AvatarFleets's president Scott Rea discusses with Safety Dawg, truck driver recruiting. Scott shares the philosophy of truck driver retention and how to use truck driver recruiting software to enhance your hiring process. We also get into the topic of truck driver training and touch upon DOT Compliance software.
Listen and enjoy, and leave us a comment as well as a thumbs up.
Scott's contact information:
scott.rea@avatarfleet.com
330-230-0664
avatarfleet.com
Twitter @avatarfleet
AvatarFleets's president Scott Rea discusses with Safety Dawg, truck driver recruiting. Scott shares the philosophy of truck driver retention and how to use truck driver recruiting software to enhance your hiring process. We also get into the topic of truck driver training and touch upon DOT Compliance software.
Listen and enjoy, and leave us a comment as well as a thumbs up.
Scott's contact information:
scott.rea@avatarfleet.com
330-230-0664
avatarfleet.com
Twitter @avatarfleet
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 0:01
And who do we have on the show this week? Mr. Scott Ray, president of Avatar Fleet and Scott, says things like, I hate empty trucks. I hate that you turn down loads. The only thing I hate more is how drivers tend to be treated in the trucking industry. The customer is not always right in trucking because they're delays. Mistakes and lack of empathy hurt the driver's paycheck. Your mistakes and dispatching training complaints hurt the driver's paycheck. Construction, traffic jams and the lack of parking spaces all hurt the driver's paycheck. The driver is on the commission job, where the majority of issues are outside of his or her control. The customer usedto always be right and was always pry it prioritized ahead of the driver. You can't operate that way anymore. Every decision you make needs to be driver centric. Scott, right? Welcome the dog on it. Trucking podcast. I'm your host, Chris Harris, Safety dog. And when it comes to trucking safety, the dog is on it. What are you getting when you listen or watch this? A podcast. I am so privileged to be able to sit and discuss with a variety of trucking influencers a wide range of trucking topics, and you get to hear their perspective on an enormous range of issues. Please, if you would show your appreciation for the podcast by leaving a thumbs up a comment a rating, depending on the platform of your choice that you're listening or watching with it would help me so much raise the profile of this show and bring it and make it available to even mawr listeners. So thank you very much. I appreciate you and your time that that takes. Now, let's get on with the show. So excited to have Scott. Ray Scott, How are you?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 2:18
I'm excellent. Thanks for having me.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 2:21
It's my pleasure. You're now my second American to have on the show, right? Expand on that. Of course. Heather Fry was on last week. So just so you know. But she's the truckers against trafficking,
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 2:39
right? Yep.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 2:41
So it's a
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 2:42
good chance to meet her last because? Well,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 2:44
yeah, at the TSA old conference.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 2:47
Yes, sir.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 2:48
Abbott, her fleet. What can you tell us a little bit about what you do and what avatar fleets all about?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 2:57
Sure thing. Um, so I'm the president, Avatar, fleet and What we do is we helped transportation companies with driver recruiting, compliance training and retention. So we're going about that with either software or services. To help fill the funnel, stay out of the crosshairs of the federal alleys, train him up once you've got him, and that can be from training experienced drivers or turn in newbies and seasoned pros. And you've invested a lot of time and energy by the time you've done all that, so we think you should keep him as
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 3:30
well. Well, I was going to say what would be the Or I was going to ask what would be one of the challenges of recruiting? Uh, sorry. What's one of the challenges of retaining drivers today?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 3:46
