Travelers may fail to understand fleet drivers are professionals. Wasted time at a truck stop is money out of their pocket. Good etiquette is required by all.

As a fleet operator or owner, it is important that your drivers understand the value of good etiquette while in public. First and foremost, your employees are representing your company. They are a brand ambassador for all that is good and positive as it relates to your business. When they are on the road, at rest stops, delivery points, or refueling in truck stops, they are always representing your business. A little etiquette on your employees’ part goes a long way towards building  the reputation of your brand in the public eye.

With all of the vehicles you may be responsible for, the only real way you have of knowing your drivers are doing the right thing is either by training them right or by getting reports from others in the field.

The last thing you need to hear is about your drivers’ bad behavior. Take, for instance, the concept of today’s truck stop. There are more than just other truck drivers using these refueling stations these days. Once the domain for hardcore cross-country drivers, it is commonplace to see any number of recreational vehicles in the queue to fill up at a truck stop.

When your employees stop for fuel, they most likely use the company fleet gas cards. Having patience and understanding for the non-professional drivers that may be unaware that some gas pumps may take their consumer gas cards while others are strictly for the professionals. These folks aren’t usually trying to be irritating. Like your drivers, they simply want to refuel and get back on the road.

If you can train your drivers to show civility and perhaps even share some of their wisdom and experiences with these newer travelers, all will be better off for their efforts.

It’s not uncommon for the inexperienced RV driver to leave the fuel pump in their tank while spending excessive time cleaning windows, checking air pressure, etc. While this action may fool the drivers in line behind the RV, the station attendants will usually bark at the current driver to pay and move out of line. This action alone is going to be embarrassing enough for them; the last thing they need is to imprint your brand’s name and logo in their memory while it’s happening.

If an amateur driver’s taking too long at a pump island and you’d like he or she to pull away, It’s perfectly reasonable to make verbal contact in a pleasant tone-of -voice, with a smile and offer some positive fuel-pumping advice. Or, alternatively, you can gently nudge your vehicle forward to alert the driver to your presence.

At the end of the day, it is much easier to be mean and rude in order to get what you want during your time at the truck stop. It takes more effort and energy to be nice, professional, and human, but the smile on their faces and the positive energy that will become associated with your company as a result of good truck stop etiquette should be more than worth the effort of your fleet drivers.

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