The bulk shipping company finds new ways to reach to its deskless workforce
If Leah Miller, director of culture and communications at Trimac Transportation, wants to talk to her staff she can't call a town hall or set up a video conference.
The drivers and technicians that power the bulk transport business are on the road and out of reach of traditional team communication channels. The business had to find another way.
"We really try to tailor our comms to a mobile workforce,” Miller told HRD. “It’s not just about channels—it’s how you use them."
Miller led a rollout of digital signage in high-traffic terminal areas, and smart use of the tools already in the cabs of Trimac’s commercial trucks.
“Rather than relying on traditional push updates, we use a multi-channel approach,” Miller said. "We integrate our communications with electronic logging devices (basically a tablet that sits inside the truck), and it allows us to communicate with our drivers and get direct information to our teams.”
Miller says the strategy isn’t about the technology itself, but how it’s used—and whether it connects.
“We try to embed communication into the daily experience for our frontline teams,” she says.
That includes quick safety updates delivered through in-cab devices and drivers sharing their experiences. In-person communication is still an important part of reaching their deskless workforce and local leaders are trained to ensure messages are getting out.
“Why would a driver care about a town hall? Well, they probably don’t,” she says. “But it's the information in the town hall that impacts their job, so we try to prioritize that [meaning].”
“Communications doesn’t sit adjacent to HR. We’re actually within the people and culture function,” she explains. “That integration alone ensures the message is not an afterthought.
“It’s not just about communicating policy. It’s making that emotional connection that really drives employee motivation and retention,” she says.
