulting relating specifically to an Owner Operator’s business; and includes things like the production of a cash flow statement and an annual business budget. It should also include monthly contact with a business advisor to review and compare your P&L to your budget, and it all HST/GST returns and annual tax returns for your business.

I believe firmly in the Owner Operator model in North America. These are some of the hardest working and most dedicated, value-based folks to ever hit the highway and we need them. When an Operator feels the pinch they work harder; what they should be doing so they don’t get into that pinch in the first place is work smarter - and we have the tools to help them do just that. Smarter not harder… that's the key…always has been.

All one has to do these days is pick up any trade magazine to become distracted and lose track of one’s priorities. Electronic On-Board Recorders, the Hours of Service being re-written once more, Speed Limiters, the almighty CSA coming down the tube, and new procedures for customs entry into Canada are all over the news these days. All of these items need to be monitored and all Owner Operators need to know what is coming at the legislative level, but nothing comes before the business of operating your business profitably and successfully. If you don’t have this as your focus then the rest means nothing.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a piece that applies to many Owner Operators in our industry, “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Each day is a new day, and you may not be doing the things that I have told you that you need to do in order to be successful. Perhaps because your fellow Owner Operators don’t do them, or perhaps because a family member who is an Owner Operator doesn’t have a cash flow, or a budget, or regular P&L’s so why should you? You should because there is a better way, and just because mediocrity is fine for those around you, it should not be good enough for you and your family. There is a better way to live than from statement to statement and for many of you, the future can be bright and bring the peace of mind that you deserve.

But remember “Success comes disguised as hard work and good planning. “

On that note, I wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas!

Ray J. Haight

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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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I thought I would take a break from giving advice on specific roles in a company and look at the bigger picture this month. I have visited many companies over the past number of years and aside from the normal concerns about volume and rates, a common reoccurring issue surrounds HR (Human Resources) and the management of people. There have been a million books written on this subject by people who are much brighter than I but I thought I would add my two cents worth.

No matter how big or small the company or what sector of the economy the business operates within, there are basic business principles that apply to leadership roles and the trucking industry is no different. If you want your company to behave in a certain manner then doesn’t it make sense that you should conduct yourself in a manner that is conducive to achieving the required result?

Before I get too far I send my apologies to the many people I had report to me in my early years as a small business owner. I learned these rules as I got older and grew into a formal leadership role and I learned from my many mentors. So for those of you who might have worked for me in the past and didn’t witness the behaviour that I am suggesting should be displayed by successful managers, once again youthful vigour and absolute ignorance to how things should have been done is my only defence.

Every person who goes to work at every company deserves the right to be successful and enjoy their daily toil. People inherently want to be good and want to be successful in the job they have taken on and they want to be recognized for their effort. If you are a manager and don’t believe these two statements then you are in the wrong role.

If you believe that your employees, drivers and Owner Operators give you a strategic advantage in your marketplace you already know what you’re about to read and I am sure I could learn many things from you. If you consider these same people to be a necessary evil, then you need to study this set of rules carefully. True sustainable success will only come when everyone in your company contributes to and enjoys in the results of a job well done and do not simply rely on the leadership of a single individual.

Rule # 1: I used to tell all the managers who worked for me that their job as a department head was to make their own jobs obsolete and only then would they be truly successful. Confused, so were they for awhile, but what I was getting at was that I thought it necessary for each of them to develop their individual staff and team to the point where they were truly self-sufficient and capable of performing the job at hand and meeting the goals and challenges posed to them on a daily basis.

Rule #2: Decide what success would look like for a given person in any given role in your department. Write it out in a role description; it’s hard to measure if a person is doing what you want when they have never been told or, better yet, shown on paper. This document should list their responsibilities, define the task required and their working relationship with their peers, and explain their decision making scope. Hire for that role, have the candidate read the description and provide input where they feel necessary and then have both parties sign it. You just created accountability!

Rule # 3: Develop SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) for all of the reoccurring procedures that happen throughout the day. This takes some work but it simplifies your life as a manager and relieves pressures on the people who work for you. The SOP should include the circumstance and justification for the SOP, provide steps to be taken in the process and any other necessary Information. Management drafts the procedure, employees add their input and the result becomes the rule for how things should be done in any given situation.

Rule #4 : Process, Process, Process. Managers who used to report to me would tire of me saying this but when things would go wrong, 95% of the time it would be because our process let us down, not our people. It is human nature to go looking for bad guys when the chicken feathers hit the fan, but what a grandiose waste of time this usually is. If you believe the ground rules for this article and that people inherently want to do well, then the investigation into the problem should start with the process or SOP that you have in place for the situation because usually it is here where you will find the root of the issue. If, after investigation, it is determined that the problem was caused by someone not following the process, then you have a performance issue with an individual that needs to be addressed.

Rule #5: Ensure that your people have all the tools they need to succeed including your support. Have you ever asked your people this simple statement “What can I do to help you be more successful today?” It’s your job as a manager to provide new technology, new training, or whatever it takes. Showing your people that you are pulling for their success is more important than you can imagine.

When I looked back on the years I was in business and the many successes and accolades that I was fortunate to have enjoyed, I most cherish the memories of the people I had the pleasure of working with and managing, specifically those whom I knew had talent that they themselves didn’t even recognize. To challenge those folks and watch them rise through the ranks still gives me Goosebumps as it should all true mangers.

Can you see how this applies to your company?
Safe trucking
Ray J. Haight

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Continuing on with Ray’s Rules, I thought I would comment on recruiters; the group of folks who are in charge of bringing new drivers and owner operators into trucking companies. It seems funny how just a few short years ago, you couldn’t help but bump into any number of recruitment and retention consultants. Many of those consultants have since become experts at something else. Times have changed and many ex R and R experts have found a new demon that needs taming; that being CSA 2010 (Comprehensive Safety Analysis).

I have never bought into the fact that a driver shortage exists in this industry. In the past, trucks have been short drivers because trucking companies bought too many trucks, but this was not actually a driver shortage. A true driver shortage would mean that tangible goods cannot get to market because there isn’t a driver available to drive the truck to bring them there. Lately, I have heard many intelligent people whom I respect, and who know this industry well, speak about a truly severe shortage of drivers being right around the corner. I must admit that this line of thinking is not without merit and the stars might be aligning themselves for such an event. Star one, otherwise known as CSA 2010, will thin some drivers and carriers from the industry as it is designed to do. Star two, FMCSA mandated minimum entry level driver training should be out this year or early next year and should shut down or severely cripple many of the sub-standard training schools on both sides of the border. Combine these items with star three, any sizable uptick in this economy, and the culmination will mean that there simply won’t be enough drivers out there to fill the seats that need to be filled.

At that time, an effective recruiting department will be worth its weight in gold. Effective recruiting is summarized as the execution of a strategic plan, as developed by the leadership of a given company. Target numbers should be discussed and agreed to by all involved parties and a budget to accomplish the goal must be developed and adhered to, Now, I just capsulated a mountain of work into one sentence, so consider this an overview of the execution of the recruiting process. Recruiting is a difficult function within a company; it can sometimes feel like you’re pushing a rock up a hill. Getting it going can be tough and then when you get it going you need to keep up your momentum because your progress can stop as quickly as it started.
So, without further adieu, here are Ray’s Rules for Recruiters:

Rule 1, Hire what you want and need to be successful, but do not settle. I shudder when I hear people say that drivers and owner operators are not what they used to be. This is an excuse for inefficient effort in my opinion. Remain determined to find drivers who meet your standards and stay your course!

