3 Strategies that Advance the Operations of Haulage Companies

The operations of haulage companies must be as efficient as clockwork every single day, but when a company grows new challenges will crop up unexpectedly. Growth can both be a blessing and a curse, depending on how you deal with it. The following three strategic tips should enable you to meet the challenges of growth head-on, and emerge more successful in the process.

Integrate Your Data

Haulage companies that are undergoing growth may quickly discover new challenges with data management. With increasing business comes increasing complexity, and if the haulier fails to act in time they may find themselves stuck in in a rut that could have a negative effect on the business. It is therefore important to find ways to integrate data from various aspects of the operation—from contract creation, marketing, customer service, to actual cargo delivery—into a single, manageable system that allows decision-makers to act in a timely manner. For example, GPS-enabled systems can allow managers to oversee long-distance deliveries easily and at the touch of a button. Customer service management systems can also be effectively linked so that there is no gap between job take-up and job fulfilment, ensuring that every job is completed on time. Data integration also gives a company a level of omniscience that allows it to identify problems even before they occur.

Identify Inefficiencies in Vehicle Operation

Complementing data integration—and quite beautifully—is the ability to identify inefficiencies, in order to reduce or eliminate them. Haulage companies—especially the bigger ones—often operate more than one truck, and a large fleet can end up self-defeating and fractious if not taken care of. For example, on a busy day, trucks can end up queuing at the cargo bay, and that delay can spell lost profits. There are now IT solutions that can be employed to track possible malfunctions and define maintenance intervals of usage against time. This level of monitoring can help a business operate smarter. The point is, if you can avoid downtime, do so at all costs: invest in the right technologies (which are available at a reasonable cost), or, at the very least, employ key personnel to be on the ground to problem solve.

Control What You Can measure

Loading cargo into trucks should be systematised, and it can only be done effectively and efficiently if this aspect of the operation has been analysed for inconsistencies or weaknesses. For instance, the loading of cargo into the truck may involve goods of various dimensions, and such inconsistencies can cause delays and even put the vehicles at risk. Haulage companies need to analyse how they carry out this part of their business in order to improve their operation, increase speed and enhance efficiency.

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry in the UK and Europe. It provides services for matching haulage companies with jobs in road transport and haulage work in the domestic and international markets. Over 4,000 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.