We have all heard the saying ‘time is money’ but unless you are in an industry driven by effective time and cost management, you may learn this lesson the hard way. In this article we explore ways in which you can save time and maximise on efficiency with your trucking solutions which will ultimately drive more revenue.
The challenge of managing truck arrivals
The level of intensity when managing random arrivals of trucks largely depends on the volumes and how many trailers are involved. You are either dealing with relatively small and manageable volumes which may be rare, but in this case the drivers will simply wait.
Next up you get your intermediate volumes that comes with a certain amount of trailors per day (these can be up to 40 trailers per day). This will require having a schedule in place or things will easily get out of control.
In the case of high volumes not only is a tight schedule priority, but all staff need to be aware of the processes that are in place as well as adhere to them. When hitting the high volume of truck management, you will benefit from an appointment based schedule. Not only does this minimise the risk of chaos in your work space but you can avoid hazards by having systems in place that work.
Sites should focus on what costs are incurred by ‘rising’ to the challenge. To assess this, one needs to look at the disadvantages of managing an intermediate volume of trucks on a first come, first serve basis, such as:
- Excessive driver wait times and delays due to a site’s inability to load/unload trailers creates the risk of chargebacks by carriers and inflated transportation rates due to a poor reputation.
- Often it requires pulling warehouse staff from picking/put-away tasks thus disrupting their productivity.
- Receiving unexpected volumes at the end of a shift may require overtime pay for the dock workers. Conversely, there is the hidden cost of dock workers being idle during slow periods of the shift.
- If some loads are floor loaded, receiving more than one at a time can most certainly throw off your resource planning.
- Team members and management suffer unnecessary stress.
Many employers prefer to simply ‘get things going’ and get busy as soon as possible in order for revenue to flow. This is understandable however one of the worst ways to kick off a solid foundation.
Find a system that is tried and tested and that works. Implement scheduling, strategies and a solid communication path between not only your employees but the trucking companies themselves. Spend as much time working on this crucial element of your business and soon you will see the benefits of work efficiency, increased profits as well as a solid trucking management system.
Dovetail Business Solutions have been in the industry for over 22 years and are renown leaders in trucking logistics, warehouse management systems as well as 3pl solutions. View our range of services and to find out how we can help you improve your truck efficiency!