I knew what it was going to be and, because I'm not a huge fan of Monday mornings, I wasn't looking forward to it. I've got many stressors exerting their force upon me at the moment and another hour of sleep would have done me good...but I was up at 05:30 for some exercises, a shower and coffee and by 07:00 was ready for whatever may come.
I'd planned breakfast at a café today, a nice way to ease into a Monday and the rest of the working week, but then the phone rang.
I recently won a key account with an international transport and 3PL company. They're a big deal with over five thousand prime movers rolling around pulling their trailers in Australia alone. With the scope and volume of their work they often don't have enough trucks to pull their trailers so they look to what's referred to as outside hire and that's where the transport and trucking company I work for comes in.
I won the account, which wasn't easy, and we've been providing prime movers and drivers to haul their trailers since. It's an incredibly lucrative account and will, if we do the right thing, only get bigger.
Problems on day three
On day three one of our prime mover/driver combos was late by an hour; it was a simple mistake - sleeping through an alarm. He arrived, hooked up the pre-loaded trailer and hauled-ass to the drop off point...but missed the scheduled time-slot and was turned away. He went back to the depot, dropped off the trailer and picked up the next to continue his run which went all day. No big deal?
It meant that my company was not well-represented to our customer and neither was my customer to theirs, the delivery needed to be rebooked and re-done and my company had to pay for that. The cost of the do-over is here nor there, but the potential cost of losing that account due to the tardiness of a driver? That would be massive.
I turned up that day, met with the transport guy and made assurances. He is an understanding guy, if a little full-on-hard-core, and we moved forward. It went a long way towards showing quality that I turned up face-to-face and we have a great relationship.
Since that issue a couple more trucks were booked over and above the existing and I felt we were back on track.
Problems on day six
Today that call came in and when I saw the name, (I program all my customers, actual and potential, into my phone), my first thought was fuckety fucking fuckfuckety fuckballs. You see, these people don't call to say, "hello, I hope you have a good Monday G-dog."
Sure enough, there was a problem.
The driver had arrived fifteen minute late. (Not acceptable.)
The driver had no steel-capped safety boots and had to leave to go and buy some. (Not acceptable)
The driver took twenty five minutes to hook up the pre-loaded trailer. (Not acceptable)
The driver missed his delivery time-slot. (Not acceptable)
The transport guy wasn't well-pleased and told me he never wanted to see the driver again. I get it.
I'll be turning up to meet with him tomorrow morning, (with some lube as it's likely I'm going to get fucked), but my intention is to save the account and show him that this anomaly won't be repeated. I'm not sure how I'll go, I'll be honest with you.
You might think that fifteen minutes late isn't too bad a thing, but it can throw an entire day of work out...A whole week really, as the delivery needs to be done again. The customer of my customer, Aldi Supermarkets, doesn't care why the slot was missed only that the slot was missed. My customer doesn't care why the truck was late and that the driver didn't have the right PPE, only that it was late and the driver was ill-prepared. Fifteen minutes late is a big deal.
Just in case you're wondering about the steel-capped boots and why it's such an issue...Safety is taken seriously here and that's part of it. Only last week a truck driver was killed (by his own truck) not five kilometres from where I sit now. It rolled backwards crushing him between the rear of his truck/tailer and the front of the one behind it. He had twenty years experience and made a mistake. He died for it.
We have a zero-tolerance for safety breaches as does the logistics company I mention here - In fact, they are one of the most safety conscious. When I visit, even I have to wear steel-capped boots and that's just to stand in the office to talk! This driver isn't a ballerina, a ninja, or marathon runner...If he was he'd have the appropriate footwear right? He's a truck driver and the appropriate footwear (these days) is steel-capped boots.
I'm not sure how I'll go tomorrow to be honest, I'm hoping to save the account. What I know for sure though, is that this driver is being fired tonight immediately after his run is over; he will never work for us again. Trucking and transport is a brutal industry and mistakes aren't tolerated - Mistakes maim and kill people.
It wasn't the ideal start to my week and as far as Monday's go it began in a rather fucken shitty way, but that's how life is right? If we let every setback defeat us we'd never get anywhere.
So, I came to café ate ate the breakfast you see in this image then wrote this post. It was a nice way to talk-down my annoyance at this situation I guess, to write it out and put a gap between it and the rest of my day and week. Whatever happens tomorrow at that meeting will happen no matter what; I'll give it all I have, I've got some skills, and hope to retain it. If I do, it'll be awesome. If I do not, I'll know it won't be for my own lack of effort on my part.
