January 11, 2024 • 11 mins
In our Bryan Truck Line Show trailer, Marcus is joined by COO and Group VP Zach Dean, to discuss why Bryan Truck Line is creating the show for their employees.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:13):
You know,
a lot of times when a new program just kind of pops up out of nowhere.
There are questions like who's doing it and why and uh we're gonna answer those questions right here today on the Brian Truck Line show.
As I'm joined by Group Vice president and coo of Brian Truck Line.
Zach,
Dean Zach,
thank you so much for being here today.
Hey,
Martin,
good to hear from you.
Great to have you here.
(00:33):
Uh This is very exciting because uh it's,
it's kind of our first taste of the Brian Truck Line show and I,
I just wanna ask you,
why did Brian Truck Line decide to produce a show for their drivers?
Well,
I think it kind of came out of a couple of things,
but more than anything having everyone on the same page feeling like they're part of in the know,
(00:54):
like I don't believe in hierarchical structures for businesses.
I would actually kind of maybe they take that whole title thing out at the front because we leave our titles at the door.
So from the drivers to the shop,
to our hard working doc employees,
to our CEO the Biller the,
like everyone,
if we're all on the same page and we all know what direction we're headed and things we're focused on.
(01:18):
I think we're gonna generate new ideas and we're gonna have people willing to offer up suggestions.
It's really gonna highlight and focus on things that are important in the moment.
And I think it's also a way to generate new ideas.
Like I said,
this is for them,
this is for our drivers,
this is for our employees.
This is for all of our teams,
this is their show.
(01:39):
And I want to make sure that we're meeting their needs.
So it felt like it was just a really good opportunity to communicate it.
I like that.
It's auditory so you can listen to it on the road safely.
You know,
I think I'm hoping that they'll get enough momentum that,
you know,
people will end up kind of sharing it outside the business.
You know,
look at this company I work for,
(02:01):
they're,
you know,
they're trying new things or doing things different because since I've been back since 2018,
my last go around here,
we've really been working on a culture shift of not us versus them.
But we and I use the word we a lot,
the word I is used exclusively for F up S so that's about the only time I want to hear that.
(02:23):
But we,
it's a team of we,
if we didn't have the person doing the bills and,
and auditing the payments in.
If we didn't have the shop guys,
if we didn't have dispatchers,
the drivers wouldn't know where to go.
If we didn't have someone recruiting new drivers,
we wouldn't have enough drivers.
Every link in this web I suppose is critical.
(02:43):
And I,
I want everyone to know that and I think sharing that information with the team helps keep them engaged,
but also makes them feel like they're part of this because they are.
And I don't know if it was always that way.
But originally,
you know,
this is a small family owned business and we really wanted it to feel like family and we had incredible growth in like 2016,
2017.
(03:03):
And I think some of that and we lost our,
our focus on the culture piece as we got really large.
And it's been a goal of mine to make sure that that's first and foremost,
what you feel when you're here yet.
I want to treat it like a number.
I want to be part of the team.
I think this method helps to reinforce that or to be a part of those goals for sure.
(03:25):
Well,
you know,
in the short amount of time I got to spend with you all out there at the terminal.
Um I noticed that and I had drivers tell me and other employees tell me that that's exactly how they do feel.
They feel like Brian truck line is gonna take care of them.
They don't feel like they're in number,
they feel seen and they feel heard and we just wanna up that even more with this show.
You know,
what other things can you tell me,
(03:46):
Zach,
that you think,
uh,
make Brian Truck line a good company to work for?
I would like to say,
I mean,
I can reiterate some of the things that they said like you aren't a number.
You know,
if you call into operations,
you know,
your dispatcher,
you probably so what they ate for dinner last night on Facebook or whatever it is like everybody's close,
(04:06):
right?
So I think that,
that there's really something to that you don't call in and you have the dispatcher number 876.
What can I help you with?
You know what I mean?
Everyone,
we know the drivers,
I can hear drivers in the break room laughing and I can tell you who it is because I know they laugh.
I can also tell when,
if there's someone upset somewhere.
II,
I know the voice and I think that is a big part of it.
(04:27):
Obviously,
we're not volunteers.
We're not donating their time and pay and benefits is a really,
really important part of that as well.