Well, that's it's obviously an easier said than done component a lot of times with retention. It's the straw that breaks the camel's back when, and that's the event that's focused on. But anyone trying to figure out from a macro level what's happening? If you focus on that single event, you're probably missing the picture. And so I would say the single biggest challenge, or the as well as the thing that helps the most, is a regimented check in process, preventing those straws from breaking the camel's back in the beginning. And so one. While it's complicated to execute, but a regimented process of check ins from the dispatcher driver manager, there's nothing to do with the load that day. But how you doing combining with with these with expectations that we said not just doing it once 1/4 but talking about it weekly and someone from payroll in that first week? Chris, your first checks coming in the mail? Let's make sure let's talk through. Make sure you understand it. You know how to read it. You can interpret it, um, that it lines with what you thought, and I got a call from the president. So if you kind of see my point of these check in points, a lot of times a driver doesn't want to ask or tell us something is itching them. You got to go out and ask them, and it's not a survey, and maybe it's a text. Maybe it's a phone call. Depends on who that driver is, but you got to start it off. That's what we've seen is if you're not initiating it, you're not gonna hear from.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 5:13
So what I think I heard was, um, not hand holding, but a little more reaching out, being proactive and saying hi to the driver. When it's not about the load that particular day, it's just the boat. How in the heck are you? Absolutely a particular, like the thought of the president phoning somebody in the first week or several days. Perhaps. What would the president say to a fellow fee toe? Welcome him onto the fleet?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 5:47
Yeah, we love doing in the first couple of weeks and you know, it can be a simple is a welcome Chris. Glad to have you on board really graduate part of the team, Um, you know, which will let you know that we really appreciate you. Here's some things that are important to us. Here's a little bit of our company history. Here's our mission, vision, values and, ah, you just excited making part of family. It could be a two minute phone call, but think about how many company presidents aren't making that two minute phone call. I think it helps you stand out from the pack.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 6:19
I can't think of any company presidents that are making the phone call. At least not in my community. So how does Avatar fleet reach out to help, uh, set some of these things in motion?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 6:34
Yes. So, simply put, were actually not the ones making the phone calls as we are building the software toe track that process. So it's actually something that is not something that we've built. But we've got a couple of clients that are pushing us in that direction. And the short story Chris's. I've just seen a lot of we've got a handful that do it, We recommend it. It's a good idea. How do should I do that, Scott? And I said, Well, uh, you know, the old school way is Excel sheets, and that's at least you're doing it. But it gets cumbersome. And so what we're working on with a couple clients right now is mapping out what that would look like. Um, And after you've hired somebody,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 7:12
so that's
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 7:13
so if you got you got any friends that would like toe help sketch it out, we're looking for him.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 7:18
Well, I'm hoping Teoh get you some help through this, you know, But, uh, so compliance training. You're talking here about training the president and dispatchers and payroll people. Probably not training. So Muchas educating in this case, how would you go about training? What does avatar do for training of drivers?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 7:41
Sure, No. And actually, I would say that what we do have available is leadership development. So that is training for those folks. The driver manager, um, the president. And that's where some of those concepts came from the tour. I was talking about more from, Ah, a company that goes through our leadership development program and said, That's a really good idea now that that, too, was about the implementation of said Good idea. And on the training side, we do three flavors online, self directed. Ah, train the trainer process called Triple C instructor and driver certification and finishing school. So again, hiring someone from, say, a T. T s a O of school and turning that new student into a seasoned pro.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 8:26
Okay, so taking. You're talking about a new grad now, you know, maybe coming from a TSA oh school or from a p T. D I school,
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 8:37
you have
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 8:37
to keep my American friends happy. Absolutely. So what the process looked like for hiring a brand new or a driver with less than a year's experience look like from avatar fleets. Point of view.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 8:54
Well, and it's actually P t de ice point of view as well. So we work together with with P. T. I on this curriculum, and your first thing is, in order to execute a curriculum, you need a small army, whether that's 12 or 15 depending on your size of instructors. And so, Chris, you familiar with the Triple C?
