Directory Image
This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Haulage Companies - How to Maximise Loads and Minimise Costs

Author: Lisa Jeeves
by Lisa Jeeves
Posted: Aug 27, 2014

Most small businesses reach into their back pocket when they want to grow, and wince a little. This is no less the case with haulage companies. No matter how prudent you may be, the vagaries of the modern economy and the demands to remain competitive mean many small firms need to consider a degree of debt to remain cutting edge and to take their business to the next level.

Growth is vital, but bad debt can be crippling, so consider how to maximise your transportation of cargo through increased efficiency not just loans.

Kill dead mileage

One of the most useful ways for haulage companies to increase loads is also one of the most taxing limits to growth. From the smallest to the largest firms, everyone faces the task of killing dead mileage. When you have a truck delivering cargo out from the depot, there is usually a return leg when the vehicle is empty - simply wasting fuel and time. Not every business can afford to operate from multiple depots or home bases. This is why using online exchanges and tight-knit networking is vital, so you can find cargo for return legs and kill dead mileage. This is one method to see your way into greater efficiency by effectively multiplying deliveries using existing routes.

Trim vehicle costs

The vehicles haulage companies use are the bread and butter of your business. Hence, you need to balance the incentive to have the latest and best with the requirement to cut back on excess costs. From the moment you plan your first cargo load, you should be forging a plan as to how you will keep vehicle costs down. From fuel to wear and tear, the efficient and clever trimming of costs in this area may seem pedantic at first, but these day to day expenses will build up, and hence, so will the savings made. In time, at the right moment in your plan, you can return these savings into greater investments into your fleet.

Use technology

While transportation seems to be all about the physical logistics of moving cargo, a lot can be said for saving money through the use of office technology. It can not only maximise the number of your loads it can also make sure your transportation is more reliable, effective, noticeable and strategic - with minimal expenditure on your part. One example of how haulage companies can do this is through the use of online exchanges. Through tools such as real-time tracking, instant messaging and advertising, you can harness a greater net of clients and keep a closer eye on your routes with the touch of a keystroke.

Choose the right routes

It is easy to take growth wherever you find it. But when choosing which jobs you will take on, especially from new clients, it is wise to be judicious about your routes. Mapping and planning your routes and potential routes based on fuel expenditure, proximity, competitiveness and reliability, will save you money and allow you to grow most efficiently.

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for matching haulage companies or drivers with jobs and to buy and sell road transport and haulage work in the domestic and international markets.

About the Author

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.

Rate this Article
Leave a Comment
Author Thumbnail
I Agree:
Comment 
Pictures
Author: Lisa Jeeves

Lisa Jeeves

Member since: Oct 18, 2013
Published articles: 4550

Related Articles