We're not a giant company so we can't compete with wages like XPO that X freight,
but I think we're fair and we take care of our drivers in ways other than that almighty dollar,
(04:52):
which I know is very important.
We've recently,
you know,
switched health care networks,
we've got better coverage,
we have more health care options,
vision is included at no cost for the first time.
We're really trying to take care.
There's a freeze in the in uh hr like it's the,
the total compensation package.
So for example,
we give eight paid holidays here and I've heard from some people that that's unheard of,
(05:15):
no one pays holidays.
Our drivers are eligible for vacation and they can max out at up to four weeks because I don't want someone who isn't spending time with their family.
Like this could be a really hard job.
So I need you to work hard and I need you to play hard too and get your rest and,
and take care of your family.
It's got to be all of that.
Different companies have different understandings of that or how they want to do it,
(05:38):
different strategies,
I suppose.
And some companies might make more money doing the hard nosed her minds and,
and,
and,
and that worked for us for a while.
But I,
I don't,
I'm not running the ship that way because it feels cold and it feels not personal.
And I've been lucky in my various careers before this to have been a part of companies and businesses that,
(06:01):
that run that way and people are more dedicated.
They'll go a little further for you because I'll scratch your back,
you scratch mine,
you know,
within the legal confines of how to compensate someone and then take care of them.
We can do things on the side.
We got some VTL swag,
we give them,
we got drawing surprises and stuff.
So we try to balance this total compensation package and include things that you can't quantify like your dispatcher knowing your phone number and answering it because they have your name off the call,
(06:30):
your number off the caller id and they have it memorized.
I think that's a lot of what I see is gonna be great for someone who's looking for that to come here.
If you're looking to spend four weeks in a row on the road and not come home,
we don't really do that.
That's not our thing.
In fact,
80% of our fleet is home every single night now it might be late but they're home every night.
(06:53):
They're sleeping in their own bed.
And that's huge in this industry because you do not hear that.
It's something that I was gonna bring up you.
It's not something that,
uh,
a lot of companies offers the ability to have that much time at home while also working this job.
And I think it makes a huge difference in,
in morale when you get to see the people that you love and you're not just talking to them over the phone or,
(07:13):
or on facetime.
Yeah.
And even the ones that are out overnight.
Some of them are just one night and then,
uh,
Texas and California,
they are home once a week on the same days every week.
I'm gonna put an asterisk there,
pending break down,
pending,
um,
shipper screwing up something or the receiver not being open or who knows?
(07:37):
I'm gonna say 95% of the time our drivers who are out on the road overnight are home the same 2.5 days every,
you know,
Tuesday,
Wednesday,
Thursday or whatever their,
whatever their schedule is.
So they can count on that as,
here's when I see the family.
Here's when I,
here's,
when I'm able to get some downtime,
here's when I do my laundry,
you know,
those type of things.
(07:57):
It's,
it's,
there's the regularity towards it that I think help keeps things in sync and I know that Heath works really,
really hard for his drivers to,
to make sure that he's honoring their home time because they're all on his,
his board as a driver manager.
Yeah.
And work hard,
play hard.
You said it?
And that's,
uh,
that's what we're gonna do here on this show.
(08:17):
You know,
I actually was fortunate enough to talk to one of your,
uh,
California,
uh,
driving teams for West,
way out there when I was at the terminal and those two guys.
Oh,
you're gonna,
I think,
was it Carlos,
is it Jordan?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Carlos and Jeff.
Yes.
Absolutely.
And they were,
you know what those guys,
it was like they were,
(08:38):
they were married.
It was and not,
and,
you know,
just to put it in,
they could finish each others sentences.
They were so good back and forth.
But the one thing that they told me is,
you know what,
this is my guy and,
and I love this company because I,
to work with this guy,
I get to make my trip.
I know when I'm gonna be home.
Look,
it's a good place to work and that's just one of the many things that we're gonna highlight on the Brian truck line show.
(09:02):
And,
uh,
Zach,
I know you're a busy guy.
We're up against the clock a little bit here ourselves.
So I'm gonna let you get back to it.
But before I do,
is there anything else you want to add real quick before I let you go?
I wanted to maybe like,
what are some of the important issues that we're gonna talk about?
I wanted to hit on that real quick because safety first and everything we do.
