A slowly expanding economy and greater demand for trucking services are making the trucking industry stronger. There are tens of thousands of jobs waiting to be filled across America by new drivers who go to school to get their CDL licenses before applying with companies like ours. If you are among them, we have a question for you: do you want to be the best truck driver in the industry?
Somewhere along the way, the American workforce began losing the desire to be the best. In far too many industries, we are content to be adequate, even as our counterparts in other countries seek to excel. That should not be the case, but it is. In this post, we will discuss what it takes to be the best truck driver and the benefits drivers realize from pursuing excellence.
5 Ways to Be the Best
The best truck drivers in the industry are measured according to specific metrics. C.R. England makes a point of tracking our drivers according to these metrics. Why? Because it is good for both us and our drivers. As a company, we are committed to taking good care of our customers regardless of their needs. We need the best drivers in the industry to do that.
Here are five ways to be the best truck driver you can be, according to those metrics:
- Strive for Safety – One of the top priority for every trucking company is safety. We want you, your truck, and load to get to its destination without incident. Strive for safety in everything you do. You will get home safely to your family as a result.
- Be on Time – Trucking is an industry that is tightly controlled by schedules. It has to be this way, given how many different entities are involved in the supply chain. The best truckers in the business understand this. They make a point of doing everything they can – within the boundaries of safety and legal compliance – to be on time.
- Emphasize Customer Service – There isn’t a single business that does not serve customers in one form or another. Truckers need to adopt a customer service mindset if they want to be the best. Our perspective at C.R. England is that our drivers represent us on the road and before our customers. They need to treat our customers as well as the office does.
- Give Your Best Effort – The best truck drivers in the industry give their best effort to everything they do. They work hard with the knowledge that doing so pays off in the long run. They also work hard because it is the right thing to do.
- Work with Dispatchers – The relationship between truck drivers and dispatchers doesn’t have to be acrimonious. In fact, the best truck drivers and dispatchers learn to work together for mutual benefit. Successful driver-dispatcher teams can move a lot of freight together.
Benefits of Being the Best
So, what are the benefits of being the best driver in the business? For starters, the best drivers earn the most money. Trucking is no different than any other industry in that it rewards performance. If you want top dollar, you have to earn it.
The best drivers in the business also get the best routes, the most convenient schedules, the first crack at bonus work, the first crack at promotions, and so on. Think about in terms of sports. You don’t win championships or MVP awards by being merely adequate. If you are the best you can be, you will be rewarded accordingly.