Rule 2, Under-promise and over-deliver. Do not misrepresent or stretch the truth to attract applicants to your company. Doing so is the quickest way to increase turnover and create ill will in your driving force. Let people see that you were everything you told them you would be (and more) if you want people to stay with your company.

Rule 3, Create a ‘points’ system as a front-line screening tool. There’s no sense dragging the hiring process out if you’re not right for each other. In my previous life, an applicant had to have at least five points to be considered a legitimate candidate. For example, they received two points for each year of safe North American, cross-border, van driving experience. They would also get points for safe driving awards or defensive driving courses that they had taken. A candidate would lose points for traffic tickets and would be eliminated from consideration with two speeding tickets or a DUI in the past three years. You get the idea…once the points are developed they cannot be circumvented at anytime without the Safety Manager’s complete support.

Rule 4, Develop a list of expectations for your drivers. Each dispatch board should develop their own list of expectations for their drivers. The expectations should list all of the requirements needed for success for both parties including but not limited to time off notice, check-in requirements, specifics on freight, etc. These expectations are shown to the candidate who must then agree to them in order to continue on in the hiring process. The candidate should then also do the same thing; have them state their expectations of your company. If the candidate needs every other weekend off and you can’t accommodate that schedule then there is no sense in continuing the process. The expectation sheet becomes the platform for your relationship moving forward.

Rule 5, your existing drivers can be your best recruiters. Again, in my past life, we recruited over 50% of our new hires from leads produced by our existing driving force. We compensated them for their effort and gave appropriate recognition through our company newsletter and at company functions. It works, try it! Rewards came in the form of cash, and free entrance to company functions such as Christmas parties and golf tournaments for the leading driver-recruiters.

Rule 6, Know the curriculum that new hires are being trained under. I believe in the PTDI (Professional Truck Drivers Institute) standards for training (check them out at www.ptdi.org ) and you should research and decide what standards you require new hires to adhere to. Hiring from a sub-standard school isn’t helping anyone, least alone your company. I would also strongly advise that your company and the training school use the Tractor Trailer Commercial Driver Apprenticeship Program as a guideline for an appropriate finishing program for new folks starting in the industry.

Rule 7, don’t get hung up on the cost per new hire, I used to get this question all the time, were hiring people, the right people that is, not making widgets, the idea is to fill the funnel with potential candidates and that will cost money, for advertising field trips etc, If you want to get what you’re looking for. The cost of hire is a number that does not apply, this being said measuring the effectiveness of paying for an ad in a trade magazine and measuring results is a different thing along with staying within a given departmental budget.

I hope some of this helps those of you who are having a difficult time filling seats these days. Feel free to drop me a line if you need more information on this subject.
Safe trucking!
Ray J. Haight

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Hello folks hope all is well, I am going to continue down the Ray’s Rules path and this month I am laying the framework for all the safety personnel that this industry depends on so heavily. My friend and college Mr. Jim O’Neil, President of O&S Trucking, put it as directly as I have heard, Jim made safety his platform as Chairman of TCA just before I was rewarded that honour, Jim stood in front of a crowded room of his peers and stated loud and clear that ‘Safety was a moral imperative to the trucking industry”.

I love that quote and whenever I get the opportunity to use it, I do, giving Jimmy full credit for being its creator of course. If you’re a driver at a company that does not recognize safety as one of its primary values you’re in a dangerous situation. If you think about it from one of these companies perspectives, safety is a drain on resources. This department produces no revenue and should exist to keep the company on the plus side of legal and nothing more.

The enlightened know that this is not the case; as a matter of fact an ongoing investment in safety is actually an investment in the longevity for a well ran company. I would go far as to say that with no reservation, an effective safety department is the cornerstone of a well ran trucking company and effects every department. It will affect turnover positively and will create driver loyalty how does it do that, when you invest in the safety and well being of employees it shows them that you are concerned for them and are prepared to invest in their future.

It will help keep insurance rates at bay, including WSIB, roadside assistance, company benefits etc, it attracts a better quality of personal to the company, it assist greatly in on time performance on customer freight, on time performance, claims and on and on.

In my past life I had a couple of very good safety managers’ work for me and I did my utmost to support them in their difficult role. I attribute much of any success I have had over the years to these individuals and I thank them for their knowledge and dedication. A couple of the rules your about to read come out of that experience and my absolute respect and admiration for the folks who have chosen to take on our most valued resource, our drivers, and train and them to be responsible safe driving professionals.

Rule 1, If I could I would legislate that every company over, let’s say 50 trucks, must have a safety manager on staff and that manger must have their CDS certification (Certified Director of Safety). One of the efforts from my past I am most proud of was bringing Mr. Jeff Arnold Executive Director of NATMI (North American Training and Management Institute) in to meet with the safety division of the OTA and getting unanimous support to offer this training in Ontario, check them out at www.natmi.org . If you see an individual’s resume or plaque on the wall showing CDS certification you are dealing with a safety professional that warrants serious consideration.

Rule 2, safety managers must have a healthy dose of common sense when it comes to enforcing and creating the rules of behaviour. This industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries there is when it comes to the rules of the road. A good safety manager must know when to use the carrot and when to use the stick, it’s a fine line, but the best in the industry have this talent.

Rule 3, keep it fresh, there is nothing more boring that having a safety meeting where the Manager gets up in front of a group of drivers with his 4 X 8 foot log book and rails the crowd on how to fill it out. I am not saying that this is not necessary, it might be in certain situations, but this message is best done mixed in with other messages and speakers.” News flash” drivers want to know what is going on in the industry outside of their trucks and CB radios. You can make your meetings interesting by inviting guest speakers; bring folks up to date on the latest news from the company and the industry at large, whatever it takes but keep it interesting.

Rule 4, ask your drivers for feedback and input on your department and what they need to be safer operators, nothing makes people feel more engaged like asking them their opinion, nothing! Beware here though you absolutely have to respond to the feedback you get, as powerful as asking for peoples feedback is it can be just as much a negative if you do not let them know that you valued their input. Feedback can be gained by running company draws, fill out a survey and your name is entered for company items, jackets coolers etc. Let them know that they have input into the safety program at your company.

Rule 5, recognition of individual positive behaviour will reinforce that behaviour to happen again and again, as a Safety Manager your job is not to just search out the bad guys it is also to recognize the hero’s and the top performers. Truckload Carriers Association has a great program for this call Highway Angels and a great safety division. Check them out at www.truckload.org . When I was chairman of TCA I had the opportunity to spend some time with the division at their annual meeting and at the planning session for their meeting and it in all honesty it rejuvenated my spirit for this industry just being around these folks and picking up on their passion for what they do.

