Advances in technology may have proven to be a boon to the trucking industry but trust and relationships still matter.
We may marvel at how technology has enabled fleets to diagnose and repair vehicles much faster than in the past. But if you don’t consider the importance of the human element in the process, you may be shortchanging your company’s success.
A recent IdeaXchange blog from Jane Clark, Vice President of Member Services at NationaLease, addresses this issue. At the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week held in Las Vegas last month, there was a lot of talk regarding the impact of technology on today’s trucking industry, from telematics to truck technology to remote diagnostics and more. Fleets are grateful for the savings, speed, and accuracy this technology has enabled them to realize.
But does the human factor still play an important part in the repair process? Jane notes that she continues to hear from those in the industry that trust, transparency, and communications still play a vital role in maintaining good, long-lasting relationships with customers. And relationships still matter a great deal in this industry.
Technology can, in Jane’s words, “level the playing field,” but that’s really just in the matter of the actual work itself. So if fleet A and fleet B both have the same technological capability, what distinguishes one from the other may well be the human component, the relationship factor. Establishing and building relationships is not yet something that technology can do. And until that changes it’s up to you and the people on your team to make the difference and give you the competitive advantage that will lead to success.
