Understanding the bigger picture with attention to detail creates a work environment that is set up to be safer, more efficient and more profitable than the next.
By John Paglia, III
Paying attention to detail is a must in our industry, every position must possess this skillset whether they realize it or not. Paying attention to the details allows your employees to work safe, efficient and profitable. Having policies and procedures in place that promote these qualities will create a work environment that naturally produces these results, over time.
No one person or thing is ever perfect. If you are looking for a magic formula that will breed perfection, you are in the wrong industry. Every day it seems to be true, no day is exactly the same. This is what I enjoy the most. Our job on the outside seems to breed redundancy. Send out trucks in the a.m., remove waste commercially and residentially, and then dispose of it properly. These basic principles, if gone through the motions daily, could be quite boring. I encourage everyone to look past this and 鈥減ay attention to the details.鈥�
Be Prepared
Starting internally, we all have software programs that do the work for us from billing to routing. My challenge to you would be to challenge your software. Do not take the easy way out; always let your software do all the work. We all know even electronics and programs are not perfect. I have seen programs be inaccurate in routing, billing, communications and customer service. If no one here is paying attention to details, the men and women of the operation have a zero chance at being successful.
Operationally speaking, these guys must have an 鈥渁ttention to detail鈥� mindset every second of the day. Drivers must be ready, especially your veteran drivers, who have ran the same route for years or serviced a customer thousands of times. It is at that point when human nature wants to go through the motions and become lackadaisical that a situation could arise out of nowhere and someone not paying attention to the details will not be prepared to avoid a situation.
Understanding the Bigger Picture
A very simple way to have drivers pay attention to the details is by having them thoroughly pre-trip and post-trip their trucks. Having a wash bay at your facility allows drivers to wash the truck nightly and inspect their trucks. By washing their trucks, I have seen firsthand many small items get noticed easier and repaired nightly, which, in my opinion, contributes to having a higher safety record. While washing, they may notice a brake light out, hear an air leak, notice an obstruction in a tire, or find debris hanging or trapped in an area that could potentially start a fire. All of these, if noticed and corrected immediately, will reduce on road accidents and breakdowns. From doing something as simple as washing your truck and properly recording damages on a VCR, your staff will be able to communicate these details with your maintenance staff to ensure a repair is made.
The next time you catch yourself going through the motions, stop and ask the question: why? Why am I doing this? How could I make this better? I am willing to bet if you stop and challenge yourself, you can come up with an idea worth sharing within your company. Promote brainstorming. Even if the idea presented is not the final decision, let everyone know why we do the things we do in certain situations so everyone starts to understand the bigger picture. Understanding the bigger picture with attention to detail creates a work environment that is set up to be safer, more efficient and more profitable than the next.
John Paglia, III is a 4th generation garbage man. Before he climbed the ranks to become Florida Express Environmental鈥檚 (Ocala, FL) general manager, he had a successful career in college and professional athletics. John has been around the garbage industry since his car seat days. Currently, John is focused on growing his company and offering the highest level of customer service and prolonging the world we live in today. John wakes up every day knowing the impact professional haulers have on their community is far greater than most realize. He can be reached at (352) 629-4349, e-mail [email protected] or visit .