Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/339485
42 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JULY 2014 and just recently installed satellite television systems on all 100 company- driver trucks and pays the monthly service fees. "With the recent driver shortage, we fi gured we needed to give them every- thing we can to have all the comforts of home," says Daniels. "Drivers who are stopped for the evening can watch the same shows they watch at home with their families." But Long Haul puts a twist on its latest luxury amenity. If a company driver incurs a speeding violation or other roadside violation, the company- paid satellite service is deactivated for a month. It is reactivated only if the offending driver completes the next month with no violations. As a result of its new policy, Long Haul already has seen its CSA scores drop in the few months since the systems were installed. "Our goal with that program is to have better safety scores and safer driv- ers," says Daniels. "That has been an amazing motivator, and everyone wins by safer driving practices." Taking in-cab technology a step further, Long Haul recently fi nished a 40-truck trial using in-cab cameras to further improve safety performance and protect drivers when an accident occurs. Like most fl eets that launch such systems, the company faced some initial headwinds among its drivers, but resistance was short-lived. "After a couple instances where the camera actually showed that the driver wasn't at fault when something happened, that news got around to the other drivers in the fl eet," Daniels says. Also as a result of the in-cab cameras, seatbelt usage has increased 85 percent. Long Haul's amenities don't stop when the driver climbs out of the cab. Last year, the company opened its Club 94, a driver lounge com- plete with stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops, a theater room with a 70-inch plasma television, a gym, modern private showers and a dining area. At the Club 94 facility, Long Haul also offers a full-service chiropractic offi ce, DOT physicals and drug testing, as well as full-body massage services. Rolling billboards Long Haul also has leveraged its media company, Long Haul Productions, to fi nd new sources of revenue to help offset equipment costs, working with clients and vendors to create trailer media on its tarped trailers. "We try to leverage our relation- ships to get better deals on equipment, parts, tires, etc.," says Daniels. "It's just another way we help decrease our overhead and increase our profi ts." Daniels says the trailer tarps it uses have a fi ve-year life expectancy. By replacing them on a regular basis with tarps with new advertising, damage claims also have gone down. "It makes good business sense for us to do that," he adds. The program is an easy sell for Long Haul. From an average cost-per- thousand impressions, the company says mobile truck-side advertising costs only $1.50 compared to $28 for Internet advertising and almost $6 for radio advertising. Employee ownership Several companies had approached Daniels about buying Long Haul, but after looking at their operations and the percentage pay for owner- operators, he decided selling wasn't the right thing to do for his employees and independent contractors. On Jan. 1, Long Haul put together an employee stock ownership plan, in effect turning ownership over to its employees. "I have a few more years before I ride off into the sunset, so we put to- gether an exit plan with the ESOP that we feel is going to provide our current people with some job security and should really help with driver reten- tion," says Daniels. The ESOP already has shown early returns, as the company's sales are up 17 percent year-to-date compared to 2013. CC J I N N O VATO R S profi les carriers and fl eets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking's challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Jeff Crissey at jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com or 800-633-5953. Long Haul Trucking installed satellite tele- vision systems on all 100 company-driver trucks and pays the monthly service fees for its drivers.