In our latest FA Live! episode , we sat down with First Advantage’s Andrew Williams, Director of Customer Solutions for Transportation, and Bryson Phillips, Enterprise Sales Executive for Transportation. Andrew and Bryson shared their key takeaways from the American Trucking Association (ATA) Safety, Security, and HR Conference, and this blog dives into their insights on simplifying processes with automation and technology, best practices with DOT audits, and the impactful work of Truckers Against Trafficking.
Simplifying Processes with Automation and Technology
Onboarding drivers and maintaining driver qualification files (DQFs) has historically been manual and time-consuming. It often involves extensive paperwork, verifying numerous documents, and re-entry of candidate data from one system to another. Andrew kicked off the discussion by emphasizing the importance of meaningful processes. “There’s so much to be done, and you can really run the risk of overcomplicating it to the point where what you’re doing, as well-intentioned as it is, is really not going to deliver the results you want. If you’re getting 40 emails a day from HR asking you to do this and do that, not only is it a poor experience for your drivers, but also for the safety teams managing them.”
Bryson echoed this sentiment, highlighting a shift in focus at the conference from driverless trucks to leveraging automation to improve processes. “Rather than talking about driverless trucks, which seemed to be a hot topic a few years ago, there was a larger focus on making things easier for the drivers and trucking companies, especially with automation and AI.” From using AI to optimize routes, manage fuel, and calculate various factors like weather and construction zones, there are many ways leveraging AI can help the trucking industry work better, faster, and smarter.
One of the key takeaways with using automation is to streamline operations to improve visibility and avoid overwhelming employees with unnecessary tasks when onboarding drivers. Andrew explains further: “It’s about utilizing the integrations and getting your systems to talk to each other. From pre-employment, onboarding, post-employment drug and alcohol screening, post-accident, and DQFs; having one simple process can enable HR, TA, and compliance teams to have visibility into where their drivers are in the hiring process. You’re going to free up your team to do higher level functions vs somebody copying and pasting things.”
It’s about utilizing the integrations and getting your systems to talk to each other. Having one simple process can enable HR, TA, and compliance teams to have visibility into where their drivers are in the hiring process. You’re going to free up your team to do higher level functions vs somebody copying and pasting things.”
Director of Customer Solutions for Transportation,
First Advantage
DOT Audits and Compliance
One of the standout sessions for Bryson was centered around driver qualification files and passing DOT audits. He shared insights from an East Kentucky police officer who regularly performs DOT audits. The officer emphasized the importance of keeping documents up to date and including an errata sheet for any missing information, which Bryson shares more details on. “Providing an errata sheet that includes what was missed from the DQ file when a driver was initially hired, what has been done to resolve it, and what has been done to make it right, will go a long way for an auditor to see that it’s been addressed. You want to maintain compliance now so that you’re always prepared for an audit tomorrow.”
Andrew added, “It’s no longer that adversarial way. It’s now, ‘How do we make this process better for our employees, our customers, and the public at large?’” This collaborative approach to compliance ensures that everyone is working towards the same goal of safety and efficiency.
Truckers Against Trafficking
Another significant highlight from the conference was the work of Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT), which partners with trucking companies to educate drivers on recognizing signs of trafficking, making them crucial eyes and ears on the road.
Bryson shared more on what he learned from talking with TAT. “Truck drivers can play a major role in reporting human trafficking. Human traffickers are traveling across the same highways, visiting the same truck stops, and the same gas stations as truck drivers. Those long-haul drivers are being trained to spot human trafficking and spot signs of it.”
Bryson is now looking forward to attending TAT’s upcoming Coalition Build conference in Tulsa, OK, a human trafficking prevention and awareness training conference. “Three of First Advantage’s largest clients in the transportation industry partner with this organization. It’s a great organization to have out there training our drivers to be aware of this ongoing issue and keeping our eyes and ears down the road,” he added.
Final Thoughts
Andrew wrapped up the FA Live! discussion by encouraging ongoing dialogue with customers. “We want to hear from you. Are there things in the transportation space that you are really curious about? Are there problems that you’re having that you want Bryson, myself, and the rest of our team to address? Let us know. We want to put great information into the hands of our customers and the industry as a whole.”
Bryson concluded by expressing his passion for the transportation industry. “I’ve been focusing on transportation for about 13 years now. Transportation is its own animal. Make sure that you’re partnering with a company that truly understands the transportation industry, its unique compliance requirements, and someone that partners with some of those other top brands.”
Watch the full FA Live! episode here.
Learn more about First Advantage’s transportation background screening solutions here.
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