2024 – the year of optimisation and efficiency. Whether you’re just starting or have been operating your fleet for a while, this article will give you some valuable insights, ideas and actionable strategies to boost your efficiency.
Automation and technology are your friends: Trucking is a fast-paced world, so finding ways to keep ahead of the fleet is crucial. Integration of automation in businesses has become one of the quickest and cheapest ways to boost efficiency for small to medium transport businesses. From automation solutions, telematics, GPS tracking, fuel efficiency programmes and transport management software. All of these can reduce manual tasks, streamline processes, reduce human error and tick away quietly in the background while you focus on other areas of the business.
Make sure what programmes you use are the right fit: We’ve talked about how important automation and technology are – but choosing the right ones for your business is even more so. Just because other transport businesses are using a certain set of software, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Take some time to shop around, book trials and demos, ask questions and make sure it’s a fit both for the needs of your business and also for your values. Supporting a business whose morals or values aren’t aligned with your own won’t be an enduring relationship.
Getting a handle on data: Gathering and analysing data on your business is essential. While it might feel like a ‘nice to do’, it is a ‘must do’ for any and every business. It can help highlight areas that need improvement – maybe your weekly smoko allowance is getting a bit out of hand, whoops! or it is time to do some price comparison for some expenses. It can also help you see where you are succeeding and show what you can do more of.
Outsource when necessary: There are just some jobs that are better left to other people. This is particularly true of SMEs. Think about your strengths and weaknesses and that of the team and fill in the blanks. This could be hiring a freelance social media manager or marketer to help with your marketing needs, or finally hitting the go button on some accounting software.
On-going training: This is a no-brainer but its importance can’t be understated. Driver training, refreshers and retraining are essential. Ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to perform their jobs efficiently and safely is only ever a good thing. This could extend to having a quick session on a Monday morning as a reminder for some health and safety procedures to tips for fuel efficiency they can deploy during the week.
Optimise business processes: It might sound simple, but it’s easy to forget to do when you’re in the thick of things. Take some time to look at different business processes and evaluate what might work for you. e.g. lean methodology – a strategy that identifies and eliminates waste in processes and helps to streamline operations and reduce costs, it’s utilised by Toyota so you know it’s good. Process mapping- utilises tools to create detailed process maps and helps in identifying inefficiencies like bottlenecks or redundant steps in your workflow.
Focus on culture: By fostering a culture of open communication, feedback loops and generally creating a space where your team feel heard and appreciated can yield results on part with automation processes. Some studies suggest that when people feel appreciated in the workplace it boosts their productivity by up to 18 times. The psychological effects of workplace appreciation can show as an increase in a person’s wellness, and a decrease in stress thus improving outputs.
Communication: Clear and streamlined communication is essential for managing a fleet of trucks and drivers. When everyone is on the same page, business can run smoothly and easily. It’s one of the reasons we created the Mobile Driver App – transparent, clear, streamlined information when you need it. Transparent data and shared learning help decision-making.
Take the time to build a good team: If you’re just starting out or perhaps you’re building your team – take your time. From your drivers and dispatchers to your suppliers, mechanics and more, building a robust team and wider team that you can rely on to get the job done right, on time first time, cuts out more inefficiency than you think.
Keep up to date: With changes in government comes the potential change to legislation that will affect the way you run your business. Keep up to date with industry happenings (and share with your team!) so you can keep ahead of your legal requirements.