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 9:16
Yes,
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 9:16
instructor certification program. So we'll put you on the spot you can remember can rattle off triple. I'll see what it stands for.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 9:23
Oh, you have put me on the spot. But look ahead. Leave room, uh, look around and communicate.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 9:32
All right. Good. Cause if if you didn't remember, was going to completely disprove my point, which is it's an easier process of what we built. Um, and as you can see, those components rattle off nicely if you're doing commentary driving both from instructor in the driver's standpoint. Um, so anyways, a guy like you, Chris would get certified, and you actually have helped us create other triple C instructors. And what we've done is create a deeper level called finishing school instructor. And that was what we did in concert with PTT I, where we're taking a deeper dive on the different types of personalities that you're going to see out there. We're gonna talk about different learning styles and different teaching styles specifically for adult learner and only and Don't Lerner, a truck driver. And that is very different than teaching 1/5 grader is Anyone with kids knows. So we talk about those different personalities, those different concepts, and relate specifically to the truck driving profession. But what was your take Chris After going through it?
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 10:30
Well, the triple I'll see program I really liked because for several reasons, that was simple. Ah, a lot of it was done online. And then I got to meet with your partner, I think, and he came up for 1/2 a dick of training, I believe. And then we went for a drive in the afternoon where we all got to participate in the three different functions or roles. But instructor would go through, and that was a learning experience because I myself have never done and never been taught commentary driving, which can you explain to our viewers and watchers what commentary driving is
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 11:14
sure, Um, one client. He called it a disease in a good way, because once he got in his brain, he couldn't stop it. And so simply put, every Brenner and our head. There's a running commentary, and that's the only way that we could understand what's going on. Chris in a trainee's noodle, What's happening in their head. And so what? Commentary Driving is simply that describing what you see is your driving. So the instructor understands. So what it might sound like is I'm looking ahead, establishing a face a safe following distance. I'm gonna leave room. Let's count it off. 1234 OK, we've got a safe following distance. I'm looking around checking my mirrors every 3 to 5 seconds, and one of your colleagues and the TTS instructed the year Doug always had a question that stuck with me where he said, a Scotty, what color was that car on the on ramp? My response time was what car and it goes exactly. Check your mirrors more often, and so that's the A good example of a good instructor is not one that tells you what to see. But in the in between, your commentary driving asked that right question to get you get you thinking because self realization is the goal.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 12:27
Yeah, I'll tell you the way drivers of both cars and trucks operate today. Um, if you're not driving on the defense off, you're in for big trouble. That what's avatars approached to driver recruited?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 12:43
Okay, Yeah, And in in one, I guess one phrase would be the Purple cow. And for those of Mr Step Cone, that's right. That's right. And that's all about differentiation. So from my experience, recruiting drunk drivers, there's a lot of people saying the same thing I called the Sea of sameness and meeting at Scott's Trucking Company and Christmas Trucking Company. If I can put your logo Chris on my ad and everything applies, what's not a very effective at that? My husband must be advertising for you. And so my point is, you see brand future with respect, great home time, great pay. Well, what does that really mean? And one that's also in the eye of beholder. But that's nothing specific about that. So that's the first piece is the misses. The message your unique pitch, the purple cow and then the other side. In order to know what's working, you need to a make it friction list toe. Apply whether you're in the States or Canada. The Ministry of Transportation and the department transportation have made it difficult because they just made it a long, cumbersome process. So you've got to make it simple. And typically for a 55 year old, that's the average age in the state's not sure if it's the same up north
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 13:59
might be a little older up here,
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 14:02
so you know, not Tech savy Guys like us, Chris, you know, like we were struggling to get on the Skype meeting. But we gotta make him so that they can. A 55 year old can get through that app on his phone. You know, what we've seen is that 95% of last year applied on a mobile device. I was within our software.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 14:19
Sorry. What was that percentage? A good 95. Wow.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 14:23
