Pilot PMR People

Driver Visibility Compliance

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In our last blog, we focused on why truck visibility is so important to customers, and the technology solutions brokers use to meet tracking KPI’s (Click here to read). While tracking tool sophistication continues to improve, brokers struggle with a major challenge – How do we get drivers to comply?!

It does not matter how advanced the technology becomes or the variety of tracking solutions available – if drivers do not accept tracking requests it is impossible to provide the visibility customers are demanding.

Why Won’t Drivers Allow Brokers to Track Them?

Any carrier sales professional can riddle off a list of excuses for why drivers refuse to provide tracking; but what are drivers saying off the record? Here are ten reasons drivers are against complying with visibility demands:

  1. “My truck is my home. Would you want someone tracking you in your home?”
  2. “I got into trucking because no one was watching me or telling me what to do. Now I feel like I’m being watched.”
  3. “If you don’t trust me, why are you giving me your freight?”
  4. “This is my personal phone. If you want to track me, send me a connected tablet or phone.”
  5. “It’s none of anyone’s business where I go or what I do on my time off. I can’t tell when these apps start tracking and stop tracking me”.
  6. “There is no point in providing tracking; the broker still calls me for updates”.
  7. “Tracking apps get access to my photos, address book – even my social media”.
  8. “Will tracking me get the freight there any faster”?
  9. “No broker is going to take me off a load if I don’t provide tracking, so why should I comply”?
  10. “I’m opening myself up to malware”.
  11. “I don’t want my dispatcher handing out my private cell phone number to anyone. That is a breach of my privacy.”

So, what can we do as brokers to drive compliance?

Bottom line, driver compliance starts and ends with the dispatch process. Many of the reason’s drivers have given for not wanting to comply with visibility demands are due to a lack of education or resistance to maintain their autonomy. It is the 3PL’s job to educate and encourage tracking use. So how do we do this exactly?

Educate!

Tracking is not an attempt to spy on or monitor a driver; it also has nothing to do with lack of trust.  Brokers request visibility from drivers because our customers demand it. Shippers want to know where their valuable freight is, at all times, and consignees need visibility to plan production and receiving.  Understanding intentions is a good place to start with gaining a driver’s trust.

Answer Questions Drivers Aren’t Asking

Drivers are not asking it, but they are thinking it. Proactively tell the driver the date and time the track is setup to start and stop. Tracking applications like Trucker Tools allow drivers to pause a track during their down time while still providing vital location updates to the customer. Instead of following the driver, the app sends regular pings from the point of shut down until the track is restarted. Answering unasked questions builds trust because you are offering the information.

Use only REPUTABLE tracking applications

Choose tracking applications such as FourKites, MacroPoint, or our favorite here at TRAFFIX, TruckerTools. These applications were developed by reputable companies and will not compromise phone security, attempt to access data, or infiltrate phones with Malware. Proactively explain to the driver that your brokerage chooses reputable apps because you RESPECT their privacy and the integrity of their device.

Do Not Double Down!

Once a driver permits you to track their progress – STOP CALLING THEM FOR UPDATES! Not being bothered by tracking phone calls is one of the main incentives for a driver to comply with visibility requests. If a driver allows you to track them and you continue to call for updates, you are needlessly frustrating that driver and discouraging future compliance.

Say Thank You

Most often, drivers are having their personal cell phone numbers handed out by their dispatchers without any notification. This feels like a breach of their privacy; not to mention, drivers are typically using data on their personal devices to provide you with tracking. Saying THANK YOU can go a long way!

To learn more about how TRAFFIX can help you improve visibility and compliance, email marketing@traffix.com. Don’t forget to read our next blog about the Amazon effect on supply chains!