A case for communication simulation in driver, biz-owner education, training

Being able to comfortably gather and visit with like-minded people has taken on new significance for all of us. As such, I had a great day at the 2021 Walcott Truckers Jamboree at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop just more than a week ago now.  Hooking up in person with Todd Dills, listening to countless others, all while taking in the view of the hundreds of unique trucks on display with each owner’s own stories and history.

All of it gave me the feeling that I was seeing the work in trucking with a new perspective, invaluable to someone like me and useful for anyone, really. Whether in the OOIDA trailer or talking to retired owners sitting proudly with their equipment on display, shows like these offer the opportunity to visit with others who have spent their lives walking the walk and driving trucking forward.

At the 2021 Walcott Truckers Jamboree: Gary Buchs (right), independent owner-operator Brita Nowak, and Overdrive Editor Todd DillsI shared with one owner how I have been providing personal private coaching to owner-operators and other small trucking companies and have been thinking about how to improve this by building a small team of retired owners who may be able to broaden the knowledge base. A few weeks ago, while following a LinkedIn discussion about recruitment and retention, I thought about the possibility that trucking companies may have ignored what could be our greatest untapped asset.

There are literally thousands of retired drivers and owners who’ve done it successfully. Many of them may well be willing to tackle a new role sharing knowledge. Companies should be willing to pay for this valuable resource.

Driver training regulations and standards are in the news coming out of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, of course, as driver trainers are to begin the process of registering to certify themselves to fulfill the role. Any experienced pro driver knows there is much more to doing the work than getting a CDL or even driving. Owners with experience can share instructional information bolstered by the real-life classroom – all the things they’ve done correctly, all the mistakes they wish they never made.

[Related: Learning from the mistakes of others: An early-Spring blizzard, tackled]

Gary Buchs and his wife, Marcia, during a recent patient-simulation exerciseIt’s not easy trying to teach someone new things from scratch. I have been fortunate to have a new part-time job after retiring from the road with the Illinois State College of Nursing as a simulation patient. I act out different diagnoses – dementia, heart attack, PTSD – to help teach nursing students how to treat and react to these situations.