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others when looking to expand our team,” he continued. JLE
depends on relationships with a network of partner dealerships
throughout the Northeastern U.S.
Technology plays a role in solving the issue as well.
“At JLE, we like to think of ourselves as a technology company
that operates trucks, so we have spent a good bit of
time implementing technology in the maintenance arena that
ties into our operating software,” Gast explained.
“Our maintenance and dispatch software talk with each
other, so that our dispatch team always knows where their
unit stands in the repair process, what repairs are needed,
and when they can begin to plan the next load or make the
truck available so the driver can plan a load for themselves in
order to maximize utilization,” he added.
The cost of driver detention
Truck drivers and motor carriers consistently rank driver
detention at customer facilities as a top industry concern.
This research, supported by shipper groups, will include
quantitative data collection to identify detention impacts,
costs, and strategies for minimizing detention.
“The problem in solving the detention time crisis … that’s
a great question,” said David Heller, senior vice president of
safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association
(TCA). “I don’t necessarily have a firm answer. I can
tell you how to fix it, but I can’t tell you why it’s not fixed.”
Communication among carriers, drivers, shippers, and receivers
and already available data are two possibilities, he said.
“Plain and simple, what’s wrong with this issue is that
drivers are being held up, thus affecting their opportunities
to be productive,” Heller noted.
Just look at the math, he said:
“As an industry that averages six-and-a-half hours of drive
time per day out of the 11 hours that were federally regulated,
that is a problem,” said Heller. “We’re leaving at least four
and a half hours of drive time on the table, to say nothing
about the fact that drivers — of that six and a half hours of
drive time — are looking for parking for between 56 minutes
to an hour — not actively moving the freight, but looking for
safe, secure truck parking.”
Dave Williams, TCA chairman, says that while the above
list of topics may be a good start, there are many more that
need attention.
“I wish it was as simple as picking two priorities and saying
that these priorities will bring the greatest amount of benefit
to the industry,” Heller said. “Just like one of our engines,
every component performs a critical function. If any component
fails, then the entire engine can be compromised.”
Williams believes that the trucking industry must “be prepared
to make meaningful progress across several fronts.” He
doesn’t necessarily agree with ATRI’s prioritization of topics,
citing issues such as making truck driving a more appealing career,
improving roadway safety for drivers, helping motor carriers
improve their ROIs, and more. Read “Voice for the Industry”
on Pages 26-31 for more of Williams’ thoughts on the topic.
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