4 Small Ways to Overcome Big Challenges in Delivery Work

There is a certain simplicity to the transportation industry: goods and packages always need to be shifted. Being on the road and taking them from place to place can provide a great deal of satisfaction, derived from the basic need for this kind of job.

Behind this simplicity, however, lie some very modern challenges.

Killing dead mileage

One of the most enduring challenges that faces any small business owner or freelancer who makes a living from delivery work is that of dead mileage. When you pick up the phone and agree to move a package from one side of town to the other, you will be more than aware of how fuel and time is wasted when you are returning to base or driving to start another job with no load. One straightforward way to reduce this is by joining an online exchange. They can link you to an immediate pool of clients looking to move or receive packages from all areas, and afford you the confidence that you will fill the gaps of dead mileage with more paid time on the road.

Saving on marketing

There was, perhaps, a time when reputation was all that you needed to build a client base in delivery work. Your good name and reliability would bring the jobs to your door. But these days, when even small-scale and local regions are flooded with marketing from multiple channels, it pays to broadcast your brand. Sometimes the cost is too high, however a simple way to get your name out there is to use online media. Social networking provides a platform for small businesses to target particular networks and social groups, and this targeted, precise way of marketing is often more successful in attracting long-term clients than expensive, broad exposure.

Overcoming vehicular damage

No matter if you work with one van or ten motorcycles, or one job a week or many routes an hour, you will have to maintain your vehicles and protect them against wear and tear. The nature of delivery work means that your vehicle is your most prized asset, yet often also your greatest expense as an owner operator. The first, simple and smart step to overcoming vehicular damage is prevention. This, in turn, springs from an understanding of just what kind of vehicle will suit your context. Picking the right bike, motorcycle, van or car (and choosing how to pay for it) is worth the time investment.

Expanding to new markets

It can be comforting to find your niche in any business. As an owner operator or small business owner engrossed in delivery work, the solid routine of recycling through a regular local set of clients gives you the safety of both routine and reliable income. But the flux of any marketplace and local economy means expansion should at the very least be a clear back-up plan. First and foremost, this means educating yourself about how to accrue basic capital and good debt that you can quickly invest in the core of your business.

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 delivery work 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.