Match Game
It didn’t take much effort to convince the boss that I was the right guy for the trip. It involved taking the first Model 10 Eagle on a 6 week sales tour to Trailways carriers in every corner of the nation… the itinerary started in Brownsville, Texas, hitting San Diego, LA, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Miami… heck you get it.
My qualifications included being single, with rudimentary driving and mechanical skills. Gee whiz, I could even read a map.
Actually I was Eagle’s ONLY salesman at the time… and that’s how I won this plum assignment.
One of the highlights of doing this column is hearing from folks. One gentleman, who e-mails regularly, drives for a major bus line, and specializes in multiday tours. He loves seeing the country, mothering his customers, and babying his bus. He’s the ideal choice for these trips, and his company is wise enough utilize him this way. I’d give you his name, but he’s a better writer than me, and I need the work.
Drivers have a variety of preferences and skills, and it seems a good idea, when possible, to match those traits to their trips. Some enjoy seeing new sights; others want to be in their own bed every night. Navigating the same route daily drives many people nuts, while others thrive on familiarity.
In other words, while dispatching is an exacting science, it is an art too.
If your work is all similar, like scheduled service, things are simpler, but there are still variables that matter. Some drivers do better in the morning, and some of us olde folks don’t have great night vision. Accommodating preferences, when feasible, can improve both safety and morale.
The real art comes in charter work… matching drivers to the trip, the coach and the group.
In ye olden days, in our organization, driving a decrepit coach implied skill. The boss, a crafty rascal, convinced us that anyone could drive a good bus, but only the elite could get a beater cross country. Drivers are more sophisticated now (and dependent on tips), but matching them to coaches whose idiosyncrasies they understand can pay dividends. For example, operating the ZF transmission requires a different touch than an Allison, and drivers have preferences.
On longer trips more skills are required, drivers need to find rest and meal stops, requiring either familiarity with the route, or some research. Refueling coaches on the road isn’t a complex task, unless you’ve never done it before. Replenishing fluids, as well as checking tires and belts becomes a more significant task when the coach is away from home. Putting the correct fluid in the appropriate reservoir is critical.
Map reading may seem unimportant in this day of GPS’s, but seeing the big picture, and knowing what to do when those seductive electronics fib, can make a big difference in your customers’ safety and comfort.
On tours where tons of bags need to be moved twice a day, dispatching a geezer (like me) might be a poor choice. When the group includes a disabled person, a sympathetic driver familiar with the WC lift makes sense.
Some of your drivers have all these skills, some only a few (you can surely think of many I’ve missed). Matching drivers’ strengths to trips’ needs makes sense.
When a customer requests a driver, and they’re available… you have my specialty (a “no-brainer”). If it’s a new group, then giving thought to a good match makes sense.
40 years ago a friend drove a charter to a Washington Redskins game. The group loved him and provided him not only with a seat in their section, but also plied him with liquid refreshments. As the game wound down, my pal left the stands to warm up the coach, but apparently didn’t make it.
His passengers were walking towards the bus, when they were forced to step over an inebriated man lying in the parking lot. It wasn’t a big deal until someone said “Hey, isn’t that our bus driver?”. Whoever matched my friend (a very undisciplined social being) to this group had erred… mightily.
You get it… some drivers and groups are more compatible than others.
50 years ago, Noel was our best driver. His driving and mechanical skills were exceeded only by his ability to charm passengers. The boss thought he might be wrong for this tour, but we were short of drivers. The group was white high school students from Birmingham AL, and Noel was (actually... still is…) African American. Noel waited at a nearby truck stop, while a relief driver did the pickup.
It turned out he was the right driver, because in some ways kids are wiser than adults. They liked Noel because he was… Noel. The trip was a huge success on many levels.
