The cost-effectiveness of the resilient performance of truck drivers in road freight transportation

Abstract: Truck drivers are crucial actors in supply chains that rely on road freight transportation. Their activity is subjected to a number of expected and unexpected variabilities that demand resilient performance at the individual and organizational level. This paper presents an exploratory analysis of the cost-effectiveness of such resilient performance, adopting a qualitative perspective. Data collection occurred in the context of road freight transportation in Southern Brazil, involving the direct observation of the drivers´ activities, along with semi-structured interviews with drivers, head of the employee´s trade union, and managers of the freight companies. The results indicated a prevalence of resilient practices at the individual level and a number of constraints out of the drivers´ control, with very limited help from supportive work systems. These practices are costly not only to the drivers´ health and safety but also pose hazards to other stakeholders and society at large. At the same time, from a narrow and short-term perspective, resilient practices displayed by the drivers can be regarded by employers and clients as cheap and effective as the cargo is more often than not delivered with little delay and in good condition. From a systems perspective, the burden of resilient performance seems to be unevenly distributed in the supply chain, posing disproportional costs to the truck drivers.

Keywords: Truck Drivers, Resilience, Cost-effectiveness, Complexity.

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004938

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