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Nancy Ryerson, Staff Writer | December 11, 2012
“In order to get customers these days, you really have to differentiate yourself,” says Buchholz. “The most important part of medical equipment transport is the end user, the delivery, how your employee interacts with the customer during the delivery process.”
Who gets behind the wheel
Most mobile trailer transportation companies require their drivers to have an accident-free driving record and at least a few years of experience. Buchholz says his company tends to recruit drivers who have already worked in specialized transport, such as those with flatbed experience.
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“If you’re moving Pepsi and you don’t make your delivery it’s really not a huge deal, but if you’re moving health care there is someone whose life depends on that trailer to be in place and ready to scan the next day,” says Rawlings at S&A Operations. “So we require a lot of dedication from our people.”
In addition to moving the trailer, many drivers must also be able to set up stairs and railings, check trailer level and balance, bring the system up, make sure everything is functioning properly and talk customers through how the trailer works.
The training process for these kinds of drivers tends to take several weeks of observation and hands-on experience.
“When they start within our company, there is a three-page check sheet that they have to complete throughout the training process, which takes about two to four weeks depending on the equipment that they’re doing,” says Paul Zahn, director of sales and marketing for Shared Medical Services Solutions Group. At RoadKing Medical Transport
LLC, new drivers get five weeks to prove their worth. “If I see somebody’s just going to be an average employee, then I move on to the next one,” Leslie says.
Buyers and sellers of mobile trailers appreciate the careful attention that goes into driver training.
“We get to know the drivers and we request those same drivers, so they get to know us,” says Medical Imaging Resources’ president, John Vartanian, whose company rents out and leases medical mobiles. “Knowing just the company but not the driver is still very hazardous because you might get the flavor of the month and the guy says, you know, I’m going to go home and take a nap and not get up for two days.”
Sometimes mobile transportation companies can have a difficult time finding drivers that meet their strict qualifications. Currently, the heavyduty truck transportation industry is experiencing a national shortage of 20,000 truck drivers, the American Trucking Association reports.