Here is a bit of advice to those drivers who are reading this article and might be thinking of looking for a new job, it might not be your favourite subject but if you search out those companies who demonstrate a true commitment to safety you will be the winner in the end. These companies likely have sound equipment and a strong commitment to maintenance. They likely have a clean and healthy work environment, they likely demonstrate employee and owner operator loyalty in as many ways as they can find and they likely try and get your family involved in as many ways as possible. Want to work for a winner find a company with a strong dynamic safety department and you have likely found a good home.
Safe trucking
Rjh

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July 2010
Ray’s Rules for Dispatchers, part 1

Hello folks hope all is well, I thought I would go right to the group of individuals who are either the most loved or most despised in most trucking companies with this month’s article. I myself have been a dispatcher, just as most folks who start a trucking company from the ground up, you end up performing almost all of the jobs until some critical mass have been earned and you find that you are required to step back and play more of an administrative role. As with anything else in life, there were elements of the job I loved and there were parts I absolutely hated and there were ground rules that had to be followed.

I always believed that if you had 10 loads and 10 trucks to move in a day it could be done by anyone in the office but if you have 15 loads and 10 trucks you’ll need a good dispatcher. There is an enormously gratifying feeling of accomplishment when confronted with copious amounts of freight to move and a limited amount of trucks to move it on and at the end of the day it is all covered and everyone and everything is under control.

The relationship between dispatcher and driver is as complicated as any there is in this world, Dr. Phil would go nuts trying to get all the bugs out. It is often a nonstop game of push and pull, the driver wants to know 3 moves in advance where they are going to be sent and what the freight is and the dispatcher is trying not to say too much for fear that the next load falls through and they will be accused of lying, just to get the last load moved, a perfect example of being between the rock and the hard space. All this being said there are some simple rules that if followed can make the relationship work to both parties benefit.

Rule 1, first and foremost the foundation of the relationship must be solid, this is accomplished by knowing what each party’s expectations are of each other. If you’re a dispatcher of a company that specializes in 2-3000 mile turns and the driver your company is hiring for you to work with has to be home every other weekend to get their kids, guess what, this isn’t going to work. Spell out exactly what you expect of the driver including, notice of time off needed, any particulars of the freight that needs to be discussed, check in requirements, availability for work, to be dealt with respect etc. Get it in writing!
Rule 2, have the driver spell out exactly what their expectations are of you, they might need to have every second weekend off for family, they might have an upcoming series of professional appointments that need to be made, they might suggest that they expect to be dealt with respect. They might say that they have to get 10,000 miles a month in to be successful. Whatever the individual’s expectations are review them and make sure that you can accommodate them, because if the expectations of the individual cannot be met you are going to have an ongoing issue with this person until they finally quit or you fire them? Get it in writing!

Rule 3; be honest, all the time! This might seem like a no brainer but it isn’t for everyone, if you as a dispatcher decide it would be easier for you to B.S. a little to a driver to get an extra load covered you are playing with fire and are likely to looking for a new career shortly. Integrity and honesty has to be the cornerstone of your relationship with your drivers as soon as you get caught just once in a little white lie you’re done. This information will fly though the driver fraternity quicker that grass through a goose and you will not be trusted from then on and when you need that favor, because you’re really really stuck, forget it liar not gunna happen!

Rule 4; be consistent, with everyone! The last thing any driver needs is to think that some other driver is getting preferential treatment. Spread the sweet with the sour evenly throughout all of your drivers, do not favor anyone more that another on anything. This will cause dissension and mistrust and when you’re called on it and you probably will be, you’re done. Every driver or owner operator who has decided to spend their career at your company and ends up on your board deserves every opportunity you can grant them to be successful, remember that and you will be fine.

Rule 5; Never Never talk down to another driver or coworker! This one gets under my skin; everyone on this planet deserves the right to be dealt with, with respect, period! I was at a company last week and they have a dispatcher that the drivers hate, all of them despise this person, but the customers love this individual. What a croak, this person had never driven before and I don't have a problem with a dispatcher who hasn’t been on the road but, its walk a mile in my shoes time here folks. I have a million safe miles under my belt and I am proud of that fact, I also know that it can be a lonely lifestyle, I know what it’s like not to be available when things go sideways at home and your 2 days away, to have just left a receiver who really didn’t want what you had to deliver and for some reason felt it was his job to make you aware of his problem and all you want to do is get to your backhaul and get home etc etc. now it’s time to talk to my dispatcher and they’re going to talk down to me, I don't think so, not this cat, no how no way, I’m ready let’s dance dickhead!

I could go on with this article for a couple more pages, but I’ll give you folks some space to comment on my ramblings and give me a few of yours.

Who knows you might also want to distribute this to someone you think might be able to use it.
Safe trucking
Ray

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Howdy, folks. With the exception of a fellow named Bob many of you seemed to enjoy my Ray’s Rules column from a few months ago, so I thought I would run with the idea and set some ground rules for a few specific sectors of the industry. In the near future you might see Ray’s Rules for company owners, company drivers, safety managers, recruiters, dispatchers or whatever seems like a good idea at the time. Oh…and just to keep Bob happy…load brokers. I would also be more than willing to take suggestions from you folks, so send them in and let’s put some order to some of these roles and once again, straighten this thing out!

Before I go on I should clarify that these rules are my satirical view of what I see as being obvious oversights on the parts of some folks. I attempt to throw in some humor in order to get some of you to get off the pot and start acting like you’re in the game and not only survive, but to do the best you can. I also need to point out that the vast majority of, in this case, Owner Operators, run under their own set of rules and do not need any advice from me. That being said, there are always those groups that just don’t get it and I guess that Ray’s Rules is really for those folks; so if you are one of them, please pay attention. We need you to wake up and be part of the team!

Rule Number 1: Expired fuel tax decals are not to be treated in the same manner as old luggage that you never throw out. Take them off your truck. If I was a scale master, I would think to myself, “Wow this guy can’t even be bothered to remove an IFTA decal from 2005…I wonder what the rest of this fool’s paperwork looks like?” Get that crap off there; it might take an extra 10-15 minutes but get a rag with some cleaner and take the old decal goo off and put the new one on straight. Do it and do it right now!

Rule Number 2: Speaking of straight…at least once or twice a week I see an owner operator who has put the logo of the company who they are for crooked on the side of the truck. What is up with that? Are you folk’s blind? A crooked logo on the side of a truck looks like hell. If you are so challenged in this regard, get that crooked thing replaced and have it put on by someone who knows what they are doing. It won’t cost much; you just tell them where you want it and stay away from the project. Get with the program here!

Rule Number 3: I understand that keeping a truck clean is not always easy, but occasionally I see a truck going down the road that hasn’t been washed in months. If this doesn’t bother whoever owns this piece of equipment then I am not sure what else to say, except that I bet this is the same person that you can smell before they ever enter the room. As of today you must leave our little fraternity; it’s not that we don't like you; it’s just that our senses can no longer tolerate your lack of cleanliness or personal hygiene!

Rule Number 4 (You have heard this rule from me many times before, but for me it has to be on this list): The whiners must go! I’m not talking about the complaints that come from someone with a legitimate beef and attempts to do something about it. I’m talking about the person who lives by the code of “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” and they never stop complaining. You guys make my ears hurt! You too must leave our club and, in addition are also banned from ever owning another CB radio!

