Allowing pets to accompany drivers on long hauls is part of Wisconsin-based Service One Transportation’s commitment to driver health and wellbeing
In a lesson for Australian trucking companies, Service One Transportation has announced that it is putting an even greater emphasis on driver health, wellbeing, and safety at a time when the trucking industry is at a crossroads as supply chain demands impact drivers.
Service One emphasises that truck drivers play an important role in the supply chain, putting in long hours while dealing with difficult road conditions and the physical demands of the job. The company says it understands the value of drivers and, as a result, offers a variety of health and wellness benefits to drivers.
“When I think about employee or driver wellness, in my mind, it starts with really knowing the people who are with you. That type of knowledge makes it a whole lot easier to recognise when someone may be struggling physically or mentally,” says Mike Myszewski, the company’s vice president.
“Once we recognise that someone with whom we work with is struggling, the goal then for us as a company is to be able to help them in the best manner possible.
“We take a lot of pride in the relations that forge here at Service One and it’s just not lip service when we say that we care about all our employees’ wellbeing.”
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One of the stated benefits for company drivers is being able to access Service One’s Wellness Centre. Drivers can use the Wellness Centre for a variety of personal health and wellness counselling services with trained professionals, as well as smoking cessation services. Drivers are also encouraged to participate in preventive screenings for cancer, sleep apnoea and other health issues at no cost.
Service One points out another popular wellness initiative – the pet program – which allows a single dog or cat weighing less than 85 pounds to travel with the driver. Service One Transportation recognises the positive impact that pet companionship can have on truck drivers, providing comfort and reducing stress levels on long hauls.
In addition, the driver bonus program is a beneficial action plan that increases overall driver satisfaction, happiness and wellbeing. The quarterly driver bonus program is based on a scorecard that grades performance in eight categories. This information is tabulated and used in a formula to calculate the total bonus payment based on the miles driven in the quarter.
“Wellness and driver safety go hand in hand,” Myszewski says. “Service One has built a culture of safety from the day the doors opened here and it’s something we all take extremely seriously. Our drivers understand how important it is for them to be the safest drivers on the road. Not only for their sake, but for every person they share the road with each day they are doing their job.”