“Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry”. Those were the words my mother would often say whenever my brothers and I would argue. I would never understand the power of those words until I entered the workforce. Life is filled with opportunities to get offended and sometimes even angry. What is interesting is that most work challenges originate from misunderstandings and/or miscommunication.
The trucking industry is no different. With so many moving parts in the industry there are times when the lines of communication get blurred. For example, a driver arrives at a shipper and the guard shack operator tells the driver to park at gate 8. Before the driver moves through the gate, a supervisor tells a dock worker to shut down dock 8 because of a loading plate malfunction. The shack guard gets busy with another driver and forgets to relay the message to the driver. Without an update, the driver has already backed into a tight squeeze at dock 8 only to find out later that he/she has to move!
As you read through the above scenario, your blood pressure may rise as you or someone you know has experienced this before. A simple message could have fixed this issue. While we all know that communication is key, there are times when people get busy and forget to communicate changes in schedules, arrival times, loaded calls, empty calls, etc. However, these simple messages can make the difference between being on time, making more money, and planning out the rest of your day.
Winning makes us all feel good. Communicating with your team ensures that everyone understands the common goal-and that is to win! Using every form of communication will ensure that your message gets read loud and clear. Here are a few quick tips to help you win at communicating as an LTI driver.
Be quick to listen- When you are on the phone with a customer/driver/manager always take the time out to be sure that you fully understand what they are trying to convey. At times this may require you to ask them to repeat what they are saying just to be sure you got it.
Be slow to speak- Often times drivers are in a rush as they have deadlines to meet. While this is true, it is always a good thing to write down important information that you are hearing over the phone. Speaking while the other party is talking is like dancing the tango by yourself.
Remember that we are here to help you win! Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns, questions, or ideas.