Auto Parts Asia — August 2017

44 | AutoPartsAsia | AUGUST 2017

INSIGHT

C

ommunication is key to being

human, so what will be the

impact of isolating truck drivers

while they work? When I was

working in the office furniture industry, we

had many books on how modern office

spaces are to be designed. A common

notion would always be to create an

abundance of areas where people can

meet and communicate, an informal way

to nurture ideas and solve problems.

Important Input

When I interviewed people behind the

creation of a new truck, I learned that

they invited a panel of drivers to provide

input on the design of a new cab.

Needless to say, the result was a better

vehicle. But it appears that for truckers

there are only very few opportunities to

communicate, to mix and mingle.

Trucks are designed to be rolling living

rooms, allowing, or should I say, forcing

the driver to live in his workspace. The

ban on use of mobile phones during

driving makes sense. But it also means

that there are long stretches of silence. If

you are lucky, you have a co-driver. But

how many new stories are there to swap

if you spend six days a week with the

same buddy, doing the same things?

Drivers Drive

We also want the drivers to drive. And

drive only. Send the goods, unload and

get moving again as quick as possible.

There is hardly a chance to sit down

and chew the fat with the loading

bay buddies as the drivers are under

pressure to deliver more and faster.

Even the interiors of the cabs are now

designed to do more with less effort,

but communications don’t seem to be

an activity that is encouraged. What is

more, monitoring is done through GPS-

enabled systems. That means, no longer

“checking with the driver” is needed.

Already available are systems that

communicate upcoming jobs with the

drivers via App. While convenient, it will

be yet another way less to actually speak

to someone when managing workloads.

Or will the App ask about the views of the

driver when planning the route? Many

times I have actually leaned over to the

neighbouring table during a business

lunch and initiated a conversation. Try

that at a rest stop along the highway.

Lacking Opportunities

And I think this is where we fail drivers. In

our pursuit to streamline businesses we

have forgotten the most knowledgeable

person in the entire transportation

operation and who we can turn to get

valuable insights. Also, we don’t have

to be surprised if our drivers are not up

to the task to carry out cross border

transport as they are lacking language

skills. What they are lacking are

opportunities to communicate, not skills.

Imagine what insights we could gain

from networking sessions among

truckers! Let me ask: What happened

to the saying that if you looked after

your employees they will look after

the business? While I don’t have the

scientific research to back it, I would

argue that humans must interact with

others in order to keep an even keel.

Where did the designers go wrong

when they took out the opportunities

for truckers to communicate? In the 70s

there was a movie genre built around

the CB Radio and the communication

between people in various vehicles.

Let’s just hope the machines will let

us in on their chatter. Otherwise it will

soon be very lonely in the transportation

business. In the meantime, I am looking

forward to your call, email or smoke

signal.

Communication Is Key

By Stefan Pertz

Stefan Pertz is the Editor

of Asian Trucker Malaysia

& Asian Buses; views

expressed are personal