It was truly a Monday sort of Monday morning today, but life will go on and bacon, eggs and coffee help pave the way.
Have a good week.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Any images in this post are my own
Good day to you Galen I hope that by the end of your Monday the irregular situation (very complex) due to the emotions encountered with the truck driver has been resolved to give the captive customer the face, the important thing is that already detected the unpredictability of human behavior, and you must have taken the appropriate steps to hold the account well and better for the company you represent and for your reputation as an efficient, effective leader who seeks solutions in the process making corrective actions to achieve the organizational goal.
Onward and upward, now is the time to keep those Diesel's roaring with G-dog at the helm.
Another day tomorrow, enjoy your dinner, and get some rest.
The meeting with the customer is on Tuesday morning, eight hours from now. I like to think I have the ability to retain the customer, I have some skills I guess, but only time will tell.
If you can Galen achieve this, present at least two viable alternatives that the customer feels are a win-win for their business. I send you my wishes for a "yes" so that everything goes according to the new plan.
Sometimes losing (you will know what to change) is a win-win in the medium term.... Look at the customer as a volcano of emotions, and in that way channel them to the best advantage.
Damn now that's a bitch of a situation.. but we can only do so much ourselves before we leave other aspects of life and work in the hands of others. People make mistakes that's for sure but it's just one of those unfortunate situations where a few mistakes happened with the wrong client. Hopefully you can rectify it and keep things moving again for a while, issue-free preferably for sure, but what happens, will happen and you tried your best. I think that's why I'm glad I'm not in sales lol too much for my taste!
Wearing steel toe boots is a safety hazard in itself isn't it? If you drop something heavy on that, goodbye to your toes! That was always a warning my dad gave me when buying work boots, steel toe ones are dangerous in their own right.
Yeah, it's not good at all and something I have to put some effort into. I've got a strategy but it'll come down to what happens tomorrow at the meeting. I'm normally pretty good in these cases, but one never knows. This company is the largest if it's type in Australia and are multi-national so, to be unt about it, they don't fuck around. I'm hoping to be able to do enough.
Steel-toe footwear is all about insurance, not saving toes, these days. If something heavy enough impacts the toe area the cap won't save the toes as you say. But insurance companies require certain things to be met and that is one. If an incident happens and standards haven't been met then payouts/cover is in jeopardy. The government enforced/policed, work cover thing comes into play also.
Still, they're a requirement and a driver should know better than to turn up without them. That driver has two more hours with the company before he is speared. He has himself to blame.
Oh my.. I was reading this post and wanted to congratulate on your contract win but what a turn of events! Hope things will turn for the better! Am sure you will be able to fix this!
It's not a good situation. I'll be there in an hour or so, we will know after that whether I saved it or not.
DuckDuckGo told me that stands for Third-Party Logistics but I’m still a bit clueless. 😅
Yeah, not wearing steel-toed shoes/boots? WTF? Even I know that’s a bare minimum.
Yep, that's right. It basically means that the transport company accepts the stock/product from one party (manufacturer mostly), on behalf of a second party and then deliver it to a customer (or to the second party themselves.) This means that the second party doesn't need a massive warehouse. You may have heard of CEVA Logistics? They are world-wide, here too, and this is what they do. Their warehouse is gargantuan. I've been in it.
Hmm, maybe I'll do a post about some of the terminology someday.
The steel-toe shoes thing, yeah I know right? Truck driver-no steel caps? WTBF?
Hope the good breakfast helped your mood and that the meeting wasn’t too bad.
Unfortunate for that truck driver 💀 but can see why you really need to move on time with logistics and why you absolutely need to be safe all the time around those gargantuan rigs!
The breakfast was good - mood improved - the meeting is tomorrow.
I'm trying to feel sorry for the guy but I can't find it in me; he made a choice and is paying the price. We live in a society in which mediocrity is promoted and in which people don't have to think for themselves as much...but in this case neither is suitable or relevant. Trucking and transport is big business and when it comes to safety Australia is one of the most safety conscious countries in the world.
If compromise is permitted where is it placed?
Is it of for a truck driver hauling a triple road train to have a beer or two as long as he's under the limit? (No).
Is it of for a truck driver hauling a triple road train to drive for 12 hours non-stop (No).
