We all know trucking companies that have to interview many potential drivers because they experience a lot of driver turnover. Some seemingly hire anyone who can keep the wheels between the ditches and put them on the road with minimal training. Select 1 Group views drivers – and driver training – a lot differently. Because of the extremely high quality service we provide, S1G looks for a special breed of driver. We train them as a special breed, too. In this two-part series, we look inside S1G’s highly selective driver training system. Next month, we’ll look at what happens as new company drivers go through the paces of our rigorous Arizona training. This month: how we select our drivers in the first place.
“We look at a number of things before we even consider bringing a driver in for our type of training,” said Ron Fyffe, S1G Driver Services Manager. “The right person might have strong mechanical experience so he can troubleshoot whatever comes up on the road. We look at drivers who have household goods moving backgrounds where they had to be able to load, transport and unload their customers’ belongings while taking the utmost care of them. Some of our candidates have heavy equipment experience so they’re good with hydraulics, which is critical in handling the vehicles and exhibits we transport. Of course, everyone is required to have a minimum of three years’ over-the-road experience.”
Another key factor in deciding whether a driver will join Select 1 Group is something a little more intangible. “We look at how a person carries himself,” Fyffe said. “If he shows up in jeans and a t-shirt it says something about his attitude. If he’s wearing slacks and a nice shirt, that tells us he takes his appearance seriously.” The importance of both personal and vehicle appearance in S1G’s daily operations is covered in detail elsewhere in this month’s newsletter.
The value of selecting the right people up front is obvious: Select 1 Group presents itself to the world as a highly skilled, customer service-oriented, elite vehicle transport, logistics and mobile exhibit partner for important manufacturers and individuals clients. Drivers are the faces of our company. Their selection and training are critical to our success.
