Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1304428
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION OCTOBER 28, 2020 Page 21 Ensuring Quality in the Field—Part II: QC for Trailers, Drivers…Continued from page 15 When you get back to the yard, go through the units again. Do a quick cleaning and wipe down. Then mark any damage you may have missed or anything that needs to be replaced so it can be dealt with immediately. John suggests that both the driver/tech and one other person sign off on the condition of the unit. His company uses a checklist that goes into an envelope on the trailer after it's been checked in and cleaned. When the next person comes and picks it up, s/he also checks it out and makes any notes, if necessary, on that document. This process ensures accountability and makes sure nothing is missed. The PSAI has sample trailer quality checklists for members in the Industry Resource Library. Final Thoughts John summed it up this way, "Trailers are…great units. We've had a lot of success with them, but they're a rolling toilet. Ten thousand pounds on wheels, rolling down the highway. There's always something to do. So you just want to make sure you're keeping that little circle of life going there, that you're always checking stuff as you go through each cycle." QUALITY CHECKS WITH SERVICE TECHNICIANS The PSAI's Basic Service Technician Training courses address things drivers need to know and do in the course of their work. But as Ronda McMichael, owner of Wise Environmental and Anne's Cans noted in our QC article last time, "You have to inspect what you expect." Here are suggestions from a PSAI roundtable discussion on how to help your drivers with quality in the field. Getting Started Quality control (QC) ride-alongs can be done with a designated QC person, a member of the sales team, or a substitute route driver. No matter who does the QC ride along, it is important to do the checks on both regular route drivers and special events drivers. When you are designing your QC ride along schedule, be sure you are either riding with everyone or you have a system for randomly choosing the drivers for the QC check. It is not a good idea to do the checks in such a way that any driver or group of drivers could perceive they are being targeted for extra scrutiny. Doing that could be harmful if you are ever accused of discrimination or harassment in an employment law situation. On the other hand, nothing prevents you from riding along with a driver having known performance issues, especially if you have received complaints and want to do remedial training. The difference in that case is that you have a documented reason to follow up on a particular individual's performance. A QC program should be more proactive. It's something you do to prevent bad things from happening, address suboptimal methods, and recognize great performance. QC ride- alongs should not be used to punish the driver – they should be done to improve the business. What to Do Your team should be aware of the QC program you are implementing. Make sure you explain how it works and what to expect ahead of time so that your drivers aren't confused or upset the morning your QC rider joins them. Continued on page 22