4 Ways an Independent Courier Can Tackle Long Routes

The modern haulier can sometimes feel like a spider: in their web of routes, they can find themselves forever building, rebuilding, and tending the interwoven strands of roads and client demands that, with constant change, can seem very fragile in the face of challenges.

This balancing act is further convoluted by the need to include longer routes into a schedule that normally revolves around inner city delivery. Yet, as an independent courier, it is possible to add this strand to your web and make it very useful in snaring further clients and business.

Fuel efficiency

The key to managing long routes as a primarily inner city business is planning. One of the key things you will need to plan judiciously is your expenditure of fuel. Inner city routes re-occur swiftly, but the long routes can significantly dent your fuel budget. This is especially the case when you have to make a sudden trip out of town and face the problem of an empty truck wasting fuel on the way back. It is imperative that you plan for your longer trips by choosing the right vehicle and aiming to snare return loads so that, on your balance sheets, the cost of taking a longer drive is met by the gain of the job.

Return Loads

The practice of picking up return loads is a good habit to get in to. Dead mileage can take its toll on short or long journeys for any independent courier. However, in the inner city there is a greater chance that your vehicle will depart from a drop-off point with new cargo to deliver. But an isolated trip out of town, especially one that is arranged last minute, can be hard to make profitable on the return leg. The key to solving this is communication. Engaging with the industry through innovative platforms such as online exchanges gives you the chance to contact potential clients and negotiate appropriate prices very quickly. It can also allow you to keep tabs on your routes so you can make any changes if necessary.

Multiple Clients

Keeping a solid client base not only provides you with repeat jobs as an independent courier, but it also allows you to add longer routes and kill dead mileage. If you have to take a trip out of town that last a number of hours, you might be better suited to building a client base and contacts in that destination so that it is not merely a one-off journey. Not only may this give you access to return loads, but it can also allow you make the longer trip a regular, and hence more profitable, experience.

Clever Vehicles

Finally, the inner city places different demands on your vehicles in comparison to longer routes. A good independent courier will know they might need to make adjustments to the vehicles they use for more time-consuming trips. The right van or car can carry larger loads more efficiently and hence save a great deal of money on fuel and maintenance.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day independent courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading courier jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.