And that that cuts across, um, that struck low less than truckload. That's motorcoach. That school bus, urban, rural. If you think about it that za a mobile workforce so you've got to meet him where they are,
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 14:38
and I mean to me. That's huge and shocking, although in some ways maybe not shocking that a lot of drivers, uh, can't use a computer. Vory well, because they don't work in an officer. They're working in their truck and a computer to them is any L D system. Basically, you had the opportunity really have a keyboard. It's the mobile number of 95% though that's huge that so we've got me
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 15:12
so many clients that are coming from a paper process to electronic. They see a big jump for that simple reasons. They have expanded their hiring radius. And what I mean by that is, you know, we've got some clients that you had to walk in the door during the hours of 9 to 5 to apply. Well, the who can do that? A driver who's unemployed. So is that the driver that you really want? Probably not you want? The driver was working during the day, who are who is on the other side of the country because he got stuck out there missing his son's baseball game or football game, whatever it is and use using that time when he's frustrated is when he would be motivated to apply. So take advantage of that opportunity. Don't make him come in and walk by the shop because he might say, uh, you know, screw it because he go anywhere he wants. And the companies that have that online application that's mobile first are gonna get that candidate
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 16:09
well. And I was reading in the paper today about a large U. S retailer who is planning to expand their hiring. And so when you talk about having to stand out when you're competing against somebody like that, how do you stand out? What are some of the tricks of the trade that you can share? There may be some that you don't want to share until their customers, but what can you tell us? A boat? Good recruiting techniques?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 16:39
Yes. So I You know, the simple concept is one man's trash is another man's treasure. So don't get hooked up on, um, trying to compete with, say, a large retailer. Um, because that may be may not be the right thing for what gets your driver's excited. So there's a simple tool that we use called the finding your driver personas. And if anyone's interested, Chris, I'm happy to give a link for your listeners to download. And the reason why I start here is this process of creating a personas allows you to understand what are the 3 to 5 personas you're gonna market to? And I guess I'll describe personas and think about it is a way to organize a group of people. Okay, I'm in kind of like a mass group of people, so you can give Amore Taylor message to ah group of people that feels like it really hits home to them. So you typically speaking. Maybe it's it's I'll give three examples I've seen I've seen, like there's an OTR position, original position, a local position. Well, those jobs solve different problems for different people. So what you really understand is for those personas what other challenges what other goals in life how can you help them overcome? Their challenge is to hit their goals. How does that job help them do that? And so usually in trucking, it centered around someone's like your job title is typically how it's organized, but by really understanding who that person is, what motivates what makes them tick allows you to create a message that resonates with them. And so the simple thing is, you know, I wouldn't I always say, Look at the competition and see what they're doing. But start first with your existing drivers. What is it they love working about your place? Some guy named Bob has been there for 10 years, and he loves it here. And he's planning on retiring. Well, who? What is it that's causing Bob to stay here? What makes him love his job? Let's go find 10 more Bob's. And so as you build your personas, we like to put names to him then. So if you would just want to call it Bob Jones because you have, you know, you've been in meetings, right? It's every goes what we want, you know? Well, like job. I can be like Bob. Well, let's go be intentional about finding above.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 18:51
Yeah, and that that would be one different. Two very strategic. You know, one of the things you just mentioned herbal personas. Why would I be advertising two over the road drivers when I want regional drivers friends? And as you said, different things appeal to different drivers depending on what their needs and wants,
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 19:16
if I can provide a a specific example there. So I came from Ah carrier, where we were offering Ah guaranteed paycheck, which in the regional side was pretty unique and we were doing 1200 a week. And I remember one of the on the ads on Facebook that we served up a driver said, 60 year, I can't even eat on that. That's okay that you're not our guy, all right? So we didn't We didn't lose any sleep that whoever that was thought that that was a crappy job because he wasn't who we're going after. The pain point we were trying to solve was not the high dollar job because there were higher dollar jobs, right? Probably some of that retailer that you described. But what we could guarantee was a We guarantee weekly home time. And you knew your paycheck was going to be flat him out and some people with the family, and that's what we discovered. People with the family wanted that they valued that consistent paycheck they could provide for that they could make the referent 50 payment their mortgage put their kids through school. That up and down was what killed them. And so they were wanted to take. Maybe I don't make 80 this year, but I know I'm gonna make 60. I know I'm not gonna make 50. And that was important to them.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 20:23
