Better not let the union hear about that!
Actually, any time management takes the time to listen to employees and what they think, there are many good things that can happen. But they have to do something about what the employees speak up about. Nothing says we really dont care than you sitting there for several of these, and the same suggestions keep coming up over and over.
Morale for drivers is somewhat low these days. It used to be that they would have the trucks loaded, no stack outs, airs run by 8-8:15, and you could leave at 8:20-8:30. Then they would try and get the majority of the drivers in by 5:30. Work was cut in to where each person had a decent day.
These days, you show up for your start time of 8:50, they still have 130% to run of the ground, the air is just now hitting the door, so you have to run it after the ground, the o/70's and irregs have yet to make it down the belts, and your sup and center manager is griping about how the paid day is too high and the numbers too low. You get ready to leave and the usual "no AM time to be shown on the diad" command is issued, even though you have an hour AM time. Also the edict of "no late air allowed" even though you have 20 stops and 65 packages, with a 30 mile drive to the first stop. Right, you get to leave at 10 till 10, with a 30 minute drive and all the NDA stops are gonna get delivered?
Then of course you have a 12-13 hour day ahead of you, all the day listening to the customer complaints wondering why you are late, your sup sending you 19 messages asking when you will be in, telling you no missed, no excuses, and no over 9.5, they leave at 3 and leave you out there for 13 hours.
Then the next day it is a repeat performance with no end in sight, except the weekends. And by the time you get in on Friday night, even it is half gone.
So they wonder why morale is so low? Maybe its because even though they say our company is the people in the company, there are those pencil pushers and bean counters that draw their monthly checks off figuring out plans to put more work on fewer drivers, and hire more management to fix the problems with the plan.
So, want to give drivers and part timers a true morale boost? Listen and then act on what they tell you. That is the A in TLA, something that seems to have dropped by the wayside.
d