I think that there's gonna be a lot of content that is gonna help our drivers get a little bit better.
(09:26):
We're not gonna change things miraculously like tips and tricks or here's what someone else said and here's what you can learn from it.
I think it's internal communication,
any procedures that changed or we have a really that game of telephone you used to play in elementary school,
clearing up miscommunications.
(09:47):
I think it's gonna be part of it,
you know,
internal changes that were,
that happened,
that maybe we didn't do so clear or there's a giant misunderstanding about it.
We can put those in,
you know,
we have an hr one every now and then that it includes,
you know,
comps and benefits questions and hey,
here's what people are hearing.
It's actually this,
I think being in the know is super important and,
(10:09):
and a company that the way we're trying to run it and I want them to feel connected.
I like that.
They can listen on the road.
I like that they can share with their friends things that pop up repeatedly over a couple of weeks.
I'm like,
hold up.
That's gonna be a show topic because I got a couple of people understanding it in different ways.
So shame on us because we probably didn't send it out clear enough,
you know,
(10:29):
that,
that kind of thing.
Well,
you have a great radio voice too,
so we'll get you on this podcast.
That stuff give you,
give you that second chance,
you know,
uh,
there's no better way to reach out and touch the drivers than to come on this show,
you know.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
And that,
it,
it's for the drivers,
but it's also for all my,
I think the more we're all on the same page and the more everyone is seeing things from other people's perspective.
(10:51):
I think,
you know,
walk a mile in someone else's shoes type of thing and you learn,
you learn a lot about them.
So I think that this will be part of that too,
which I think will add to the,
the culture and climate of um,
Brian Tucker and B and H that division.
That's awesome.
Zach,
I'm gonna leave the titles at the door because that's what you wanted at the beginning.
So I'll just call you Zach Dean.
(11:11):
I really appreciate the time here today.
I'm really looking forward to what the uh Brian Truck Line Show has to offer in the future.
Absolutely.
Thanks Marcus.
It was good to hear from you today.
Thanks for your help,
take care.
Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Brian Truck Line show.
Don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review the Brian Truck Line show on your favorite platform and tune in for new episodes every other Wednesday.
(11:35):
Until next time,
stay safe and keep it rolling.
You know,
a lot of times when a new program just kind of pops up out of nowhere.
There are questions like who's doing it and why and uh we're gonna answer those questions right here today on the Brian Truck Line show.
As I'm joined by Group Vice president and coo of Brian Truck Line.
Zach,
Dean Zach,
thank you so much for being here today.
Hey,
Martin,
good to hear from you.
Great to have you here.
(00:33):
Uh This is very exciting because uh it's,
it's kind of our first taste of the Brian Truck Line show and I,
I just wanna ask you,
why did Brian Truck Line decide to produce a show for their drivers?
Well,
I think it kind of came out of a couple of things,
but more than anything having everyone on the same page feeling like they're part of in the know,
(00:54):
like I don't believe in hierarchical structures for businesses.
I would actually kind of maybe they take that whole title thing out at the front because we leave our titles at the door.
So from the drivers to the shop,
to our hard working doc employees,
to our CEO the Biller the,
like everyone,
if we're all on the same page and we all know what direction we're headed and things we're focused on.
(01:18):
I think we're gonna generate new ideas and we're gonna have people willing to offer up suggestions.
It's really gonna highlight and focus on things that are important in the moment.
And I think it's also a way to generate new ideas.
Like I said,
this is for them,
this is for our drivers,
this is for our employees.
This is for all of our teams,
this is their show.
(01:39):
And I want to make sure that we're meeting their needs.
So it felt like it was just a really good opportunity to communicate it.
I like that.
It's auditory so you can listen to it on the road safely.
You know,
I think I'm hoping that they'll get enough momentum that,
you know,
people will end up kind of sharing it outside the business.
You know,
look at this company I work for,
(02:01):
they're,
you know,
they're trying new things or doing things different because since I've been back since 2018,
my last go around here,
we've really been working on a culture shift of not us versus them.
But we and I use the word we a lot,
the word I is used exclusively for F up S so that's about the only time I want to hear that.
(02:23):
But we,
it's a team of we,
if we didn't have the person doing the bills and,
and auditing the payments in.
