Trust, Tech, and Training: Top Tips from MDS Trucking

How can carriers put the right tech and people to work for business success? For MDS Trucking, the answer is tech tracking, prioritizing communication and a recruiting strategy that rewards drivers for their hard work.

We sat down with Nik Mileusnic, Operations and Dispatch Manager at MDS, to talk about their strategy for striking the right balance for their success.

MDS Fast Facts

• 13 years in business
• 11 dispatchers
• 5-10 drivers per dispatcher
• Tech tracking for driver safety and data
• Driver recognition program

Monitoring Safety and Improving Efficiency with Tech Tracking

The MDS team uses a variety of tech solutions to run their business.

All trucks leverage electronic tracking for their power units and trailers. Beyond providing visibility while moving Coyote freight, Nik and his team use truck and trailer tracking to monitor their drivers’ habits and safety on the road.

“We get notifications whenever drivers slam on the breaks or are speeding, and our safety manager reaches out to drivers to resolve any issues as they arise.”

-Nik Mileusnic, Operations & Dispatch Manager, MDS

Using Tech to Find and Book Freight

The MDS team moves a blend of both dedicated freight and spot loads. By prioritizing dedicated freight opportunities, Nik and his team can focus on growing and planning for the long term.

When it comes to spot freight, 3PL load boards are a huge source of business for them. His dispatchers use multiple online load boards to find spot freight opportunities, including Coyote’s digital freight platform.

"We love using Coyote’s digital platform because of how easy it is to narrow down our search and find exactly the loads we’re looking for. It’s user-friendly and constantly improving, so it’s become a go-to resource for us.”

Nik Mileusnic, Operations & Dispatch Manager, MDS

Get access to CoyoteGO^® here.

Prioritizing People in Business

Through leveraging multiple tech solutions, the MDS team can spend more time recruiting, training and serving their drivers, who in turn can focus on serving their customers.

MDS prides itself on building strong relationships with drivers and dispatchers through trust, training and using tech for the right tasks.

By handling load booking and other everyday tasks online, Nik and his team can focus on further developing these relationships through effective communication. This helps attract and retain the best drivers.

We asked Nik to share some advice on driver recruitment – check out his thoughts on this topic below.

Top Tips for Driver Recruitment 

I believe the secret to success in recruitment and retention is providing good service to our drivers.

Investing in the right technology for key parts of our business has allowed us to focus on developing these lasting business relationships both internally and externally. If you’re looking to do the same, follow these pointers.

1. Set Drivers Up for Success

A core focus for us is providing superior service to the drivers we hire. Training is a critical part of communicating expectations to drivers and making sure they are equipped for success on the road.

That starts with our driver orientation that includes in-depth training sessions with the following team members to help drivers understand every aspect of our business:

• Recruiter
• Safety Manager
• Accounting Department
• Dispatcher
• Maintenance Manager

2. Communication is Everything

Getting (and keeping) our drivers up to speed doesn’t stop after orientation. We find that maintaining an open and honest style of communication is a top priority. We want everyone to feel like they can approach anyone, no matter the role, at any time.

Staying up to date on evolving government regulations, emerging technology and products, and other transportation topics is crucial for us. Effectively communicating updates to the team is equally as important.

Whether to keep up with the political climate, the weather, or other industry updates that affect our business, we keep a constant pulse on the news to ensure we’re always set up for success, regardless of market condition.

To stay informed on truckload market changes, click here for the latest Coyote Curve® update.

3. Grow Through Your Community

At MDS, we have the help of a dedicated recruiter who helps identify top driver talent in our area. Like everything we do here, filling our driver needs is a collaborative effort. Word-of-mouth recruitment is huge for us, so our drivers are a critical resource.

We have found that offering referral bonuses to our drivers motivates them to invest in our recruitment efforts. In fact, some of our current drivers have brought in more than 10 drivers, which proves the success of driver-to-driver recruitment.

We know reliability and safety are key concerns for shippers, so we do everything we can to ensure that we deliver. We make sure every driver we hire has a few years of experience and a strong safety record.

Once hired, we make sure our drivers are treated right and recognized for their milestones to honor their commitment to safety.

For MDS, focusing on service, open communication, and trusted relationships has led to our success and growth as an organization. Our key takeaway: take care of your drivers, and they’ll take care of you.

About Nik: Nik got connected with MDS through a family friend over six years ago. Since then, he’s seen the company continue to grow and evolve from his days as a dispatcher to now in his role as Operations and Dispatch Manager.