Is it of for a truck driver hauling a triple road train to disobey the speed limits? (No).
I think you get my point. So...in my mind, there's no room for safety to be compromised, even should that be failing to wear a hi-vis vest and safety boots. This chap new the rules and chose not to follow them. Turning up a little late? Hmm, ok maybe that's excusable (not really with this customer though.) But the lack of PE, the most fundamental of things...That's what got him fired.
Oh gawd, what a ruthless industry, though I can see WHY, it breaks my heart a little. However he should have known better, and yes, mistakes can be devastatingly costly. What is the saying? For the want of a horse, the kingdom was lost?
Should an injury have occured my company would be liable and it would cost a lot of money in fines, insurance premiums and the loss of work. These people have inductions and sign off accepting the safety requirements and that they will adhere to them.
In truth, this fellow fired himself the minute he turned up for work without the PPE, the company is just doing the paperwork.
What a dick!!!
Just irresponsible I guess, and that could cost a couple million dollars in revenue to my company. I think I'll save it though. We'll know on Tuesday morning.
Yikes! The death of the truck driver is a terrible story, I dare not think of the crime scene.
PPE - you live in them day in day out, don't understand why the driver doesn't have the right pair of shoes. It's not like his son/brother/flatmate would have taken it to go jogging that morning.
Two problems so early on during a new contract is not good news, hopefully you can salvage the situation. It would be a bummer to lose a contract like that. Good luck!
I agree. It was all a pretty sad state of affairs. His wife was interviewed on the news the following night and was inteaes saying she never told him she loved him before he left for work that morning. This is why I say what I feel all the time - We never know when we may not be able to.
I don't get why people fail to wear PPE and for this guy, a truck driver...well, it doesn't make sense. If a fork lift ran over his foot he'd know about it. Anyway, the guy is gone, or will be in about five hours. His papers have already been prepared.
Tomorrow morning is super bad timing for that meeting. I have cancelled a doctor's appointment to go. It's important though, and if I can save it I'll be very happy. Matt, the transport manager there, and I have a good relationship so I have half a chance. He'll do what's right for his company though.
Bloody hell, it was hard to win this account...seems harder keeping it! #WTBF
Sounds like you are having an absoloute mare buddy. Not the way anyone would like to start the week im sure.
Out of curiosity (as I know nothing about the trucking industry).. would it incur massive costs to tell your drivers that the time slot was 'let's say'an hour earlier than the actual allotment. And then become known as the guys that turn up early rather than just on time or even late. 🤷♂️
Hope it gets sorted and the rest of your week goes a bit smoother 👍
Yeah, not a good one.
The time-slots are designed to keep things flowing. Being early is as bad as being late as it causes congestion. These trucks are huge beasts, sometimes two semi-trailers long, and the docks only have so much room. Think of it like an airport or train station. Slots are allocated and those times have to be met or chaos ensues.
I'm really not sure how this will go. I think the relationship I've built with the chap will go a long way but, at the end of the day, the guy is there to do a job and that has to take priority. I hope to save it as the revenue is huge.
Ah of course.. I was picturing our baby English trucks.
Well, best of luck.. the fact that you are terminating the guy that upset them, must go a long way to showing how much you value their business. But yeah, keep that lube handy just in case 😄
Heavy post from where I sit and try to survive my Mondays.
Such an important post. (as our careers have been in transport) @pooky-jax is reading it now. Compliments of a quick link sent via Threema. (Used daily here) I quoted out loud the paragraph about the 20 year vet death by crushing.
My thoughts and actions are..:
I avoid JIT in every way. The "just in time" expedited freight I have access to many times is non contracted. (Cheap) 3rd or more party brokerage nightmares. Even the Landstar contracted is barely profitable with threats of charge backs to the driver.
I have only had a few load failures in 30 years. And they were not the type to cost customers/contracts as I said above. I avoid the JIT's. I have recovered a few distressed load s over the years also. and
I do wear slippers and sweats in the cooler weather. You may also catch my god like body in just boxers in the sleeper while on my break times. But i honestly have never walked in public like some of these steer wheel holders in flip flops, baggy pajama looking clothings and such. I see them walking in and out of the ship/rec offices and I LOL...