Rule Number 5: Using your next and last pay statements as your sole measure as to whether you are getting ahead or not must stop. You bought a truck as a tool to start a small business. Being successful as a small business includes but is not limited to planning, strategizing, budgeting, and cash flow management. If you don't know what I am talking about here ask around and find a business service provider who can help you and get on with it. If you’re an Owner Operator and not doing this, this is the most important rule in this article for you. As Nike would say… Just Do It!

Rule Number 6: You must know your cost as an Owner Operator and you must work at reducing this cost at all times. In my previous life, one of the ways I would gauge the business savvy of an owner operator, was during a conversation I would ask what the individual’s cost of fuel was. Unfortunately many folks couldn’t answer me, they would try though. I would get answers like 6 MPG or 7.1 MPG which was, of course, an answer to a question I did not ask. If the owner operator gave me an answer that was out to 3 digits or 35.7 cents per mile after fuel surcharge, then I knew I was talking to someone who was watching their business.

Rule Number 7 (copied from my favorite author Larry Winget, check him out at www.larrywinget.com):. “Do what you said you would do, when you said you would do it, the way you said you would do it.” Larry nails it in his #1 rule for life and business, and this should be included on every list. Unless you follow this rule in your own day-to-day life, how can you expect anyone else to come through for you the way you expect them to?

This could go on for pages but I’m running out of space. Please feel free to drop me a note on what should be added to the list or comment on the current content.
Safe Trucking!
Ray J Haight

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Hello folks, I hope all are well.

I just returned from Truck World in Toronto a couple weeks ago and I must admit to feeling somewhat optimistic about the future. For the most part I am a skeptic when it comes to so- called experts telling us this recession is over because of a subtle change in some unknown suspect statistic measured by a bank I don't trust. As the saying goes… I am from Missouri, show me! But when I walked the show floor and talked to old friends, I heard cautious optimism that orders were on the rise for equipment folks and freight volumes were on a bit of a rebound on the trucking company side. Good stuff; let’s hope this progress continues to gain momentum and things improve for both carriers and suppliers sooner rather than later.

I left the daily operations of a motor carrier back in the summer of 2005 and as I reflect on that decision it was probably one of the best- timed decisions I have ever made. After I consummated my deal on the sale of my shares I had a sudden realization that I no longer owned a truck. I felt as though something was missing and it took me quite a while to get over that feeling…come to think about it, I’m not sure I am fully recovered. When I grew up there was always a truck in the laneway and as a boy I spent my summers in a rig. Whenever dad came home the truck was mine to explore, clean, wash, and dream on… whatever. Until 2005 there had always been some form of control or ownership of a truck on my part. There is a strange, soothing connection between truckers and their equipment that subtly wraps its roots around the subconscious.

It’s funny…I still sometimes wonder what I want to be when I grow up. From time to time I admit that I feel an urge to get back into it (working with a carrier) at some level. It really is my comfort zone and it’s what I feel I know best. But I also have become comfortable in the numerous roles that have helped me fill the void that running trucks used to fill.

So what does one do (after discovering there really is such thing as “too much play”) to keep busy after a million miles on the road and twenty-plus years behind a desk running a motor carrier? Currently I enjoy working as an Executive Consultant for the good folks at NAL Insurance; they are a good group who offer a great service. They demand very little of my time and I enjoy being around people who are passionate about what they do. I try to contribute to their success whenever called upon or the opportunity presents itself. I also enjoy working with Owner Operators and talking to them in my role as CEO of ATBS Canada Inc.

We have a great service that is competitively priced to assist Owner Operators in achieving success and I thoroughly believe in the product and what it can do for folks. I was fortunate enough to have attracted Kim Richardson into the company as President. He’s a good man and both ATBS and I have benefited from his enthusiasm and business-savvy. Up until this month and for the past five years I also held the role of Executive Director of the carrier I used to run as President and Shareholder. That time has passed and it is now time to cut that tie entirely.

I also have invested time and energy into many non-profits such as the TCA, PTDI & the Apprenticeship Program that I have enjoyed contributing to over the past five years. One of the first things I did when I left the carrier I was running was to contact my old friend Peter Charboneau, the publisher of another magazine. I told Pete that I had some things that I wanted to say to the industry and asked if he was interested in printing some of my ramblings. Hard to believe it’s coming up to the five-year mark since I started sweating the monthly deadlines associated with contributing to a trade publication. I now write for two magazines and maintain this blog that I try and update at least one a month. I try and write the way I talk and think. In fact, I don't try; it just comes out that way and hits a chord with some folks and rubs others the wrong way. So be it; I won’t change for anyone…why would I?

I often wonder how I might have performed in my past leadership role with a carrier in the turbulent times we’re currently experiencing. As one who readily admits that he has learned most of what he knows by doing the wrong things first, my ego tells me that having fought through a couple other economic downturns in the past may have helped me navigate successfully through this current financial storm. I like to think I would have been successful and could have avoided some of the carnage I have seen some carriers resort to, but who knows?

Some companies have not kept their heads about them during the downturn and have followed some outdated favourite formulas for success that don't work the same as they used to. As a result their people and shareholders have suffered. I hate to see what the past few years have done to some once-great organizations but time rolls on and you either adapt or suffer.

On the other hand, some companies have prospered and look stronger than ever. Inspired, driven leadership with dogged determination to do whatever it takes to win is not a common trait. It can’t be taught and can rarely be bought but it’s what it takes when your back’s against the wall.

Safe Trucking to all.
Ray J. Haight

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RAY’s Rules Continued April 2010
Some of you may recall that in the February entry to this blog I wrote a piece I called Ray’s rules which was a satirical oversight of some of the issues facing the industry and was meant to insight your comments and feedback. Well I am comfortable in saying that I managed to accomplish what I set out to do. Some of you asked if I would run for Prime Minister of Canada which is too funny and thanks but no thanks, while others suggested I was a hypocritical closed minded backward thinker. The later came primarily from the load broker community, with Mr. Robert Voltman of the Transportation Intermediaries Association having written the most detailed regale on my comments. Before I get into some of the letters I received, as promised I am going to pass on some unedited, additional rules I received from you folks, my comments are in brackets. I think they are worth considering being added to Ray’s rules but it’s your call so let me know.

Rule 11. Any diver who does not shower on a daily basis should be led out of the building to his/her truck & have….! (I had to edit the rest of this because it entails having bodily fluids pored over people’s heads. Subtle as a rock I know but effective. Please driver, clean it up if you’re a “stinky” as no one needs to be subject to poor hygiene at anytime.)

Rules 12. Thou shall not use the CB radio for your own personnel display of racism. The 2 way has a history as a warning device and a platform to develop comradeship. I often hear “professional” drivers nowadays say they don’t turn it on any more because they can’t stand the garbage language and mal-contents. (This one hits home for me as the last two years that I drove, I only turned the CB on to get information I needed. I was completely sick of the complaining, whining and cow tears that never seemed to end). There have always been the loud mouth schnooks who display their poor upbringings over the air waves but what you hear now has gotten out of hand. Sub section to rule 12; each driver shall say one positive thing on the air waves each day. This could be good for you and it may remove the grimace from your face for a minute. It could also be contagious; it could even start to restore the positive use of the CB. (The other way to break this bad habit is to pretend that your kids or mother are listening and to assume that respect is deserved by others until they prove they are not worthy of it.)

