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You have a standing fleet maintenance operation, fully equipped and fully staffed.

You have a major investment in that operation and it costs you money to run it.

So, let me ask you this:

When there’s a slowdown, do you lay off trained techs to reduce overhead?

Or, do you bring in for-hire business to increase profits?

I think I know the answer.

Maps are among the most important items in your routing and scheduling toolbox. Using current map data is the basis for any successful business with route planning needs. Still route planning has become much more complex than just simply inputting origin and destination points.

TMS software is an invaluable asset for running a successful transportation business. A transportation company is an intricate machine and keeping all the parts running smoothly takes tremendous coordination. Dispatchers, fleet managers, drivers and account reps, plus commercial carriers and other trading partners, have to make well-informed decisions, anticipate problems before they arise and attend to the details of every shipment.

The logistics industry is dominated by swift order fulfillment, attention to detail and customer retention, and the option of the quick “click” makes it simpler to handle daily tasks on schedule and on time.

Our guest blogger has vast experience in trucking management. His focus includes optimizing clients’ freight networks and operations strategies.

In the course of our consulting practice, we review and analyze many carriers’ freight networks. This consultation includes reviewing clients’ strengths and weaknesses when it comes to managing transportation services. While every carrier we visit uses transportation brokers, most do not have a strategy for those relationships. Carrier/broker relationships are largely transactional in nature, and are typically handled at a low level in the carrier’s organization. Carriers should have a strategy for managing brokers and should treat brokers as valued sales agents, not as the enemy. A good relationship with a broker that pays your bills timely and acts like a customer to help keep your trucks moving productively can be a valuable partner.

By Dave Walters

Maps answer the age-old question “How do I get there from here?” and help drivers move from Point A to Point B. From displaying the location of gas stations and restaurants to identifying alternate roads, maps enhance the ability of drivers to plan and execute a route.

Trucking companies require effective fuel management. Sending drivers off with fuel discount cards is one way to cut refueling costs. But it’s not the only way. In fact, it’s not saving you enough.

It takes more than pre-negotiated discounts to control fuel expenses fleet-wide, especially under differing driving conditions and routes. Not to mention fluctuating fuel prices and use tax rates that vary from state to state.

Make it work – a phrase that’s become part of the business-world lexicon, thanks to the combined influence of reality TV and the web. Closer to home, it’s the logical approach for transportation management and fleet management providers to embrace – but companies short on technology and heavy on effort may spend vast amounts of time trying to make it work without much progress.

If industry volumes have been on the rebound for more than five years, why are so many fleet businesses still struggling with truck driver retention and creating successful driver retention strategies?