I would think anybody with wives and kids that would be a huge bonus if you can spell it out like that. So what are companies doing in a recruiting frame of mind that you see way too frequently? Um, you probably have you in Canada. Here we have a magazine called Over the Road. I would stand in the States as well, but we have a different It's a different magazine seem name, but it's a recruiting for Truck driver magazine. What do you see in that type of magazine that carriers aren't doing? Or maybe they're doing well.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 21:05
Yeah. So you know the first thing this would be the Met the where you spend your money is is important, and you're just asking the driver. How did you hear about us? Isn't always a reliable source. So we used to get responses like the Internet. Um, that's not helpful. Um, someone might. They indeed. Well, there's other jobs boards out there that will aggregate. They're called aggregators and no post on indeed. So did the driver's defense. She or he clicked on the indeed ad. I was here. She didn't know that that was not that was actually an all truck jobs at or whatever. So you gotta have the digital tracking. You gotta have the tracking in place. So you know exactly where to spend your money. Because if you're asking, you're doing one step over flying blind. But so to answer questions. I see a lot of flying blind out there, and at best they're asking, How did you hear about us? And that's just not that's not reliable. And with the tech with the tracking links and software, like what we have, use it. Any good applicant tracking system for truck drivers has got those links, and you got to be using that so you know where to spend your money. So that's part one. Don't fly blind. Um, Part two is from a begin. Depends on your personas and here going after. But there's a lot. Everyone is looking for that younger driver and Chris figures Name was Liu who gave a presentation from one of those magazines and he even said He said, Look at the numbers here of manuals that are reading our newspaper and it was in the single digits and his take away was, If you're gonna be advertising with us and you want to get a younger viewer, if you're going print, they're gonna be sorely disappointed. And this was the guy who has the magazine, right? Yeah. So So digital is the way to go for, um, not only the younger generation, but I want to go back to that stat of why did 95% of our clients of plant line Well, part of it is we're pushing him in that direction for two reasons. The first is I think that's truly where they are. And there are a lot of truck drivers we get in the States. You know, there's over 1.5 million truck drivers on Facebook. So there, there, um, if you look at, um so that's kind of part one is as you're picking word ago, though, Part two, this is the cost of the money ball that I share. The TTS he'll presentation, which is what you're looking for. And again, we're trying to compete with that said that reads Retailer. There's been in Boo COO bucks on advertising and some of the large four hire fleets, their budgets, their monthly recruiting budget. You know, we're talking a $1,000,000 a month for some of these guys, so we've got carriers spending more money on advertising than problem than some of the folks listening on this make in that year. So how do you compete with that? You know the analogy that that's the Manet's you know where the Tampa Bay Rays. How do we compete when we just don't have that same budget right? And that digital advertising levels the playing field? Because if I want to go buy an ad in that newspaper, it's the same price for everyone. But on the digital advertising standpoint, if you're doing your keyword research properly, you confined value low cost per clicks that the big dogs haven't figured out yet. And it's an open playing field. It's not just biggest pocketbook wins smarter. The more nimble smart shift your folks you can get your you can get in there and compete.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 24:30
Just recently, I've started to do a lot more work on what you just mentioned. Keyword research, not for driver recruiting, because that's not my business, but for one of the other things. And, of course I'm a small guy, and I need to compete against some of the bigger guys who their advertising budget, as you say, would be God. It's 100 times mine, so I have to be very selective. And I want to dominate a keyword, perhaps, as opposed to trying to be everywhere. Toe everybody.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 25:04
That's exactly right. Yep, pick your 1 to 5 and dominate
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 25:08
on that's what It's interesting. I'm just learning so much more about this kind of stuff, Uh, but let's change subjects a little well before we change subjects. Anything else you want to mention about recruiting, and then we'll get into complaints. But how does Avatar help a company be a better recruiter?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 25:28
It's the tool simply put. So
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 25:31
winter has a tool?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 25:33
