Experiencing Life in the Driver Seat

By: Doug Bradle

It may feel like these monthly encouragements to be Purpose Driven are one-sided, directed towards the drivers to be more diligent in their work. But the call to #OwnIt and positively impact others applies to EVERYONE at Nussbaum, not just drivers. This is something we take seriously, and that’s why we recently started a program in operations to have everyone do a driver ride-along. We hope this helps the office employees better understand the daily challenges drivers deal with and ultimately impact how they approach their work. 

Already, the riders’ feedback reflects some common misconceptions about driving or issues they hadn’t considered: 

• “The most eye-opening part to me was how much time the drivers spend outside the truck, from sliding tandems to pre/post trip inspections and checking in with guard shacks. Drivers do more than just drive, and I think that needs to be highlighted.” (It’s easy for operations to forget the additional work outside the truck when calculating transit time for a load!). 
• “How much time is required during the day for the little things.” (We also step away from our desks to tend to ‘little things,’ but we forget that drivers have similar situations). 
• “The time it takes to get from Point A to Point B in a semi.” (Those trucks just move slower! Their size prevents them from taking a shortcut we might take in our personal vehicle). 
• “How huge of a gap there is between the office and the drivers.” (We live in a different environment here in the office. We’re not dealing with reckless 4-wheelers, construction backups, or hours sitting at a shipper. Also, the DOT doesn’t regulate our breaks! 🙂 

All of these comments reflect the differing environments we work in. We all have a unique perspective, which is why “walking in another man’s shoes” can help us understand each other! The rider initiative aims to bridge the gap, increase understanding/empathy, and help us be more purpose-driven and Own It each day.