Bridgestone Commercial Truck Tires

F L E E T V I E W

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With about $12 million worth of tires on the ground at any one time, Lee Butler’s responsibilities as tire manager for FFE Transportation Services are enormous.
In fact, just to do a complete weekly tire inspection, you’d have to look at over 200 tires—every single hour, every single day. Fortunately, Lee has the help of some 1,400 company and owner-operator drivers.
In his view, drivers are more than just drivers. They’re independent business people, highly responsible for the success of an operation like FFE.
We asked Lee how he shares management responsibility with drivers, and how it benefits FFE.
We were intrigued by his insights, and hope you will be too.

Just for the record, what does
FFE Transportation Services, Inc. do?

“The company started, in the 40’s, hauling frozen food and other perishables. That’s what the FFE stands for: ‘Frozen Food Express.’ It’s still the biggest part of our business, most of it in the truckload area. In recent years we’ve diversified a bit, adding some LTL dry freight and other services.
     “We cover the entire United States, a pretty big chunk of Canada and some parts of Mexico with about 640 company-owned tractors, and another 750 or so owner-operators. Most of our trailers are reefer units, and we’ve got about 2,500 of those.”

Why so many
owner-operators?

“It’s economics. They’ve got vehicles and we’ve got loads. Owner-operators give us a lot of operational flexibility and reduce our need to tie up capital with equipment.”

So how do you make drivers into managers?

“The truth is, we don’t. They already are managers. Once they leave our terminal, drivers are responsible
for customer relations, company image, and in large measure, for the safety and profitability of their own
little independent business and ours.
     “Given the huge size of our service area, they’re constantly having to make decisions without help from the home office. And we have to rely on their ability to make the right ones, because our reputation and our profitability depend on them. If that’s not being a manager, I don’t know what is.”

But can’t you control what they do?

“For the most part, no. Sure, we have rules and procedures, but drivers are pretty independent once they hit the road. Even with modern communications, we can’t really supervise them. We have to count on drivers to do the right thing.
     “We try to find drivers who want to be partners
with us in serving customers and in making a profit. We’ve got to help them see how important management skills are to themselves, to us and to the industry.”

How much effect can a driver-manager have?

“Plenty. Just take the example of tires. Our records show that nearly 3 out of 4 out-of-service tire conditions are driver-preventable.
     “Now, I’m not saying that drivers cause tire problems, but that they have the ability and the control to prevent many of them.”

What kinds of tire problems?

“The two biggest are run-flats and sidewall damage. Good management skills on the part of drivers can usually prevent both of those.”

What sorts of preventive
measures do you recommend?

“For run-flats, frequent vehicle inspection is the key. Tires don’t gain air pressure. There’s no way for extra air to get in. Even without a puncture, a tire is bound to lose pressure over time.
     “And running a tire with too little pressure really shortens casing life. Running it flat will completely destroy it. So frequent air pressure checks are important.
     “Getting to know the vehicle, the way it sounds,
the way it feels, can really help too. Owner-operators have their own vehicles, but we also try to keep company drivers with the same tractors all the time.
     “After a while, a really good driver can often tell when something changes. Sometimes you can’t say exactly what it is, except that it just doesn’t ‘feel’ right. That’s the time to stop, get out and investigate.”

Isn’t that what pre-trip inspections are all about?

“Sure, but remember that a lot of drivers have seen maybe just one, 45-minute orientation presentation on pre-trip inspection. We need to remind drivers including company drivers that when a tire goes down, it costs everybody.
“Even if it doesn’t come directly out of your pocket, somebody has to pay for it. The company pays in reduced profits, and the customer pays in higher costs. And if the customer pays, we all pay. Drivers can help keep those costs down.”

And sidewall damage?

“Trucks keep getting bigger but the places we have to take them don’t. Some of those docks were built in the 1930’s, for much smaller vehicles. And city streets aren’t getting any wider. So sidewall cuts and snags are hard to avoid. But not impossible. That’s another area where the driver has almost total control and where we have almost none.
     “Sidewall protector ribs help, but they can’t do the whole job. Only a professional, responsible, knowledgeable driver can consistently avoid that kind of damage.”

What is FFE doing to help drivers understand the part they play in fleet management?

“Education is the key. We need to help drivers understand that they are out there every day, managing a large and potentially very profitable business.
     “On the tire side, we’re working with Bridgestone and our other suppliers to put together programs that will help us get better control over our tire-related costs.
     “We’re going to talk about what drivers can do to save fuel, why proper air pressure is so important, and even a little on how to detect and prevent irregular wear.”

Is it working?

“Well, we’re in the early stages yet, but I think it will.
     “If we want drivers to act like professionals, we need to treat them like professionals. As I like to tell them, their desks and chairs cost a lot more than mine.
     “Operating a hundred-thousand dollar vehicle and driving it all over the country with a high-priced, perishable cargo requires strong management skills. We’re convinced that our investment in our drivers will pay back for both us and them.”

Thanks, Lee, for showing us how important the driver contribution is to the fleet management process. No wonder FFE Transportation Services has nearly a half-century of success.

End

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