Moving Words – Command

Written by Timothy Brady.

“Always do everything you ask of those you command.”  – George S. Patton

Any business, regardless of size, requires a chain of command to succeed. Without the organization of a hierarchy the results can become chaos, especially during an emergency or in a tough business environment.

The objective of having a chain of command.
In a moving company, the chain of command corresponds to the level of authority necessary to complete the tasks within the organization. This begins with the business owner, and then goes down the chain to the van operators and pack crews who are the company’s front line. The objective of your chain of command is to connect employees and contractors at all levels to a person having authority from the owner to whom they can direct questions or report problems. Next, that department supervisor has power to answer questions and solve problems to a specific level. Once he or she has reached the upper level of authority, his/her job is to take the question or problem to the next level in the command structure. Finally, when necessary (as determined by the directives set within the chain of command), the matter is brought to the owner/general manager.

Company Hierarchy
Your chain of command policy establishes your moving company’s hierarchy. You, as the Business Owner, occupy the top position in the company’s command structure. Your Operations Director, Safety Director, and Sales Director report directly to you. Supervisors report to their respective Directors (also known as department heads).

For example: the Fleet Supervisor, who answers to the Operations Director, supervises the driver managers and dispatchers, who in turn manage the company’s van operators, contractors, pack crews and warehouse operations. Each company establishes its own organizational structure based on size and needs; i.e., the chain of command. All employees in the organization must recognize the structure of the company’s hierarchy when following a chain of command for it to function and avoid chaos.

How the Chain of Command Works
(Keep in mind that the terminology and job titles in your organization may be different, as each van line and moving company have their own titles for each set of responsibilities within their chain of command. So just fill in your titles if they differ from those listed.)

Each person in the chain of command is responsible for a specific area of the mover’s business. Again as an example, the Fleet Supervisor finds the next load, develops the instructions on the load, and then passes that to the Driver Manager who determines which truck under his/her command gets assigned the load. He or she also puts money on the driver’s fuel card as an advance to haul the load. The Driver Manager  then sends it on to the dispatcher to communicate to the van operator all the details necessary for him/her to pick up and deliver the load. Dispatchers are the employees who communicate directly with the company drivers and van operators. Your upper management employees, the directors, establish the high-level direction the company takes through executive communication with you, the company’s owner, or a General Manager.

Creating Efficiency Through a Chain of Command
By establishing a strong chain of command, you’ll create more efficiency when reporting problems or communicating with employees or contractors. Example: Your driver should first go to the dispatcher if his truck has a tire blowout. The dispatcher then arranges for a tire repair truck. If there’s a pick-up or delivery delay, the dispatcher contacts the Move Coordinator so he or she can contact the shipper. Escalation to the next management level or higher should only occur if the situation is unusual, or far more serious – if the blowout caused the truck to be in an accident or in a dangerous situation that could have disastrous results. These are the only times you, the owner, needs to be notified at the time of the incident or directly involved in its resolution. Your dispatcher would then generate a report of the tire blowout which would be filed and scrutinized by the others above in the chain of command at a weekly or monthly business and Incident Review meeting.

Carefully screen the employees to whom you’re going to delegate the authority to make crucial decisions for your company. Your job is to lead your moving company to greater prosperity. This can only be accomplished when you delegate the day-to-day tasks and supervisory responsibilities to trusted employees.

One of the most difficult things for many entrepreneurial owners of smaller moving companies to do is let go some of the control they think they have to retain. Not delegating your authority to supervisory-level employees is the surest means to stagnate the growth of your company. Force yourself if you have to – but delegate. There’s no reason you need to be racing from the dispatcher’s desk to the file room to the yard to the repair bay and back again. As your operation grows, the more ‘hats’ (delegated responsibilities) you can put on others’ heads, therefore the more easily and quickly you’ll grow your moving company to a larger, more prosperous one.

But think simplicity when developing your company’s chain of command. If it’s too complicated, employees and contractors often ignore the chain of command, and it has the potential of affecting the morale of supervisors and managers. On the other hand, if an employee or contractor feels the chain of command isolates you, the owner, from direct contact with them or being readily available to address their problems, then you’ll see a tremendous drop in employee morale. So you must look for a balance between the two.

Moving companies without a clear chain of command create an atmosphere of chaos which generates uncertainty. The results can be a downward spiral of morale for everyone in the  company. Poor morale can lead to higher driver and employee turnover, which in turn lowers productivity and revenue. And the constant cost of having to hire replacements for those who  quit really impacts a mover’s bottom line.

Build a good chain of command based not just on responsibilities but abilities too – and then delegate. It’s your high road to success.

“He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

Timothy Brady ©2018
To contact, Brady go to www.timothybrady.com.