One of the five personality traits, Conscientiousness, has been shown to be a predictor of physical and mental well-being. Studies have linked this trait to lower stress levels, longer lifespan, career success, and overall happiness. Here’s an overview of what this trait entails.
Traits of Conscientious People
- Organized, mindful of details. Pay attention to your dispatch information and make sure you plan ahead. Ensure everything on your truck and trailer is in good order and your paperwork matches your load.
- Plan ahead, consider how their behavior affects others, mindful of deadlines. Do you share a truck with someone? Have you ever dropped a load that someone else was going to finish? Think about how you would want to find your equipment and make sure that’s how you leave it for someone else. If you have a partner, keep in mind that they are counting on you to do your part to maintain your regular schedule so they can do the same.
- Punctuality, reliability, industriousness (diligence, devoted effort). Can MK count on you to be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there? Late pickups and deliveries do matter as they erode the trust we’ve built with our customers. You should always work to make sure you are leaving with enough time to make pickups and deliveries on time and are accounting for potential delays along the way.
- Short-term sacrifices for long-term gains – Those who postpone immediate gratification and employ self-discipline and control to achieve goals. They use rational, well-thought-out decision-making, have good impulse control, and avoid making spontaneous, rash decisions.
Traits of unconscientious people
- Impulsive, casual, careless, don’t plan ahead or follow schedules, miss deadlines. Drivers with these traits are frequently late to pickups or deliveries, don’t plan their trips ahead of time or account for potential delays, overbreak, don’t do proper pre- and post-trip inspections, or frequently lose paperwork. In sum, they don’t take their job very seriously.
Conscientiousness is an important trait for a professional truck driver. While we’re always here to help you along our path, trucking requires a self-starter, someone who doesn’t need a boss constantly standing over their shoulder making sure they get all their tasks done. Managers can’t be in the truck with you, and we have to be able to rely on you to do your job without micromanagement. If you find yourself in the unconscientiousness category, fear not. Here are some ways you can be a more conscientious person and reap the benefits in your professional (and personal) lives.
Set clear priorities and goals
- If a large goal seems out of reach, break out the steps needed to reach that goal. When you achieve each step, you’ll feel more motivated to continue.
- Prioritize your tasks based on importance and urgency. When you have a large task list, it may seem overwhelming, but if you write down your tasks in a prioritized order, it helps you stay focused.
Set consistent daily routines
- Building a daily routine can help you with self-discipline and help you feel less
overwhelmed by the day’s tasks, and give you more time for things you enjoy. - When you set your routine, always make punctuality a priority.
Hold yourself accountable
- Conscientious people have a strong sense of personal accountability, and they learn from their mistakes and grow.
Every journey begins with a single step, and it’s never too late to change your habits and improve. Reach out to your manager if you need help.