Rule #13. I carried an AZ license for over 33 years and it’s always been courteous to flick your lights after you have been passed to let the passing commercial vehicle know that it was clear to pull back in. I am only a four wheeler now but habits are hard to break. I still do the light flicking thing but notice that hardly anybody says thanks anymore. (If you think about it, it is kind of sad that this needs to be a rule but I guess that is where we’re at today).
And now for my letter writing buddies……the Load Brokers!

Rule #14. (A Ray’s Rule proposed by ME!). Every shipper releasing freight from their dock must write the cheque for the freight to the trucker who physically pulls the load, if they don't they must then disclose on the front of the BOL the full freight rate with currency and calculation used to determine the rate; by the pound, linear foot or mile. They also must disclose all demurrage charges, including fuel surcharges and waiting times along with their payment terms on a clean bill of ladings etc. Any shipper not complying and found guilty will pay a 10K fine per shipment to the widows of our fallen soldiers or to the families of drivers who have lost their lives while trucking?
There, how do you like me now load brokers?

I saved lots of space for you guys as I am not sure you got the intention of the original article. It was a satirical look at the industry and what I would do if I had carte blanc to change what I wanted with the simple writing of a rule.
Here’s the simple truth folks. In my past I have owned and or operated trucking companies that sold freight. Never did I say I didn’t but to be clear I have never been a pure load broker. That being cleared up I happen to believe that we would all be better off if there were no such thing as a pure load broker. Let me explain why. There is simply no room for three to dance with today’s freight rates and for the trucker to make money. What you have with a pure load broker is a system of redundancies in the transaction between the load broker and a trucking company. Both have collections departments collecting on the same load, both have billing departments billing the same load, both have dispatchers dispatching the same load, both have payroll taxes, rent, hydro, heat etc. There is no way that you can do all these jobs twice along with every other necessary item needed to operate a business and for both to make money on the same load, especially in a down market with predatory rates. It cannot be done! A trucking company that sells freight already has these infrastructures built into their trucking operation as normal course of business, the cost of operation for them on a sold load is less!

Here are some more hard truths. For the vast majority of trucking companies, the pecking order of preference for where they get their freight from goes as follows:

1. Direct customer solicited by the trucking company.
2. Trucking companies who broker freight.
3. Pure load brokers

This is also the order of best receivables to worst, pure load brokers are always the slowest paying (remember they have to collect the money then turn around and pay the guy who did the work and they do not have regular trucking income coming through the door). This is also the order of least service failures to most as again there is one too many hands in the pot as all instructions are given to the load broker and then once again given to trucking company and finally to the driver.

On a final note, we as an industry would have a very difficult time surviving without the brokering of freight. My primary area of trucking throughout my career has been North America and all points between SW Ontario. No trucking company could possibly have sales representatives everywhere. So we rely on buying loads occasionally. Simply stated I would prefer to buy the freight I need from a trucking company that has a brokerage division servicing the area I need a load. Period! Its dollars and sense!

Safe trucking!
Rjh

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Hello all, and thanks for many great comments on Ray’s rules, I plan on showing all the suggestions I received on this blog and also those sent to me directly a soon as I get the time. I am also planning on giving my 2 cents on load brokers, who by the way gave me the most feedback and comments on the article, go figure! In the meanwhile, here's something to consider......

Thinking of becoming an Owner Operator?

One of my many day jobs just happens to be trying to help truck drivers to decide if it is a smart move for them to become owner operators and if it is to then advise them of how to get started and be successful. At ATBS I receive many emails and phone calls from folks who just need a little guidance and in some cases a simple gut check to ensure that they have covered all the bases in making their decision.

From those conversations I have developed a list of items to contemplate for those of you who are thinking of making the plunge and that I think might help some of you make up your minds on the subject. The conversations usually ramble a bit as I get to know what has driven the wannabe to begin thinking that this might be a good idea and a give me a little bit of a background on the individuals history in the industry, they also quickly notice that I try and get to the point as quickly as possible, not to be rude but to try and take some of the emotion out of the equation of a business decision. You can slide a long way on desire but at the end of the day the facts don't lie.

First of all I try and determine if the individual is totally enamored with the idea of owning a pretty truck and being in control of the unit as far as tricking it out to be a show truck, and is this their main motivation above all else. This is usually a quick call, my advice, don't do it unless you are independently wealthy and this is going to be more of a hobby than a career, you will die on the vine and be known as a wannabe.

On the other hand If wannabe is enamored as explained above and also has a desire to be an independent business person and or just has a burning desire to succeed and do whatever it takes to be successful in the trucking industry, then we move on to step two. Far too many people decide to become owner operators for all the wrong reasons and they look through rose colored glasses and see nothing but pasture’s a plenty of money. What they should be seeing is plenty of hard work behind the wheel, just as they had as company drivers, and in addition to all that hard work, they’ll need to maintain the vehicle, look after their paperwork and keep track of two dozen other critical things that need attention. This is of course where it all breaks down.

Step two is usually when I ask the wannabe if they have done a cash flow on their personal situation to determine if they have any idea what their monthly needs are on a personal level. Many New owner operators enter this industry under financed to begin with and when you’re under the gun financially before you turn your first mile your chances of lasting are dramatically reduced. I have advised many wannabe’s to wait until they were on sound footings financially before they look at becoming owner operators again.

Step three is when I try and explain what it will take for them to be successful and that they are becoming a small business and what that looks like from a business person’s perspective compared to a company driver’s perspective. Let me explain what I mean from the company drivers perspective, I have seen countless people become owner operators because they decided that they found a good deal on what they thought was a sharp dependable truck and they happen to know a company that wanted to hire more owner operators, usually it’ the one they currently drive for. There is nothing wrong with this scenario on the surface, it is done all the time, but unfortunately I give this person a 31% chance at sustaining this business for more than 5 years, this number is based on Industry Canada’s own numbers (http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbrp-rppe.nsf/eng/rd01228.html) I give them a 10% chance of ever realizing what the full potential of that small business really is financially.

From a businessman’s perspective, at the risk of turning this article into a blatant testimonial for ATBS, we happen to have Business Manual for Owner Operators that were very proud of. In its pages there are 25 chapters that are in a somewhat logical order, buying the right truck is contained in chapter 15, choosing the right carriers is in chapter 18. What I am saying is that there is plenty of homework, education and planning that should be done before one should ever part with their hard earned money in the form of a down payment on a truck. It is this preparation that will increase your likelihood of winning at the game and making a realistic return on your investment in that truck. (http://www.atbs.ca/)

This is a hard industry but I think you would be hard pressed to find one in these hard times that isn’t difficult, that doesn’t mean that some folks won’t prosper, out of ruin and turmoil always comes winners, how does that happen? I think it happens because these folks prepare and plan and leave no stone unturned in their effort to be successful, they do their homework up front and they have a dogged determination to succeed.