If we didn't have the shop guys,
if we didn't have dispatchers,
the drivers wouldn't know where to go.
If we didn't have someone recruiting new drivers,
we wouldn't have enough drivers.
Every link in this web I suppose is critical.
(02:43):
And I,
I want everyone to know that and I think sharing that information with the team helps keep them engaged,
but also makes them feel like they're part of this because they are.
And I don't know if it was always that way.
But originally,
you know,
this is a small family owned business and we really wanted it to feel like family and we had incredible growth in like 2016,
2017.
(03:03):
And I think some of that and we lost our,
our focus on the culture piece as we got really large.
And it's been a goal of mine to make sure that that's first and foremost,
what you feel when you're here yet.
I want to treat it like a number.
I want to be part of the team.
I think this method helps to reinforce that or to be a part of those goals for sure.
(03:25):
Well,
you know,
in the short amount of time I got to spend with you all out there at the terminal.
Um I noticed that and I had drivers tell me and other employees tell me that that's exactly how they do feel.
They feel like Brian truck line is gonna take care of them.
They don't feel like they're in number,
they feel seen and they feel heard and we just wanna up that even more with this show.
You know,
what other things can you tell me,
(03:46):
Zach,
that you think,
uh,
make Brian Truck line a good company to work for?
I would like to say,
I mean,
I can reiterate some of the things that they said like you aren't a number.
You know,
if you call into operations,
you know,
your dispatcher,
you probably so what they ate for dinner last night on Facebook or whatever it is like everybody's close,
(04:06):
right?
So I think that,
that there's really something to that you don't call in and you have the dispatcher number 876.
What can I help you with?
You know what I mean?
Everyone,
we know the drivers,
I can hear drivers in the break room laughing and I can tell you who it is because I know they laugh.
I can also tell when,
if there's someone upset somewhere.
II,
I know the voice and I think that is a big part of it.
(04:27):
Obviously,
we're not volunteers.
We're not donating their time and pay and benefits is a really,
really important part of that as well.
We're not a giant company so we can't compete with wages like XPO that X freight,
but I think we're fair and we take care of our drivers in ways other than that almighty dollar,
(04:52):
which I know is very important.
We've recently,
you know,
switched health care networks,
we've got better coverage,
we have more health care options,
vision is included at no cost for the first time.
We're really trying to take care.
There's a freeze in the in uh hr like it's the,
the total compensation package.
So for example,
we give eight paid holidays here and I've heard from some people that that's unheard of,
(05:15):
no one pays holidays.
Our drivers are eligible for vacation and they can max out at up to four weeks because I don't want someone who isn't spending time with their family.
Like this could be a really hard job.
So I need you to work hard and I need you to play hard too and get your rest and,
and take care of your family.
It's got to be all of that.
Different companies have different understandings of that or how they want to do it,
(05:38):
different strategies,
I suppose.
And some companies might make more money doing the hard nosed her minds and,
and,
and,
and that worked for us for a while.
But I,
I don't,
I'm not running the ship that way because it feels cold and it feels not personal.
And I've been lucky in my various careers before this to have been a part of companies and businesses that,
(06:01):
that run that way and people are more dedicated.
They'll go a little further for you because I'll scratch your back,
you scratch mine,
you know,
within the legal confines of how to compensate someone and then take care of them.
We can do things on the side.
We got some VTL swag,
we give them,
we got drawing surprises and stuff.
So we try to balance this total compensation package and include things that you can't quantify like your dispatcher knowing your phone number and answering it because they have your name off the call,
(06:30):
your number off the caller id and they have it memorized.
I think that's a lot of what I see is gonna be great for someone who's looking for that to come here.
If you're looking to spend four weeks in a row on the road and not come home,
we don't really do that.
That's not our thing.
In fact,
80% of our fleet is home every single night now it might be late but they're home every night.
(06:53):
They're sleeping in their own bed.
And that's huge in this industry because you do not hear that.
It's something that I was gonna bring up you.
It's not something that,
uh,
a lot of companies offers the ability to have that much time at home while also working this job.
And I think it makes a huge difference in,
in morale when you get to see the people that you love and you're not just talking to them over the phone or,
(07:13):
or on facetime.
Yeah.
And even the ones that are out overnight.
