Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/699972
46 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JULY 2016 Likewise, Daryl Flood performs its own client satisfaction surveys, contact- ing homeowners via postcards and phone calls in an effort to measure the level of service provided by its drivers. "What really matters to us there is [a homeowner's] willingness to recom- mend us," says Roberts. Foundation for success Roberts attributes Daryl Flood's rapid safety improvements to a number of factors, none of which he says is more important than the support and buy- in of the company's executives. "Safety cultures don't happen overnight – trust has to be established," he says. "No safety professional is going to be able to do that without commitment from the top down." Daryl Flood also hosts an annual Independent Contractor Conference every February. "We basically shut down the company for three days and bring over 100 qualifi ed drivers to the learning conference," says Roberts. Daryl Flood invites executives from Mayfl ower and other organizations to speak to drivers about new technology, changes in safety regulations and other topics relevant to the household goods transportation segment. "The IC conference is about relationship-building," adds Roberts. "As important as relationships are with our customers, it is twice as important to have those relationships with our drivers." The company also hosts an awards ceremony at its IC conference to honor its top-performing drivers with safety performance and driver of the year awards. All fi ve-star-rated drivers are recognized on a plaque, and the top three drivers are presented with an in- dividual plaque and monetary awards in front of their peers. Daryl Flood also has improved its onboarding process to establish its safety culture at the beginning of its relationship with new drivers. Roberts says online training courses serve their purpose in the onboarding process, "but safety culture in particular is as much about relationships as content," he says. After drivers have toured Daryl Flood headquarters and met with vari- ous department representatives who lay out the company's expectations for drivers to maintain their qualifi ca- tions, they meet with Roberts in his offi ce, a practice he says is vital for the driver to understand the corporate commitment to safety. "Most of the time in this industry, a driver has a negative connotation toward a safety professional," says Rob- erts. "That initial meeting allows us the opportunity to set the tone that the safety department is a good place to go," rather than a place focused solely on remedial training and scrutiny. "We talk about how the team performs and how they have to perform as an individual to foster teamwork." Through increased communication to Daryl Flood drivers such as monthly email newsletters and regular phone calls by safety department personnel, safety has become a positive experi- ence. "Drivers come by and spend time in the safety offi ce because they want to, not because they were called in here," Roberts says. Another factor in Daryl Flood's improvements has been the safety de- partment's desire to "celebrate the little wins," as Roberts puts it. The company rewards drivers on a quarterly basis for 100 percent compliance with perfect log books and documentation, clean roadside inspections and no HOS violations or recordable accidents. "I don't do their logs for them, I don't send in their paperwork on time, and I can't make them be neat," says Roberts. "We have to guide them through the orientation process, and at the end of the day, they have to per- form. Then we celebrate that." Even retraining events for underper- forming drivers are treated with posi- tivity. If a driver has an issue with a log book, safety personnel will start the discussion talking about the driver's particular strengths before addressing where he needs to do better. "Usually it is an eye-opening experience, taking that approach rather than beating the driver up over it," says Roberts. CC J I N N O VATO R S pro les carriers and eets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking's challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Je Crissey at jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com or 800-633-5953. In May ower Transit's safety performance rating system, Daryl Flood Relocation & Logistics is third nationally in its mileage category for all agents, is in second place from a Top 10 hauler perspective and last year ranked number one among Top 10 haulers for ve months.