Use your head when making a decision this size and research every bit of information you can find on this industry, can you imagine the increased likelihood of your success over the average Joe if you did this, why wouldn’t you do this, it’s your future your playing with here. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Come to find out he also said, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight it’s the size of the fight in the dog” this is my favorite of his. I said “Use your head and do the homework driver.”
Safe Trucking
Rjh

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I thought it might be time to update and tweak Ray’s rules and once again and bring some order to 2010 before we get to far along folks. Some of you might not like them, but it might be because of YOU that they have to be imposed, so think twice before you send me any snotty e-mails please! I promise that if all goes well and everyone obeys the new rules we will all sleep a little better at night and there will be less stress and unrest in the industry. Here we go

Rule One: from this point forward all pure load brokers are to be abolished, the new rule stipulates that the maximum amount of freight any company can broker cannot exceed the amount that they actually haul on equipment they own and is licensed to the same company. Many of you load lizards have no idea what it cost to operate a tractor trailer and pay a decent wage, so you’re out, unless you put some skin in the game yourself.

Rule Two: EOBR’s (Electronic On board Recorders) will be installed in every Class 8 Vehicle whose safety record shows them in the bottom 20% of the industry. Everyone else will be left alone, why bother everyone when the 80/20 rule is in effect. 80% of our grief is caused by 20% of the fools in this industry. Oops this was the proposed rule before Crash and Public citizen I.e. the railways, sued FMCSA over it. If any among us think corporate greed doesn’t override the public good, just take a look at what the railways did here.

Rule Three: The current speed limiter law in Ontario will be repealed as it applies to all trucks and will now apply to all classes of vehicles and drivers on our highways. Any driver who has more than 2 speeding tickets within the calendar year or any driver found to be in excess of 30 km’s over the posted speed limit must have a speed limiting device installed in their vehicle. The same rational applies as rule 2, 80/20 we will straighten them out or kick UM out! As a side bar it appears as though we will have to mandate that the police actually watch the highways for these folks. But, you might ask, if we did this would we even need speed limiters at all, we might be digging to deep into the common sense answer, let’s not let that get in the way here.

Rule Four: All teams can now split their sleeper birth time in 4-5-hour increments anywhere in North America. These are the safest vehicles on the highways messing with them is one of the dumbest things that was done in the name of highway safety in recent memory and should be repealed immediately.

Rule Five: All driver training schools must teach a PTDI (Professional Truck Driver Institute) course which has been certified by PTDI or their access to government funding for their students will be declined. They will be audited to ensure they are teaching to PTDI certified course that this industry needs to ensure all new drivers are safe and that carriers can use them. Imposing Speed Limiters and EOBR’s on trucks when you can get an AZ or CDL for under $1000.00 is not making any more sense now than it did with the first set of Ray’s rules some years back. Am I missing something here before we are inundated with new rules let’s fix some of the busted stuff folks.

Rule Six: From this point forward there will be no free loading or unloading period! Giving 2 hours of a driver’s time along with $150,000.00 worth of iron is a habit from the past that some camouflaged shipper, made up to look like a trucker, came up with. I had a problem with my water softener some time back, it cost me $85.00 for the Culligan man to show up and for that I got 30 minutes of his time the next 30 minutes was going to cost me another $20.00 $105.00 an hour for the Culligan man, one fellow in a Chevy van, what’s wrong with this picture? I got the guy out in 30 minutes, for $105.00 an hour! How long would it take to get a load off if we were priced where we should be for man time and equipment, not long I bet?

Rule Six: The term lumper is now abolished, as is the practice of forcing a driver to hire labor to unload a load that they don’t own. The Ministry of Labor will investigate this practice whenever a complaint is lodged. These people are workers for the receiver who owns the goods and as such should be paid by the receiver as employees and receive benefits. Any receiver found using this practice will be made to personally hand bomb every load that arrives at their dock for a month, by themselves, and of course pay the truck and driver $105.00 per hour for unloading demurrage. They’d be dropping like flies; they’d have to install defibrillators on all the docks for the receivers.

Rule Seven: From this point forward drivers’ meals are 100% tax deductible to $100.00 per day max or per dium for drivers must match exactly the allowable per dium amount granted to all government employees. This one riles me how did this happen have you heard what some of these politicians expenses accounts are. Shame on them forever messing with this I would like to make a cute joke on this subject but this just ###sses me off, the nerve!

Rule Eight: Any driver found to spend an excess amount of time in a truck stop or driver’s room repeatedly and excessively whining will be forced to leave the room and counseling on that individual will be begin immediately. I don’t mind a good rant once in awhile, but driver please! Love it or leave it your killing me with the cow tears. P.S. it is also against the rules for those same folks to write me any cry baby letters or emails, hey there my rules right.

Rule Ten: The most important rule is in fact the golden rule of common courtesy and respect. Any shipper/receiver found to be demonstrating less than acceptable level of manners or reasonable facilities for drivers will be surcharged an additional $105.00 per hour as penalty to be paid in cash at the time of unloading.

Well that’s all the room I’ve got I do have many more rules that are just as important if you’ve got some that you think need to be added to Ray’s rules please feel free to post them right here on this blog. This is a work in progress!

YT
Rjh

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I wrote this a few years back and sometimes when I review old pieces I’ve wrote I find things I really like and this is one of those, with some minor editing!

Ever noticed how ridiculously easy it is to find people who love to complain in this industry, why is that? Is it just the nature of the beast? Are we all pre programmed is there something in truckers DNA that has us looking to the dark side of everything we see first, I don’t think so? I think that as is usually the case most whiners believe in the squeaky wheel gets the grease theory. It’s probably a fairly reasonable guess that 20% of drivers do 80% of the winning and they will continue their rant until you join their club. Whiners need validation by consensus and will be relentless in their victim stories until they get agreement from those around them, don’t let it happen, this is one club you don’t need to belong to.

Trucking has been very good for the last couple of Haight generations and I know there are many of you who feel the same way with your own families. I have no reason to complain and am always conscience when I have felt to close to one of these types that I don’t allow myself to get caught up in their negative world. Would I change some of the things I’ve done, of coarse wouldn’t we all, one thing I’ve learned is that regret for the past is a waste of spirit and over my time the good stuff has far outweighed the bad.

When you think of what’s at the core of what we do, it’s really very honorable, we keep North America functioning. The old warn out slogan still stands tall “If You Got It A Truck Brought It” is as true today as it ever was that’s why its never been replaced I guess. (By the way Bill MacKinnon takes credit for creating this saying and I have no reason to doubt him.) We keep everything in tune and functioning like a well-oiled machine and we do it well, very well. This is an honorable profession and I believe that more so now than at any other time in my lifetime.

So here’s the common rant, no money in this game, no respect from the public or the shippers. My company takes advantage of its drivers, no one is fair to us it all sucks, right? Wha Wha Wha, etc, etc!

So why keep on trucking? Try this on; in what other profession would you get the opportunity first hand to see what’s happening in all corners of the country without getting bogged down in its minutia. I remember many times creeping through towns at 4 am and wondering if I was seeing more of what the local’s surroundings than most of the citizens do in their 9 to 5 existences.

