4 Target Markets for Up and Coming Haulage Companies

A wealth of options can lead to a dearth of choices. In transportation, facing a multitude of markets and possible client bases can make it difficult to decide which to target and focus on. This in turn can lead to making the wrong choice, and then you suddenly find yourself floundering amid the challenging competition.

If you are starting out in the transport industry, it is important to pick specific markets that will help you grow your client base quickly and efficiently.

Perishables

Perishable items are always on the move. Big haulage companies have contracts with major fruit and vegetable organisations, for example, which allow them to create an extensive network of deliveries. But since the amount of growers, farmers and producers is always changing and quite complex, and since the demand for goods is always changing from place to place, there is always an opportunity for up and comers in this area. A good place to start is by finding independent producers and local sellers of perishables and then become the sole logistics firm for a series of consistent trade partners.

Equipment

For many developed and developing nations, trade in equipment is the backbone of their material economy. Whether it is speakers or cranes, shavers or jackhammers, there is always a demand for equipment from the consumer and from corporations. Hence there is always a market for even the smaller haulage companies. It is prudent to investigate what markets in this area are also up and coming and match your services to their needs and the shape of their trade. In the long run, this can develop quite a significant body of extensive work, which can even cross international borders.

SME Chain Stores

One of the difficulties for up and coming haulage companies is shaking the feeling of being one step behind the larger competition. There can be a sense that your logistics network is not equipped to go beyond the worry of not knowing if the next contract ending will usher in a dry spell of work orders. Connecting with small to medium sized chain stores, rather than huge corporations, can be a realistic way of partnering with suppliers and sellers who have a consistent need to move cargo across cities to their various outlet chains.

Outsourcing

In the end, work is work, and there are many ways to get it. While most growing haulage companies want to get hold of a prized client base that they can pin down as their own over the long term, there are times when they'll need to partner with larger firms. Receiving outsourced work, from markets run by large groups who are looking for smaller firms with a set of reliable vehicles, is a good way to capture a market share of reliable and consistent work.

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. Over 3,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.