As a professional driver, it’s important your company makes you feel safe, happy and nurtures your potential — but not every employer is clued up on the tips to make this possible.

Being far away from the ground in terms of operation, fleet managers rarely recognize the daily grind of being a professional driver. In this article we look to explore the following ways your employers can lessen the toll of the open road:

Reducing deadlines to avoid fatigue and stress

Read on as we take a look at why employers should take notice of these tips and how they can benefit you out on the road.

Reduce deadlines to avoid stress and driver fatigue

Ask anyone: deadlines are a major source of stress that impact the quality of your service.

Working under pressure can be a great motivator, but endless deadlines are nerve-racking — and no profession knows this more than a professional driver.

As a driver, you work towards multiple tight deadlines a day, either checking off the delivery schedule or racing against the clock on long haul assignments.

While it’s important to meet expectations, equally watching the clock can make you rush, which can have dangerous consequences on the road when tiredness sets in.

But how would a reduction in deadlines set things straight? Making sure you drive in the right mindset is a sign of a skilled driver. It’s best you avoid negative emotions behind the wheel and value your safety.

The next step is convincing your employer to loosen the deadlines on their end…

With the e-commerce boom (highlighted in detail by Shopify) the world operates at a faster pace than ever before, but this doesn’t mean your employer should compete with Amazon and bow down to the unrealistic expectations of next-day delivery.

Some companies have used their websites to announce that they operate with less defined deadlines — and clients/customers cannot expect them to risk driver safety. Some people might be frustrated, yet most others will see it as a swing in the right direction for employee welfare.

Ask about a company car allowance for more flexibility

Company cars are great for work because all running costs are usually covered by the business, including:

  • MOTs
  • Services
  • Insurance
  • Refueling

But they come with one fatal floor — all flexibility of choice resides in the hands of your employer.

As a professional driver, you likely want some form of control over what you drive, after all, it’s you who uses it to get around all day, every day. But in reality, your employer makes all the decisions because at the end of the day your vehicle belongs to the company.

What’s the solution? Consider asking for a company car allowance — a personal fund handed over by your employer (as outlined by iCompario) so you can take ownership of the vehicle and be responsible for its upkeep.

Still a little hazy on the benefits? Here is a quick run-through of what to expect when you accept a company car allowance:

  • Flexibility over vehicle choice
  • Lower tax costs
  • Complete ownership so you can modify to your specs

Often implementing a company car allowance is the quickest and simplest way to maintain work vehicles. On one hand, employers don’t have to worry about organising multiple transactions — on the other, you have much more control over what you drive.

Improve driver recognition by implementing incentive schemes

Good communication is the glue which holds the fleet chain together, so it’s important to create a system where you understand expectations and are recognised for your good work.

Professional driving can be a lonely ol’ slog, especially if you feel disconnected from the wider company. It’s your employer’s duty to nurture a culture of respect and admiration for what you bring to the team.

How do drivers make this known to their employers? Management is always looking for ways to motivate their employees. One way is to celebrate drivers through incentives schemes — a formal program defined by Yelowsoft as a way to publicly highlight your strong performance.

Struggling to picture the scheme in action? Incentives can come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Advancement opportunities
  • Payday bonuses
  • Personalized gift cards
  • Extra holiday time

Regardless of the rewards, you’ll soon notice the extra recognition alone lifts your mood and helps you perform better each and every day.

While you do the time on the open road, it’s your employers’ role in help in any which way they can  and the best ways to do so is by reducing deadlines, providing extra ownership through company car allowances, and giving you some deserved plaudits.