There is a hard truth driving our actions in the post-COVID world. You must make changes and adapt today to ensure you will survive in tomorrow’s environment. The world has changed, and whether you are running a trucking company deemed essential or if you are a regional carrier preparing a return-to-work strategy, you need to have your finger on the pulse of what a new normal will look like.
Critical questions are being asked across fleets right now. How will I be able to meet the obligations and commitments I have made to my customers? Will I be able to maintain business continuity in the present environment? How are my employees doing? These are the questions you need to ask. How successful you are in this new environment entirely depends on how well you respond to unexpected events. And we are during one of the most unexpected events of all time.
Have your fleet managers learned from this life-changing event? It is time to seize the opportunity and turn this into something that can benefit your company and potentially future proof your business. By investing in the right tools and being open to new ways of thinking, you can guarantee trust in your business and loyalty from your employees and customers during trying times.
But how exactly do you do that?
Don’t Be Afraid to Over-Communicate
According to a recent Forbes article, over-communicating is something that may be necessary in one’s professional and personal lives. The fact is, if you are not getting the message across the first time, you have got to try again. You never know when someone is daydreaming, or when someone is more focused on a response then to what you are actually saying.
In today’s environment, with all the distractions and crises swirling around us, it is more important than ever to work hard to get your point across. Consider the parable of the blind men and the elephant.
This parable illustrates how our individual perceptions can lead to miscommunication and conflict. In business, it is not uncommon to find ourselves in situations where we do not realize that we can use our different perceptions of the same problem to develop a common solution.
Trucking companies suffer from this problem. Truck drivers may only see part of the picture, not necessarily the full picture you or your bosses see, and sometimes the other way around. It is easy to see how effective communication can keep everyone on the same page. Wouldn’t you want to ensure efficient and effective communication in your organization?
Employees across the globe are preparing to return to work, which makes it more important than ever that they become masters of over-communication, and that includes you. It is incredibly important that you make sure your drivers, fleet technicians, and anyone else involved in the running of your trucking company receive clear, consistent, and regular business communications that prevent conflict and help them ease into new ways of working.
Consider over-communicating in the following ways. You want to ensure changes to company policies and procedures, and any other business-critical updates are disseminated across your organization with haste. Whenever you have positive reinforcement to provide or any myths to bust, don’t hesitate to put those out. Government updates and new regulations should also be on the docket.
Finally, don’t leave out reminders on health and safety best practices. This should include maintaining personal hygiene and caring for one’s mental health and wellness. And always provide a channel or consistent opportunity for employees to seek help or make you aware of any outstanding issues.
Set Up Process Accountability
What is process accountability? Well, it is a methodology by which you review every single business process and every interaction that occurs from the second your truck driver hops into the cab to the second they stop to clock out for the day. You need to ensure and verify that pre- and post-trip inspections are being completed.
You also need to make sure your truck drivers are reporting on the state of their health and wellbeing to a manager or HR, and interacting with co-workers, customers, and mechanics. Health and safety obligations mandated by law are changing. Your operation needs to keep up with and comply with the changes. Whether this means minimize physical contact or monitoring employee wash stations, you need to have a process in place and people need to be held accountable to sticking to it.
Any organization needs to always change. Change is useful because it helps companies avoid onerous problems or inefficiencies that become embedded into routines. You also need to make change easy for your truck drivers and mechanics to swallow.
At a minimum, you should introduce practical steps to ensure routine vehicle and equipment disinfection, provide cleaning supplies for your office and fleet, and ensure your people are adequately provided personal protective equipment (PPE). Also make sure you put measures in place that make sure any issues with driver health or vehicles are reported to management immediately. Delays could cause more sickness.
Finally, keep a record of what your truck drivers and other employees are reporting when it comes to their health. You need to protect your trucking company from any negative outcomes that come from not discovering and caring for unwell drivers. It goes without saying that any new steps should be as fast and cost effective as possible. You don’t want to get caught flat-footed when it comes to the health and wellness of your employees.
Ditch the Old Ways
We are moving into a touch-less society. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This could include everything from a piece of silverware to a piece of paper.
In fact, some research has shown that the COVID-19 virus can live for up to five days on a piece of paper. Wow! Of course, all research needs to be cross-checked and nothing is truly known for sure about COVID right now. Still, this news is sobering, and it shows that businesses need to evolve themselves if they want to stay ahead of a potential outbreak.
A lot of trucking companies still use paper. Consider that paper is a potential COVID-19 carrier. So, you will want to consider implementing paperless DVIR technology. These technologies let you gather real-time information that is necessary to run your business but also enables contactless processes. Contactless processes are exactly what you need to invest in.
Consider utilizing more technologies that are based on smartphones and tablets. If people within an organization can get the job done on their own devices, without needing to use paper or multiple touchpoints on process, they will be safer for it. And with most new truck drivers well acquainted with new technologies, adoption shouldn’t be difficult.
And don’t forget that these measures should include promoting social distancing. Make sure you put measures in place to encourage your employees to practice social distancing outside of work as well as while they are on the job.
Whether it is a truck driver out on the road or a fleet technician, physical distancing best practices should be observed. Remember, in line with CDC guidelines, they should stay at least six feet away from others and disinfect items they must touch. And remember that these guidelines are shifting and often change. Stay on top of the changes.
Embrace the Change
More than anything, you cannot have a fear of embracing change. Your trucking company must move full steam ahead on implementing these measures and monitoring their efficacy. Pay close attention to what your employees are saying. They are on the front lines.
Make sure you enable your people to provide you with updates on their physical and mental well-being before they set off each day. Do not be afraid to take preventative action should an employee flag that they are unwell or at risk after being in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
Do not delay in putting in place measures that ensure any health and safety policy updates have been reviewed, understood, and accepted by all employees. When it comes to keeping your company safe, these suggestions should be viewed as no-brainers.
If there is one conclusion that can be made from this entire situation, it is that life as we know it is changing. While change can sometimes be planned for, other times it is unforeseen. How you navigate unforeseen changes will define how your business comes out on the other side of a crisis. Use this situation to create a better, safer work environment for your organization.