It’s true that there’s an acute shortage for commercial truck drivers in the country, and it’s affecting many trucking firms. With a little bit of preparation, you can make sure that it doesn’t impact you negatively.
Strong economic growth is driving manufacturers and retailers to hire more trucks to move their goods from various seaports to distributions centers scattered across the country. The growing demand is creating lots of truck-driving jobs in a sector that is suffering from an acute shortage.
Industry reports indicate that the industry lacks about 50,000 drivers, and the situation is expected to get worse in the coming years. In other words, it’s a seller’s market as far as truck drivers go. Therefore, you need to tread carefully to prevent it from ruining your business.
Embrace Technology
Efficiency is the first thing to go out the door when dealing with a complex supply chain. Fortunately, technological advancements can keep you from going down this road. A transportation management system can help you operate at higher levels of efficiency by managing documentation, data, and billing. You can simplify and organize lots of business information, identify weaknesses, and react quickly to developing situations.
For instance, you can take quick corrective measures when a shipment goes astray without diverting all your resources to that one task. A TMS lets you improve customer experience as you can also make your clients keep track of their shipment from an online portal. That means they won’t be bombarding your office with calls and e-mails demanding updates. With the right technology, you can stand above the competition and grow your market share.
Be Nice to Your Drivers
You might not know it, but your employees are the biggest asset in a company. Your drivers double up as brand ambassadors, and to this end, you want their full commitment to growing your brand image. In a sector where turnover is over 90 percent, you need to go the extra mile. Given the current shortage of truck drivers, the last thing you want is for your worker to decamp to the competition.
Terrible working conditions and dismal wages are the leading causes of high driver turnover rates. A high turnover not only lowers your ability to handle more workload but also increases your recruitment costs. Experts estimate that you might incur recruitment bills equal to a position’s yearly salary trying to fill it.
If you’re kind to your workers, they will stick with you for a long time and look out for your business. They will deal with clients professionally while being civil on the road. It also means they will care for all your equipment to lower your overhead costs.
Now more than ever, the trucking sector is proving to be quite lucrative for all players in the industry. However, that also means that you need to beat stiff competition to grow your business. With the right technology and employees, you can give your business an edge. Of course, you need to treat and compensate your employees well to win them over and have them help you achieve your business objectives.