I always felt a little sorry for that person who was stuck on the dock riding a tow motor for eight hours a day loading and unloading trailers to destinations they would never see; now there’s a trap. Was I envious that they got to go home every night to their family’s or go out after work for a few drinks with their buddies? Yes for the drinks and being home piece but defiantly not for being glued to a tow motor all day. I drove away from those docks thinking that an hour or two at that place was plenty for me, I couldn’t imagine 8 hours a day 5 days a week for 30 plus years, please! Not this cowboy.

Those people will never experience those golden moments that came along once in awhile for most drivers. I’ve had more than a few one I remember was when I was on my way to Sacramento I was quite young at the time and had been trucking for a couple 3 years. I was in Nevada on I-80 when I woke up before dawn; I had an egg, got cleaned up and was down the road before the sun broke through. For the next hour I was as close to perfection as driver can imagine. I came off a high plane and could see the road straight ahead of me for miles not a car or another truck in sight. My drivers side window was down with my arm hanging out the temperature was perfect as a bright red sun broke through the morning over my shoulder onto the road and the rock cut around me. I had a soft country tune playing on the stereo that still let me hear the rhythmic sound of the engine as it powered me effortlessly through the desert and all was right with the world.

This is one of a many memories that stand out for me in my 10 years driving, memories that people in other jobs won’t come close to and I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I also recall 33 years ago loading out of London Ontario headed to Texas when I saw a pretty little girl on a tow motor sliding skids onto a trailer. I was preoccupied all the way to Texas and back and finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. My wife Connie and I celebrated 33 years of marriage in 2009. The moral is, keep your eyes wide-open driver you never know what you might find on the dock and some of its pretty dam good.

Here’s my advice, don’t fall into the victim trap that many drivers like to rant about, the world isn’t out to get you unless the paranoia driven drivel of a few is what you are focusing on. This is a great industry full of fantastic people and I am fortunate to be able to call many of them my friends.

Times are tough right now, no doubt but life is what you make of it no matter what you direction to go in, focus on what’s good and not what might go wrong from time to time. Believe me if you do you will be able to draw on those golden memories forever, I hope you have a have a great 2010.

Take Good Care
&
Safe Trucking

RJH

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When I reflect on what has happened legislatively this past year from my own prospective I think the speed limiter law should not have happened, but here it is and we have it. From what I see maybe 50 - 70% of the trucks in Ontario are compliant at this stage. I would have preferred legislation similar to the EOBR (Electronic On Board Recorder) rules that should be out sometime next year from FMCSA. Their final rule will likely do away with paper logs and will also likely measure speed and distance at the scale, just my guess as to the outcome of the rule, but it makes sense to me that it would look like that. When this rule is passed mechanical speed limiters would be redundant to a large degree as we will have to be compliant to the US rules anyway and we in Canada should have perused such a rule on our own as an alternative to a speed limiter rule.

Can’t smoke in a truck if you’re a provincially regulated carrier, give me a break and get out of my truck and go fix something that is broke, what a crock, this one is around the bend, although I have to admit the restriction on smoking in a vehicle with a child under 16 is all right with me. If you an adult and want to smoke just don't blow it in my face and I’m okay with that, your call, but with all the science that is well known and accepted as fact that none of should smoke, kids don't have a vote and responsible folks should not lock their kids up in cars that are full of carbon monoxide and nicotine.

A ban on hand held devices while driving, as much as I hate to admit it is probably a good move, I drove professionally for 10 years and did over a million miles with no accidents, I am proud of that, and all the while I was on the CB, difference was I pressed one button to talk, that’s it. Fast forward to today though and I know myself that when I am in my vehicle and I need to make a call, let’s just say I have lost track of my vehicle in my lane from time to time, Not Good. When I am behind a vehicle that is driving erratically and get a chance to look inside while I navigate around the same car two or three times because they speed up and slow down continually, usually they are on the phone. As I reflect on the situation I consider myself to be a very good driver who, other than a couple speed issues, obeys the rules of the road. Some of these other space cadets have no idea what they’re doing behind the wheel of a vehicle let alone try to find, answer or dial a phone while driving, send an email or text. As you know you see it all as a driver, people watching TV reading books and on and on. Truck drivers have a two-three year exemption for CB radios, keep your eyes open for this when the rules effecting CB’s comes down the pipe, who knows what this might look like.

Finally CSA 2010 (Comprehensive Safety Analysis) in the US, if you go to the web site I gave you and read the information provided it really doesn’t look to bad, if they can pull it off as written. If you are a good carrier or a good driver you should be fine with the new process, in fact for those of you who have been prone to suggesting that we need to chase the bottom dwelling scum suckers out of this industry, this could do it.
Under CSA 2010 drivers will have safety ratings just like carriers do now and as part of the screening process this information can be accessed through the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) data bank, so if a driver has had five jobs in three years and had issues at each carrier it will all be laid out there for the world to see.
This could be a game changer folks, think about what a trial lawyer might do if he sees that a carrier has hired someone with a less than stellar FMCSA safety rating? Carriers who pay less and hire drivers who might work for less because they have a history of problems might be looking for new occupations soon? One can only hope!!!!!!!!!!!
Safe Trucking
rjh

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One of the most difficult concepts I have tried to grasp over the past number of years and the one I have cherished the most is the one that goes “I am in this position because I chose to be here” I take 100% responsibility for me.

I am not trying to get to heavy on you here but think about it. The situations you are in with your family friends and your carrier you are in because you choose to be in those situations good or bad. There are no chains that keep you where you’re at in a good or bad situation. You are in charge of you, simple concept right, well if this is true then why do we seem to be so hell bent on sticking with the ordinary in our lives when the extraordinary is within our grasp? We all have the power to change if were motivated to do so.

So you are not happy with your current carrier and you are contemplating making a change, as some of you are. What do you do now? Many drivers will simply look through the ads and make a short list of carriers to call and see what they have to say. They might listen to what their buddies have to say about where they’re working, listen to the CB rumor mill etc, each of these little bits of reconnaissance have some limited value.

What I am saying to you is what have you done to make the place you are at now a success and why is it bad? Ask yourself what can I control in this situation and what can I do to minimize my cost of operation and maximize my profit. If you haven’t done this exercise then you haven’t given yourself the opportunity to succeed and feel good about the quality of job you do.

So what can you control as an Owner Operator, you control many significant operating expenses such as your MPG, is it as low as you can possibly get it, you control your maintenance cost are you doing everything necessary to minimize this expense. Do you have a good relationship with the shop that does your work do you handle as much roadside minimal breakdowns as you can by yourself by carrying your own tools, grease etc?

Do you have a good accountant/business advisor and financial support staff who knows trucking and can offer advice when needed. Is you finance cost in line with what it should be, how is your relationship with your dispatcher is it cooperative or aggressive? Are your living expenses outside your truck operating cost reasonable?

Now look at what you can’t control, you cannot control the amount of miles you are offered and if there aren’t enough for you to make a living you will need to move on ASAP. You can’t control certain cost the carrier is probably going to pass on to you that might include your base plates insurance cost etc.

I am not trying to talk anyone out of leaving the carrier that their currently at what I am trying to do is slow down is the owner Operators who have had 5 jobs in 5 years and cannot understand why everyone's always picking on them. Look in the mirror one of reasons you became an owner operator is for the independence, when you made that decision you became a small business person, are you sure you’re acting like one?

