Some people aren’t fully truthful because of honest omissions, while others believe there are shades of truth – e.g., white lies are fine, but outright lying is wrong. The fact is that truth – our value of the month – is a virtue that should be unconditional, especially when it comes to relationships within the trucking industry. Here’s why.
Not Being Truthful Can Result in Fines and More
Lack of truthfulness can be costly! The trucking industry is highly regulated. Even if you’re an owner-operator, you have to be honest about your hours on the road because of the ELD mandate and the condition of your vehicle(s). If you tell “white lies” to make your business look better, you’ll be susceptible to fines and other punishments if it’s discovered you’ve been less-than-truthful.
Honesty Helps Attract Quality Drivers and Fosters Good Client Relationships
Let’s say you have plans to expand operations. If you tell potential drivers whatever they want to hear just so they’ll take the job, you’ll develop a reputation as someone not to work with. And given the widespread driver shortage, you certainly don’t want to do anything to keep qualified drivers away.
Truth Involves More Than You May Realize
With your various dealings in the trucking industry, you may find yourself wondering what is considering “not truthful.” Truth doesn’t just extend to what you say. As you strive to embrace truth as one of your core values, be aware that bending the truth can also involve:
• Distorting facts to give a false impression
• Intentionally leaving out key details (omission)
• Stretching the truth to give a better impression
• Refusing to accept responsibility or admit wrongdoing
• Taking credit that’s not fully deserved
• Making promises with no intention of keeping them
• Saying one thing and then doing another
Being Truthful is the Best Way to Boost Your Rep
Sure, being entirely truthful may result in potential clients opting for another trucking company in certain situations. However, you’ll ultimately benefit from having a reputation as a truthful person who runs their business honestly. Possible rewards you may enjoy include:
• Attracting and retaining quality drivers
• Having a steady flow of loads
• Securing long-term contracts so you don’t have to rely solely on load boards
At Pay4Freight, we strive for absolute truth in everything we do for our customers. This is why we’re honest and upfront about our freight factoring programs and the other valuable resources we provide.
