Hopefully, that title drew you in. You may also be thinking, “Golf and truckers? No way — that’s too much of a stretch!”
Well, it might be, but I’m going to tie them together with this analogy about drivers and the tools that can help them optimize success on the road.
It may be hard to believe, but there is a very common practice in golf that could be the missing link in preparing truckers for anything. I’ll lay it all out with this analogy about truckers and the tools they use every day on the road.
In this analogy, the truck driver is the golfer. And like a truck driver, every golfer should have all the tools necessary to do the job with them on the course. Each object in a golfer’s bag has a purpose, and the golfer must know how to use them. Most golfers will learn how and when to use these relatively well on their own while at the driving range or with a trainer. But, when they are actually out on the course playing, there are far more variables to take into account that add up to a good round of golf.
If you are golfer who has played on the same course many times, those variables don’t scare you as much. You know the pin location, the distance to the green, and what is behind that dogleg. Picking the right club is easy for you. Your only worries are about things such as course condition, wind speed, and consistent swinging. But for a golfer who is still learning which clubs to use and when, it can be very difficult to know what to do in every scenario on top of hitting the ball well.
There is a simple way to help a golfer improve their game. We provide a caddy! The caddy can help them understand the ins and outs of the course, as well as suggest which club to use in various scenarios. Caddies have a standard formula for a good round of golf, so the golfer can rely on them for most of the guesswork. Now, the golfer can focus all of their attention on how they swing their clubs.
So, how does all of this tie into enabling your truck drivers? Well, each club is like one of the tools you provide your drivers — whether it is a document scanner, an application to reserve parking, your ELD and TMS applications, or navigation. There are many different tools, along with standard operating procedures for how and when to use each tool. Drivers need a caddy in the truck with them. They need something helping them navigate which tool to use next based on the prescribed operating procedure the carrier has created. With this, they can focus their attention and time on driving safely and servicing customers properly — just like swinging a golf club.
Even drivers experienced in the game and on the course could benefit from having a caddy. If you put this golfer on a new course, there are many differences with how they have to play — just like putting a driver on a lane they’ve never driven before or sending them to a new customer. Or maybe you are changing the process to adapt to new customer or regulatory demands. Regardless, every driver could use a caddy.
If you and your drivers are struggling with your standard operating procedures, and you want to improve driver safety and service to your customers, reach out to us to learn more about Omnitracs Drive. We can help ensure drivers play their best round every day.