Yes. Yep. So that's four designs. They have it. The space is the applicant tracking system, and some of those pieces and parts that I mentioned are the marketing side. We can give you processes and at e books and templates to follow, But that's really you in your in your organization, um, creating that message where we're gonna is how can you distribute that message? So integration with jobs boards Indeed, things like that. And when it's out there, how do you track it? So you know where they're coming from and where to spend your money next month and then make it get going back to that, um, make it easy to apply. How can reduce friction? How can you make it simple? To capture a bunch of paperwork on a phone for someone in their fifties and in the final pieces was more touches every day. If you can send out 10 more text today or make 10 more phone calls, Um, because you're talking with the right people or we've done some Mass some automation through sending off mass messages. What are ways that you condone doom or each day because you've got tools that eliminate the busy work and keep you focused on contact with live bodies? That's a phone call and interview. How can we eliminate date entries? You're not spending 10 minutes to run a background screen spring 10 minutes to call five more prospects. That's that's what that software is all about.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 26:59
That's cool because, you know, I can see a lot of carriers. Well, I have seen the recruiting processes. They're not. They're not good just to be polite, but a was compliance. What does Avatar doing in the area of compliance that you can share with us?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 27:23
So it's similar theme, which is automation of the busy work. And as anyone knows, that brought on a driver. You're managing a driver qualification foul, regardless of which side the border you're on. There's certainly conduct documents that required. And what we see a lot is Hey, we've hired someone. Let's shove a bunch of paperwork in front of we're gonna waste two hours of orientation sounding and feeling paper.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 27:51
Just two hours of orientation
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 27:53
we've seen for, But to the average, it's like it's like signing your mortgage. But I actually think the mortgage might be more fun than some of the paperwork got. Seem. Yeah, at least you're getting a house with No, that one. Um, So how can you if you look in those applications mot or do you achieve compliant? We know a lot about you cause it's had pretty hefty application. And they were gonna ask you to write that same information in a piece of paper 10 more 100 more times. So that's what we take that down to 15 minutes, we just pre populate all the information already know about you, Have you electronically sign it? Some people do it before imitation, so we will do it during the regardless. You're taking it from two hours to 15 minutes. The nice thing about that is that where our best clients are doing are doing are inserting or driver training in that two hours and they just got back. How you doing or giving a big hug and welcome to the family. Maybe the president takes that time walks in to say hello Does that in person is a post on the phone. The do anything better except for signing paperwork, You got a lot of options.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 28:54
Well, yeah. I mean, I've seen carriers with an orientation. Two hours is minimal. I've seen two days. I know one carrier that's closer to five days and the problem I have with not the five day program. But the one day in less programs. Often the driver is not even getting paid to attend you there for that which have it's going to affect your retention. You recruiting pro prospects, everything.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 29:27
Yeah. You want to start off on the right foot?
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 29:29
Yeah. I think abusing drivers to be mean. That's the shippers and the receivers jobs. We shouldn't be abusing our own employees and workers. So
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 29:42
you have again that flack? Yeah, it's that
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 29:46
it's terrible.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 29:47
So that's part one to it. Um, then part two is after you've brought someone on board, you're required to keep up with, um, expiring documents such as their license and abstract NPR, um, certificate violations, anything that expires. So a reminder system simply put, um, so text the driver asked for a copy of that new license you put in. It's nice little home. You can view it. And if you ever get an audit, God forbid will knock on wood that no one gets one this week that you've got all one place. So he said, daughter to come in and say like to see Kris and Scott and Larry and Joe and Fred. I like to see these five records. You can tee that up and presented to him We've actually had an auditor completed from his hotel room in his pajamas. He was a lot happier. Our client was a lot happier. And so again, that auditor out the door quicker.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 30:38
And nobody had to see the auditor in their pajamas.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 30:42
That's right.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 30:44
Some of these auditors I wouldn't want to see them in their
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 30:47
