If you plan ahead and set yourself up with the correct people and equipment, things can and will run smoothly.
John Paglia, III
No one is gifted with a crystal ball to predict the future, but it is a very important aspect of a manager’s job to do his/her best to predict the future and have multiple plans to attack the goal at hand, whatever it may be. Goals are set to achieve hourly, daily, weekly and monthly. The only way to achieve those goals is to pair the correct labor and equipment with the proper amount of supervision and training. No matter the size of your company, you must always be prepared for a contingency plan. Without fail, very rarely will an execution of a large goal go exactly how it was originally planned. Obstacles will present themselves in many fashions along the way. The main thing to remember is to stay calm and poised, and make a clear confident decision when the time comes.
Labor Reliability
A common obstacle you will face will be labor reliability. Labor disruptions can come at all levels of the organization at any given time. Not one person in your organization is safe. I myself, felt invincible. I would never call out, no not me. Well I didn’t have a choice a few weeks ago when I had emergency surgery with no prior symptoms. Overnight, I was out of operations as I recovered for two weeks with minimal contact with the rest of my staff. My staff handled the operation in stride while I worked to recover. The learning curve from this example is to cross train all positions, no matter how secure you feel the person in the position is, life happens.
Equipment Variables
Equipment is another variable that will deter your decision making. New and old equipment fail. Well maintained, pre-emission era equipment tends to be everyone’s favorite when it comes to predictability and reliability. New equipment comes with sensors all over the chassis and body that fail without warning. As an example, we have seen new front loaders not able to preform a route for failed oil level sensors. The sensor fails and tells the ECM there is no oil in the truck, while the dipstick shows it is full. As you can imagine this is frustrating to all involved.
A Successful Operation
Due to these common factors of unreliable labor and equipment, it is vital to a successful operation to have plenty of drivers within your organization always cross-training. An organization cannot always afford to have spare trucks sitting in the yard. Depending on size, it is definitely recommended. Procrastination is another deterrent to achieving goals. I can tell you from experience, avoid this at all cost. If something can be fixed mechanically immediately and correctly, do it. Even if it means staying a little later, or sending a runner to get specific part 100 miles away. If there is a way to complete a repair within reason, that same day, get the truck up and repaired because you never know what the next day brings.
While this does seem like garbage operation 101, I felt the need to point out what may seem to some as obvious. I get many questions e-mailed to me month after month (this article was written based on my readers’ questions). The main point I hope you take from this is to never procrastinate. The waste industry and your business will change every minute. You are adding and removing customers on a minute-by-minute basis. Your equipment is aging by the minute.
Your employees are not only aging, but also /free to make their own life decisions. This can affect operations if you had not planned for his/her departure by cross training all levels of employment within the organization. If you plan ahead and set yourself up with the correct people and equipment, things can and will run smoothly. The second you do not take care of your labor and equipment, you will be in a world of trouble and in constant disarray. I encourage you to reach out to me if you have any other thoughts or questions.
John Paglia, III is a 4th generation garbage man. Before he climbed the ranks to become Florida Express Environmental’s 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 www.floridaexpress.us.