Managing Drivers and driver conflict in transportation leadership environment

1. Leadership Enhancement
Training Leadership Development:
Managing Conflict
Leadership Development Series- Session 1

2. Why are we doing this?
• Minimize mistakes
• Maintain Professionalism
• Management of personal conflict
• Professional development
• Enhancing leadership skills

3. Role Play
• In the next few slides, we go into some scenarios that we
may face everyday.
• One person will be the driver and one person will be the
Fleet Manager.
• Then, lets discuss what worked well and where there may be
some room for opportunity.
• So lets do it!

4. Driver Scenarios
Driver Issue #1
Joe driver is having a hard time managing his hours. He has had
3 log violations in the past week. Normally he can pull down
2500-3000 miles a week. Lately its only been 1800 a week.
Normally he is talkative and friendly, lately he hasn’t been
answering his phone. He has worked with us for 8 months.
Tools to use: Predictive risk assessment, ask questions, and show
empathy.

5. Driver Scenarios
Driver Issue #2
Jane driver is really upset on the phone with you. She has a load
on her that was assigned yesterday morning and is told by
customer today that she doesn’t have a pickup number and
needs to leave. She has been waiting for 3 hours. She says she
has been given these loads repeatedly and is going to quit if you
don’t help her, she has also been on hold for 20 minutes today.
She has been with the company for 6 years, but is new to your
fleet.
Tools to use: Ask questions, neutralize the situation by offering
solution, and reinforce best communication methods.

6. Driver Scenarios
Driver Issue #3
Joel Driver is 30 minutes late for his load, he has been in sleeper
berth for 13 hours. Normally he is a hard worker with an
impeccable service record. He tried to call you yesterday, but
you had left for the day. You know he had mentioned he
wanted to be an Owner operator soon, so service failures are
not his style. He is on the line calling you.
Tools to use: Coaching for performance, ask questions, and
reinforce company goals.

7. Driver Scenarios
Driver Issue #4
Jeanie Driver has just been implicated in a motorist complaint.
The other party states that she was cut off and received a rude
gesture. This is her first motorist complaint but you know her
personality is a bit strong. She has a clean safety record and
service record, she is also about to celebrate her 10 year
anniversary next month.
Tools to use: Seek to understand, ask questions, and coach for
success. Take these with a grain of salt, but use tact.

8. Driver Scenarios
Driver Issue #5
So your driver came up on the accident report. It’s a
preventable accident to the tune of $5,000.00, it’s also his 3rd
preventable incident in 8 months. In accordance with the
accident review process, Where do you start?
Tools to use: Ask for a comprehensive Risk assessment from
safety. Utilize the opportunity as a call to action- and push
safety culture. More than anything we need accountability in
these reviews.

9. • Supervising sometimes requires managing personal conflicts. In these
scenarios, where the team may be at odds, role playing helps ease out the
issues at hand. Speaking with the associate, outside of the hustle and bustle
of the day- Talk respectfully and show empathy. Display a real concern for
their wellbeing. Understand, they may be having a difficult time. Ask them
if they can identify the issues. Listen for cues on how you can help.
• Asking questions can help you gain perspective on the issue from their side.
Role playing to identify a conflict provides insight, if not agreement, on the
issues affecting your drivers..
• As a Fleet Manager you are Interstate’s key operations link
between the organization, driver, and customer.
Next: Let’s read through some more key management skills!

10. Essential behaviors that exceptional leaders rely on everyday…
• Courage- They need a leader who will stay the course when things get tough.
• Effective Communication- Great communicators inspire people. They create a connection with their followers that is real,
emotional, and personal, regardless of any physical distance between them.
• Generosity- They share credit and offer enthusiastic praise. They want to inspire all of their employees to achieve their
personal best.
• Humility- Great leaders are humble. They don’t allow their position of authority to make them feel that they are better
than any one else.
• Self Awareness- Great leaders’ high self-awareness means they have a clear and accurate image not just of their leadership
style, but also of their own strengths and weaknesses.
• Passion- Great leaders are passionate about what they do, and they strive to share that passion with everyone around
them. This inspires others to internalize the vision and make it their own.
• Approachability- Great leaders make it clear that they welcome challenges, criticism, and viewpoints other than their own.
• Accountability- They’re never afraid to say, “The buck stops here,” and they earn people’s trust by backing them up.
• Sense of Purpose- People like to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. Great leaders give people that
feeling.

11. Remember there is NO
halfway for a LEADER!