know unless you're skyping him in like this.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 30:51
So that's cool. So you do a lot of work in compliance. What are some of the strategies on avatar client might use for driver retention?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 31:02
Yeah, So, you know, we hit on that the check in process and beginning And the reason why I started there is I really think that's Ah, nice bang for your buck. Um, just it just works. I've seen it work. And many, many clients, many different sectors of transportation. Um, another simple thing, Chris is ah, is it's not even a software. It's a piece of paper. And it's what we call on expectations document. And just by setting the expectations on day one that says, Mr Driver, this is what we expect to you, and I'm almost equally importantly, this is what you can expect of us and we both signed this document together that their shows it's a level playing field going back to when you say we treat you with respect. That's a very broad, platitude filled statement. Here's a really good example of we're setting a tone up front. It eliminates confusion. And remember, try eliminate those straws that breaks the camel back. That's been a really simple tool. That, and we look at it every month that that driver driver manager can have that conversation if anyone goes awry. Either way, the driver, the driver manager, you've got a tool on what's beauty. There's a magic term out there called triangulation. And so, by putting that paper out there, Chris, you and I are looking this paper saying, Hey, we're not someone's not living up to their expectation here, right? How can we work together to solve that? And just by us being on the same side, looking at that thing helps eliminate some of any conflict that could be perceived building up and we're just working together to solve a problem is a team, not me versus you.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 32:36
Yeah, I mean, that sounds a heck of a lot better than the fleets that I've driven for in the past because there was no conversation, really going back and forth.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 32:47
Did you ever have any structure to those one to one's, Chris, or was that not even a thing? There was never here. It wasn't even a 15 or 20 minute monthly. Hello. How are you doing?
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 32:56
No, there was never that type of feedback. I mean, I often saw my dispatcher, but it was just to pick up the paperwork. Not really. The talk, just you hear it is Get out the door, get going to work. Um, right. We had to have annual reviews, but that's what it was. Was annual. It was a piece of paper on Lee. You're familiar with the document from the D o T? Pretty much. We use nothing in Canada. And it wasn't even a one on one interview, right? Uh, you know didn't make you stay. I don't think it was a good retention strategy.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 33:37
It was a compliance strategy.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 33:39
That was it.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 33:40
Yeah. Stay out and stay out of the doghouse.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 33:42
Yeah, and, you know, hopefully you don't get to see that D o t. Officer in his pajamas. E got that in my head. Uh, we're just wrapping up just to be respectful of your time, Scott, what else should somebody know about Avatar that we haven't covered yet?
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 34:05
Yeah, I think we covered all the big pieces and parts. Um, so I short story just keep it this simple. If if there's something out there that you think you could needle, you could do a little bit better on your recruiting, compliance, training, retention. Um, any. And if it's not from buying one of our tools, we've created online content, so ah, resource is for you to download in the forms of e books templates. There's presentations that Mark Gardner, CEO or myself, have gone out, and we've recorded. So we're out here trying to be a resource. And if we can help with our tools outstanding and if nothing else, um, some of her free tools may help you. At least get some juice is going. So that's what I would encourage people to. We'll give you a couple of links for folks to download Chris in the bottom here. And if nothing else, are Bog s. If you're an avatar fleet dot com, you can subscribe to our blawg and we'll give you out of something we try to give Ah Tibbett a week in your inbox. Let's see, there's something to stew on. Think about or a tool. The
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 35:05
download. So in the show notes, we're gonna have those links for the listeners and watchers. Teoh, click on download. Oh, in the old Scott.
AvatarFleet's, Scott Rea: 35:16
No, I just want to thank you for the time was a lot of fun.
Safety Dawg, Chris Harris: 35:19
This is something, Aziz. You know, this is relatively new for me, and it is, It's fun. I get to learn, like today about Avatar Fleet. We've had a relationship in the past. I've got to be in your building in Cleveland and you've got one heck of a movie studio. They're kind of. But you know, I get to learn more by talking to you today. I appreciate your time, and I thank you so much for that. Scott thinks. I hope you love the show as much as I did. That was a great interview, and I think please leave us a like a thumbs up. A review, a comment, a rating. If it is so much. And I do really appreciate and join us again next week for another exciting interview