WHAT DOES A DRIVER MANAGER DO?

Published: Dec 17, 2023 - The Driver Manager ensures safety compliance and decision-making align with company policies, effectively balancing operational needs among customers, drivers, and the business. Provides leadership and direction, enhancing customer service and developing associates while managing driver payroll and promoting work-life balance. Actively recruits, trains, and supports drivers, coordinates vehicle inspections, and maintains communication as the primary liaison for driving staff.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Driver Manager

1. Driver Manager Duties

  • Workflow Management: Manages the daily workflow with all drivers on assigned fleet(s).
  • Driver Oversight: Responsible for driver execution of assigned work.
  • Performance Management: Manages driver performance by setting expectations, conducting regular reviews, and implementing corrective action processes up to and including termination.
  • Problem Resolution and Retention: Responsible for problem resolution with assigned drivers and accountable for driver retention.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all drivers are compliant with all FMCSA regulations such as hours of service, random drug testing, and proper licensing.
  • Driver Training and Mentoring: Trains and mentors drivers to ensure success in areas such as proper use of tools and systems, including, for example, PeopleNet, document scanning, and payroll processes.
  • Schedule Management: Tracks and manages assigned drivers’ schedules, including planned time off.
  • Payroll Resolution: Resolves driver payroll discrepancies, including authorizing additional accessorial and hourly pay when appropriate.
  • Operational Communication: Communicates any other operational requirements that pertain to the company’s needs, such as moving trailers, covering short hauls, etc., and getting them entered correctly into the system.
  • Service Notification: Notifies customer service of detention in a timely manner.
  • Utilization Management: Manages driver utilization to ensure drivers achieve targeted utilization levels, works with load planners to improve driver productivity.
  • Equipment Management: Manages tractors assigned to drivers to include equipment utilization, timely completion of preventative maintenance, cleanliness of trucks, etc.
  • Policy Enforcement: Enforces understanding and compliance with all company policies and procedures, including becoming familiarized with the Driver Manual.

2. Driver Manager Details

  • Load Planning Skills: Supports load planning in the areas of re-plan and recovery of loads.
  • Monitoring Skills: Monitors deliveries and pickups for service failures and proactively alerts load planning and/or customer service of any loads in jeopardy of failure.
  • Data Management Skills: Enters, updates, and investigates service failures.
  • Problem Resolution Skills: Works until driver issues are resolved for the day and/or a proper hand off has been made.
  • Communication Skills: Produces clear and concise transition notes for after-hours staff.
  • Operational Support Skills: Helps answer all operations calls from drivers during shift hours.
  • Responsiveness Skills: Responds to voicemail messages, PeopleNet messages, and emails quickly and efficiently.
  • Accuracy Skills: Ensures accurate data entry into system, including pickup/delivery times, extra driver pay, routing/delivery information, etc.
  • Relationship Management Skills: Maintains a positive relationship with all other employees, as well as drivers.
  • Team Support Skills: Helps with other fleet(s) in times of need.
  • Recruitment Support Skills: Assists terminal manager with recruiting, training, and/or hiring of new drivers, including the interviewing of driver applicants.
  • Maintenance Coordination Skills: Helps coordinate maintenance of tractors, when needed by the Fleet Maintenance Department.
  • Flexibility Skills: Willingness to be cross-trained and substitute in the Planner/Driver Manager positions.

3. Driver Manager Responsibilities

  • Freight Tracking: Proactively track designated freight booked from Indianapolis and all other terminal locations.
  • Delay Management: Follow up with fleet members on delays; report delays and issues back to the appropriate day shift parties and notify customers as protocol dictates.
  • Communication & Reporting: Work Total Mail messages and keep TMW updated with accurate information.
  • Fleet Communication: Communicate with fleet members.
  • Customer Service: Answer inbound calls from both fleet members and customers; handle issues accordingly, always working to satisfy the request.
  • Data Updating: Update customer websites as requirements dictate; update arrivals and departures as designated by the customer.
  • EDI Processing: Accept and process EDI load tenders as appropriate.
  • Breakdown Management: Process fleet member breakdowns as needed and arrange vendors to fix the problem.
  • Support & Assistance: Assist fleet members with questions, directions, or whatever they may need.
  • Attendance Management: Maintain regular and predictable attendance.
  • Workload Balancing: Balance the nightly workload amongst the group by volunteering to help coworkers.
  • Policy Compliance: Comply with company policies and procedures and all applicable laws and regulations.

4. Driver Manager Accountabilities

  • Safety Compliance: Make safety-conscious decisions while ensuring compliance with all policies and procedures.
  • Operational Balance: Balance the needs of customers, drivers, and the business, resulting in a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Leadership & Direction: Provide ongoing direction and leadership to drivers and internal associates to ensure excellent customer service, key factor achievement, and associate development.
  • Collaborative Solution Finding: Collaborate with others in the organization to identify and implement both local and global creative solutions to improve retention.
  • Payroll Management: Manage driver payroll and ensure drivers have quality time at home.
  • Attendance & Values Alignment: Maintain consistent attendance while exhibiting behavior in alignment with core values.
  • Recruitment & Onboarding: Recruit and onboard new drivers.
  • Training & Development: Train new drivers and the team of over 100 existing drivers to ensure they are meeting the standards and service levels expected of the company.
  • Support & Collaboration: Support new and existing drivers and collaborate with other departments to solve any issues or problems they may be experiencing.
  • Vehicle Inspection Arrangement: Arrange periodical inspections of vehicles in use to check signage, cleanliness, and general safety.
  • Demand Coverage Management: Ensure sufficient drivers are working to cover demand.
  • Driver Liaison: Act as the day-to-day in-house contact for all drivers.
  • Licensing Assistance: Assist with driver and vehicle license applications and renewals.

5. Driver Manager Functions

  • Operational Management Skills: Responsible for the contribution to an efficient and effective operation of a fast-paced team.
  • Interdepartmental Coordination Skills: Works cooperatively with other departments to assist in managing the pick-up and delivery functions needed to ensure a positive contribution to the achievement of company objectives.
  • Communication Skills: Ensures a cooperative environment with consistent communication and flow of information between all departments concerning delivery-related issues.
  • Asset Management Skills: Responsible for maximizing equipment and asset utilization.
  • Data Management Skills: Monitors and maintains a high level of accuracy in data entry and control of information input.
  • Policy Enforcement Skills: Ensures fair and consistent application of and adherence to company policies.
  • Relationship Management Skills: Ensures Driver success through relationship building and effective communication.
  • Coaching Skills: Assists and coaches Drivers on time management issues including HOS management, and off-duty time to ensure drivers are resting properly.
  • Compliance Management Skills: Reviews and audits Driver logs for compliance with current regulations.
  • Operational Coordination Skills: Communicates with maintenance and safety departments to ensure smooth execution of needed services and safety reviews.
  • Ethical Commitment Skills: Commits to at all times doing the right thing for drivers.
  • Performance Monitoring Skills: Monitors KPI’s to ensure drivers are getting promised miles and home time.
Relevant Information
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