Some of them are just one night and then,
uh,
Texas and California,
they are home once a week on the same days every week.
I'm gonna put an asterisk there,
pending break down,
pending,
um,
shipper screwing up something or the receiver not being open or who knows?
(07:37):
I'm gonna say 95% of the time our drivers who are out on the road overnight are home the same 2.5 days every,
you know,
Tuesday,
Wednesday,
Thursday or whatever their,
whatever their schedule is.
So they can count on that as,
here's when I see the family.
Here's when I,
here's,
when I'm able to get some downtime,
here's when I do my laundry,
you know,
those type of things.
(07:57):
It's,
it's,
there's the regularity towards it that I think help keeps things in sync and I know that Heath works really,
really hard for his drivers to,
to make sure that he's honoring their home time because they're all on his,
his board as a driver manager.
Yeah.
And work hard,
play hard.
You said it?
And that's,
uh,
that's what we're gonna do here on this show.
(08:17):
You know,
I actually was fortunate enough to talk to one of your,
uh,
California,
uh,
driving teams for West,
way out there when I was at the terminal and those two guys.
Oh,
you're gonna,
I think,
was it Carlos,
is it Jordan?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Carlos and Jeff.
Yes.
Absolutely.
And they were,
you know what those guys,
it was like they were,
(08:38):
they were married.
It was and not,
and,
you know,
just to put it in,
they could finish each others sentences.
They were so good back and forth.
But the one thing that they told me is,
you know what,
this is my guy and,
and I love this company because I,
to work with this guy,
I get to make my trip.
I know when I'm gonna be home.
Look,
it's a good place to work and that's just one of the many things that we're gonna highlight on the Brian truck line show.
(09:02):
And,
uh,
Zach,
I know you're a busy guy.
We're up against the clock a little bit here ourselves.
So I'm gonna let you get back to it.
But before I do,
is there anything else you want to add real quick before I let you go?
I wanted to maybe like,
what are some of the important issues that we're gonna talk about?
I wanted to hit on that real quick because safety first and everything we do.
I think that there's gonna be a lot of content that is gonna help our drivers get a little bit better.
(09:26):
We're not gonna change things miraculously like tips and tricks or here's what someone else said and here's what you can learn from it.
I think it's internal communication,
any procedures that changed or we have a really that game of telephone you used to play in elementary school,
clearing up miscommunications.
(09:47):
I think it's gonna be part of it,
you know,
internal changes that were,
that happened,
that maybe we didn't do so clear or there's a giant misunderstanding about it.
We can put those in,
you know,
we have an hr one every now and then that it includes,
you know,
comps and benefits questions and hey,
here's what people are hearing.
It's actually this,
I think being in the know is super important and,
(10:09):
and a company that the way we're trying to run it and I want them to feel connected.
I like that.
They can listen on the road.
I like that they can share with their friends things that pop up repeatedly over a couple of weeks.
I'm like,
hold up.
That's gonna be a show topic because I got a couple of people understanding it in different ways.
So shame on us because we probably didn't send it out clear enough,
you know,
(10:29):
that,
that kind of thing.
Well,
you have a great radio voice too,
so we'll get you on this podcast.
That stuff give you,
give you that second chance,
you know,
uh,
there's no better way to reach out and touch the drivers than to come on this show,
you know.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
And that,
it,
it's for the drivers,
but it's also for all my,
I think the more we're all on the same page and the more everyone is seeing things from other people's perspective.
(10:51):
I think,
you know,
walk a mile in someone else's shoes type of thing and you learn,
you learn a lot about them.
So I think that this will be part of that too,
which I think will add to the,
the culture and climate of um,
Brian Tucker and B and H that division.
That's awesome.
Zach,
I'm gonna leave the titles at the door because that's what you wanted at the beginning.
So I'll just call you Zach Dean.
(11:11):
I really appreciate the time here today.
I'm really looking forward to what the uh Brian Truck Line Show has to offer in the future.
Absolutely.
Thanks Marcus.
It was good to hear from you today.
Thanks for your help,
take care.
Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Brian Truck Line show.
Don't forget to subscribe,
rate and review the Brian Truck Line show on your favorite platform and tune in for new episodes every other Wednesday.
(11:35):
Until next time,
stay safe and keep it rolling.
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