I fear the "Auto Pilot Mode/Flying Blind" will end my career badly. I suffer from it as I am sure that crush victim driver did. A.D.D is real. And deadly in our business as you know. One of the reasons for my exit of the full time career soon. Along with the crashing of the economy by the fraudster gov. The distracted deadly drivers. Etc.
The JIT thing and cross-docking saves warehouse space and manpower for the end user and I think is going to become more prevalent. It comes with some dangers of failure to supply though. Holding less stock and relying on supply chains is risky; when a link in the chain breaks shelves empty rather quickly.
The look of an Australian truck driver has completely changed now as the drivers are dominated by one particular type of individual, 90 percent of the drivers. Some are really quite good, but most are no more than steering wheel holders as you say. They know almost nothing about their trucks and have no care factor. It makes me wonder what will happen in the future... Australia is a big land with a lot of nothing in between the cities. It takes a certain breed of person to move trucks in the outback and to remote locations...I wonder who will do it.
Hello? No PPE? Industry-standard. I'm pretty sure he bought it right there. Ok, he didn't, but, he should have.
Safety first. Showing up like that tells me he hasn't a clue about safety hazards. It is not something you forget. It is a UNIFORM or should be. That is horrifying about that man that made a little mistake and it cost him his life.
What is with people and being late? Take away their oxygen for every minute late and we would see how important every second is. It's not important to them because it is only a few minutes, but, it clogs the machine when something is out of synch.
I certainly hope breakfast did its job! It looks yummy! It is Tuesday over there, so I am hoping things went well for you!
I know right? No PPE for fks sake! Wanker.
The meeting was first thing this morning and I'm glad to say it went really well. There were a few issues to cover off on including the PPEless chap and overall the company (who has almost zero tolerance to anything other than what they want) was receptive.
I'm open, honest and direct when it comes to business and the relationships that form and I nurture those relationships which goes a long way in cases like this. I'm not trying to say I'm the best that ever lived, but I have skills, show effort and find solutions, all in a friendly results-focused and relaxed way.
Transport and trucking is a brutal industry for sure, but people seem to respond to me and my ways and so...Yep, customer retained.
😁
I've always found it surprising when people think this
15 minutes can change a whole lot, it's 900 seconds for Christ's sake. Anything can happen.
Yes indeed. Tardiness isn't something I like to be honest and I'm very punctual myself; I expect it from others.
Me too.
I have this notion that your attitude towards tardiness determines if I can work with you or not.
Without a doubt coffee is like gasoline to start the week and the days, I am sorry that those 15 minutes will end up damaging the program, sometimes we believe that a mistake is not so bad until it costs us millions... I hope this week goes much better and you can have that account active, much faith that it will be so! Greetings
It's a bit of an issue considering I have to deal with the day three issue already; now many times can I say, it won't happen again.
The guy knows transport and knows that things go wrong. The lateness is probably excusable, even though not ideal. The lack of PPE and the subsequent waste of time when the driver had to go and get it, is not. Twenty five minutes to hook up a trailer? Hmm, they're big things sure, but this guy is supposed to be a professional driver.
I've got some ground to make up. We'll see how it goes.
Thanks for your comment and I hope you have a good week.
Hey it's very true, but trust that this week will be much better!
Happy week
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People should be serious about serious things. Some things are no joke, man. They end in death, like you mentioned. I was playing a game the other day and in that game I manage people working in the cold. You can find that post by clicking here. I suggest you check it out if you like playing games. Some of them do things I don't want to do and then they get maimed. Then I tell them to stay at home because they are crippled but they can't live with it and they commit suicide. It's not a problem when it happens in the game but in real life nothing is a joke.
Yep, safety is not a joke and here in Australia it is strictly manager; there's little room for compromise as you can see. Today that chap made a choice to arrive unprepared and ended the day with no job - maybe he'll learn his lesson, maybe not.
Usually for irresponsible people such things come as a shock. He will be more responsible from now on. I'm sure about it.
I think so, and hope so for his sake.
Also, I forgot to say, I'm not a gamer so don't really understand that whole thing very well.
Basically I manage people who work in the cold and I try to keep them alive. Sometimes they have to work in the cold or they don't do what I want them to do. Then they get frostbite and I have to amputate their arms and then I tell them to stay at home but they commit suicide because they think they are useless that way.
It sounds like a gruesome game. I wonder what a real life version might be like?
I don't want to know the answer to something like this. I hope no one else experiences this. It's better to keep it as a game. That's why even in the game I try to protect all my people from everything.