Posts Tagged “respect for drivers”
When it comes to driver respect, few people understand it better than Jimmy DeMatteis, and too many fail to practice what he preaches in this regard.
After all, he grew up with a dad who started hauling produce in 1951. His father eventually formed a brokerage in 1963 that eventually became Des Moines Truck Brokers. Jimmy has since became president of the company.
“Everything we do is useless unless we have a driver in that seat. When a driver walks into our office, our people (staff) get up, and walk over to that driver and shakes his hand. I’ve been in an environment where they see a driver and they get up and walk out of the room, or start staring at their monitor and suddenly start acting like they are busy,” DeMatteis says.
He believes the trucking industry needs to do a better job of recruiting, and that is only going to happen by making the driving jobs more attractive. First and foremost, he states that shippers and brokers alike need to recognize the value of drivers.
“I think produce shippers in general are one of the worst offenders. They tend to look at trucking strictly as a necessary evil. They fail to see it as an intregal part of the supply chain,” DeMatteis says, whose company expects to arrange about 9,000 loads this year.
He notes there are trucking jobs available where drivers can earn $50,000 to $60,000 a year, without having to be on the road for three weeks at a time. These are jobs “where you’re not treated like dirt.”
While DeMatteis sees plenty of room for improvement by shippers and brokers in their treatment of truckers, he also sees the other side of the coin.
“Some drivers with an 18 wheeler are driving 25 mph over the speed limit. They need to wise up and realize this is a profession. Some of these guys drive like they are reliving the NASCAR race they saw on Sunday. If you want to be treated like a professional, act like a professional,” he states.
Then he adds that there are too many “stupid” people driving four-wheelers as well.
While DeMatteis believes the majority of carriers are trying to conduct business the right way, he is critical of “the market squatters that are just trolling the load boards, waiting for the home run, and secure that $10,000 load from California to Boston (especially during the summertime peak produce shipping season).
He understands the market dictates rates, and the majority of time one is dealing with spot markets.
“The market squatters aren’t doing anything to be sustainable in the long run. They need to operate like a business. I’m not saying you should not take advantage of a market; everyone does. It is good business. But when you are churning and burning through customers, you can do that until there is nothing left. When I feel abused by a carrier, that’s the last guy I’m going to call when I need a load,” DeMattheis states.
He explains it is better when business is done right and you negotiate a fair rate, check one another out, provide the service, pay promptly and at the end of the haul you feel as if you can build upon a business relationship. There needs to be more of this in trucking, DeMatteis believes.