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Technology clearly has changed the way BOC's drivers do their jobs, allowing the company to develop what it calls a "self-directed workforce." In this context, "self-directed" means following standardized, clearly defined best practices at all times. As a result, drivers require less supervision than in the past, yet they continue to reduce equipment downtime, increase reliability and load factors, and improve safety.

"We're putting less middle management and less weight on [employees] to do redundant work in the field and in the operations center," Vonachen says. "It's made people more self-sufficient in the field, so [they] don't rely as much on paperwork any more."

An example of how that change has affected operations is BOC's relationship with suppliers. BOC used to staff offices at suppliers' plants to ensure that drivers picked up the right products at the right time. No more, says Vonachen. "We don't have offices [at suppliers' plants] anymore," he said. "We just have drivers there, and they are self-directed."

A comprehensive in-house training program ensures that drivers are following best practices and are up-to-date on safety requirements. Drivers also are cross-trained in more than one function, giving the company "bench strength" at a time when many trucking companies are struggling with driver turnover rates in excess of 100 percent annually, says Gary Petty, president and CEO of the National Private Truck Council.

Because they now have standardized procedures to follow and paperwork has been significantly reduced, drivers are free to concentrate on improving fleet safety and efficiency. In recent years, in fact, BOC's drivers have earned a national reputation for outstanding safety and service—and they intend to keep it that way, Vonachen says.

Underlying every aspect of BOC's fleet management initiatives is the company's belief in uniform standards of competency for all of its divisions. "They have a system of raising the performance of transportation to a high level of uniformity, not just in the United States, but [throughout] the world," says Petty. "They believe very much in benchmarking and best practices."

That commitment to safety means that BOC is no stranger to the excellence awards given annually by the National Private Truck Council. BOC's operation has placed drivers in the NPTC Hall of Fame in each of the past five years. To be considered for membership, a private fleet driver must have driven a minimum of two million miles and either 20 years or 50,000 consecutive hours without an avoidable accident.

Although technology has been a critically important driver of performance excellence in BOC's private fleet, it would be less effective if the company did not value its fleet and drivers as it does.

Petty notes that BOC senior executives attend the Driver Hall of Fame banquets to show drivers they care, and they put a premium on attracting and retaining first-rate employees who can be relied on to properly handle hazardous products. "The drivers are part of the team," he says. "They help in recruiting and training. They obviously practice what they preach."