Semi-Retired Workers as IC Drivers
“ Semi-retired people love being independent contractors ,” points out Cocchia . “ They can do the work at their own pace . They can pick and choose the time they want to work . They can come out in the morning and work for two hours and then maybe go back out in the afternoon . They have total freedom over what they do .”
Cocchia suggests that others using the IC model should consider recruiting from this group of people . “ There ’ s a lot of them out there ,” he points out . “ They are ethical and loyal and they ’ re great workers . They are great with detail , and they like to work . They may not be the fastest . They run at their own pace . That could be a problem in an employee model but for the right customer served by a company that uses an IC model , it ’ s a good fit . We don ’ t need them to hurry up like we would if we were using an employee model . If they ’ re happy with the compensation and doing it at their pace and still meeting the customer requirements , it works all around .”
Getting the Right Work for the Right IC
Xcel works with about 80 independent contractors . “ Right now , I ’ d say 70 % of those drivers provide service to us for more than eight hours a day . They could be doing on-demand , routed work , or a mix of both . The key is matching an IC ’ s availability with demand from our customers . When a vendor comes in , we ask about their availability . We want to know when are they able to provide service for us . We ’ ll have a frank conversation about our needs and when we have opportunities available . They set their availability , but if they ’ re available during our busy timeframes we know they ’ ll get more work . We tell people where the work is . Most ICs want to work . They don ’ t want to come and sit around . Matching up IC ’ s availability to our demand is key .”
Competing for IC Drivers
One of the biggest challenges for companies using ICs is competition from the gig economy companies like Uber and Door Dash . How do companies like Xcel compete for those drivers ? Cocchia says it ’ s all about establishing a relationship with them . “ There ’ s a distinct difference between working for a local business like ours and working for one of these companies ,” he says . “ With them , you ’ re a number and they grind their numbers . They make sure that they ’ re paying as little as they can . Our drivers feel a part of what ’ s going on . They know their managers . They develop relationships over time . It ’ s the difference between working for a big company and a smaller one . Some of our best drivers tried out the big gig companies but ended up with us because of our culture .”
Who Are the Best ICs ?
Not everyone is cut out to be an independent contractor . “ The best ICs are looking to build something ,” says Cocchia . “ They want to make money . A different kind of person makes the choice to do this . When we look for ICs , we want to find the person who wants to work and wants as much work as we can give them . They can handle the ebb and flow wherever the work is . And that person will make a ton more money as an IC than an employee .”
“ The key is to never stay the same and to always think you can be better than yesterday . You might stumble a little , but that ’ s got us here so I ’ m sticking with my own advice .” spring 2022 customized logistics & delivery Magazine 27