The other concept that needs to be seriously looked at is that when you generate revenue per mile, what you actually have left after expenses is around 40% of your gross. When you save a dollar, that dollar goes directly to your bottom line, a smart responsible owner operator is constantly focused on reducing their operating cost.

One of the miracles of trucking is the maze of different pay packages that exist in this business. No two are alike and they all have their own little nuances that can make or break the O/O.

One of the biggest phalluses with them all is that bigger is better it may very well be that the carrier that advertises the highest gross will not be the carrier that will put the most in your pocket. Shop wisely and investigate what process’s and offerings each carrier has that is offered to the O/O that might help you reduce your variable cost. Some carriers offer reduced shop rates some might offer discount group offerings on cell phones fuel health benefits, whatever it might be investigate it all and see what might be available that you can leverage off to help you succeed.

Many of you reading this get it and I applaud you, for those of you who dont, Bottom Line: get in charge of your results and take responsibility for them dont sit around waiting for someone or some company to blame your mediocrity on? Step up folks!

Safe driving
rjh

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I have enjoyed most the association events I have attended and been involved with over the past number of years on both sides of the border. A popular theme to most of them up until a year ago though was the driver shortage, and I sure don't miss hearing about it. I was wondering about proposing a new breakout session that might raise some eyebrows and stir the pot so to speak when this subject comes back to haunt us all again.

You see if in fact we are coming out of this recession and start to see an upswing in capacity next year some time, the first indication will likely be the so called “Driver’s Shortage” coming back to industry headlines so I thought I might call my session “Driver Shortage the Untold Reality “or “Driver Shortage 101 Not” I would have to give this some thought.

You see the “Driver Shortage 101 Not” refers to what each of us has been bombard with over the past 15-year’s driver shortage driver shortage driver shortage, enough already. Anyone who has thought it through knows that an over population of vehicles does not mean there is a driver shortage it means trucking companies have a habit of buying to many trucks and then not being able to fill the seats, is that a driver shortage, I think not.

My session would support the reality of what a true driver shortage would look like and it would be much more obvious than trucks against a fence at someone's terminal it would directly affect the consumer as in, off they go to the market or store and they see an empty self where there shouldn’t be one.

Not because the product or foodstuff doesn’t exist but because the shipper could not get a truck at any price to actually pick the freight up and deliver it! This thought scares the wits out of shippers, I have seen shippers over the years continually jump on the driver shortage band wagon and they will do it again when the economy turns around, it protects their margins to see trucking companies beat each other up over capacity. Shippers want trucking companies to overpopulate themselves as it creates greater competition and lowers their freight rates.

Shippers have a vested interest in seeing that trucking companies continue to grow their fleets and compete over every scrap of freight in sight, it depresses rates and they are the only ones who win at that game.

I would love to see this economy snap back quicker than anyone ever thought possible and real shortage of drivers happen in the market place. It wouldn’t likely last but it might be fun for awhile!

Picture a trucker posting their open capacity on a web site where shippers go online in auction fashion to bid for skid space against other shippers, highest bid wins and of course freight must be paid in full before any pickups of freight are made….

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It would be so easy to just give in right now wouldn’t it; everything you read hear and see is predicting doom and gloom. I read many of the industry magazines and editorials from both sides of the border and as you know it is not pretty out there, the only solace is that it appears that its not to pretty for any sector of the economy right now, sorry, not much comfort is it.

We have been in this funk for long enough for many of you to feel like it’s time to throw in the towel and say enough is enough. I hear it over and over and I totally understand the sentiment, should I give up now and minimize the damage and the stress? This is a question many owner operators are asking themselves right now, let alone company owners, fair enough, if you feel you can’t go on. What I have a problem with is this victim mentality that I hear, the, everyone is picking on me crap gets a little old for me after awhile, and believe it or not some groups actually fuel it and insight it for their own purposes.

Yes folks there are groups who actually feed off misery, they will pretend to be the defender of the down trodden and when they can’t find a bad guy they will invent one for you. The case of OBAC versus the OTA is a prime example of what I am talking about, freight is tight and cheap right now, join OBAC we’ll get those rotten OTA members, I don't get enough FSC (fuel surcharge) join OBAC we’ll get those rotten company owners, I am not making enough money, join OBAC we know it’s the OTA members and the rest of the company owners who are screwing you and we’ll get them for you, just join up with us, what a crock and I am sick of hearing it, reading it and seeing it.

I believe that there is a space in this industry for an owner operators association and that it should be filled with competent representation. Owner Operators have unique issues and they are independent business people who represent a significant sector of this industry and they are vitally important to the transportation industry as a whole. And they deserve competent representation. So why would a group who supposedly represent the face of the Owner Operator make their primary effort for their membership to discredit the OTA? I’ll tell you why, because they need a bad guy to point at and blame for all the bad things that have happened to their current and prospective members. It doesn’t fix jack, it doesn’t serve any purpose but to foster a victim mentality and allow them to pretend that they are doing something concrete for the membership dollars, beside just funding their own positions and their need for exposure.

Don't get me wrong here I have been not without my issues with many of the OTA’s policies and I have written about some of them in this column and have talked directly to decision makers about many others. Here is the plain truth though folks the OTA/CTA head off more bone head policy makers and their hair brain ideas about our industry in our government than most of us will ever know. Have no doubt without OTA/CTA we would be in far worse shape than we are, speed limiters or no speed limiters. One major issue I have had with the OTA/CTA is that they do not promote the many, many battles they do win for this industry loud enough! Enough said here I didn’t write this column to defend OTA/CTA; they can do that just fine on their own, just look at the record.

As far as the trucking companies go if you are a confused owner operator and you don't know who your customer is let me clue you in, as with any business anywhere, it is the person, company or business that signs your cheque, period. This is a free market economy and if you believe that you are being cheated in your current business arrangement and have done your dues diligence, then move on. I have written previous articles about how to find the right carrier and encourage you to do so. Are there bad companies out there you should avoid, of course, do they represent the majority of the industry or the OTA/CTA, of course not, that’s a ridiculous premise designed once again to feed a victim mentality.

Effective representation of a group of small businesses has to be more than just a few ex bureaucrats who revolt against the big bad establishment and represent themselves as the defender of the down trodden proletariat. I believe that effective leadership would try their best to work in cooperation with the provincial and federal associations, please reread the “work with” piece again, I did not say go along for the ride or be puppets, it starts with identifying the critical issues that can be enacted to benefit the working relationship with owner operators and their carriers, or using the associations lobbying expertise to effect governmental legislative change to its memberships benefit. What it is not, is protest for protest sake, we get more than enough of this from groups like CRASH or Public Citizen, who work vehemently against any trucking initiative that might benefit the industry, without fighting against our own.

Although I have never been shy about sharing my thoughts on any subject related to this industry I have not written about this particular issue because I know that in doing so, it gives light to a group that I do not believe is effective in its direction or its tactics, other than to this industries detriment and their own selfish purpose.
Just my two cents worth folks, please feel free to send me all the Haight mail I deserve by commenting below, thanks again and safe trucking.

YT
Rjh

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