Our center has about 70 drivers, with a center manager and 2 on-car sups who work 60-70 hrs a week. I am amazed that they can even remember anybodys name, let alone what route they run. Its pretty easy to dodge a new manager around here, especially when you are a professional who doesnt leave a paper trail of screwups and accidents.
The way a manager does this is:
You call a special PCM with just the utility drivers. All you do is tell them about you and introduce yourself.
Then you get up on the belts - boxline - or slide and meet the driver at his/her package car.
In the PM you hang around where the drivers check-in or close to the DIAD room or area. You keep a DDR with you so that you can check off who you met.
I actually took pictures with a Polaroid camera of drivers and in one operation - just the supervisors. I had 35 supervisors reporting to me.
The more you get out of the office.... the more you learn and the better you can help and do the job. As you know the paper and computer does not tell the whole story. You need contact with your people. You need to develop relationships and create an atmosphere of trust if you are going to accomplish anything worthwhile.
There is a honeymoon period for every new sup or mgr. Use this opportunity to ask for forgiveness because you were not on a conference call and out in the operation learning about it and your people.