Making Connections and Staying Organised in the Haulage Industry

Making Connections and Staying Organised in the Haulage Industry
By Norman Dulwich

 

Driving all over the place delivering goods for several clients

on one trip? Many drivers in the haulage industry must complete

transport contracts with complex routes and delivery

requirements. Groupage - the combination of several transport

contracts on one trip in order to maximise the usage of space -

and return loads - picking up goods at your first destination

and returning with them to your point of origin - can really

make delivery a confusing and complicated task. However, with

proper organisation you can make the most of your time, fuel,

and vehicle's cubic capacity.

Making Connections

With each completed contract, you're making a business

connection, and a single delivery contract can become a more

long-term relationship. This connection might give you regular

contracts which can become easier and easier to schedule as you

become familiar with the route, clients, and the repeated

contracts. Be sure to stay in touch with your clients, as you

never know when they might need to have goods transported which

would fit in conveniently with a delivery route you already

have.

Keeping up these connections makes it easier for you to secure

contracts for groupage or return loads. Create a mailing list

where you (occasionally) let customers know about routine trips

that they can participate in at a discounted rate, and be sure

to treat each contract with regard and consideration. No one

wants to feel that their contract is considered unimportant

because they are part of a groupage agreement or return loads.

Staying Organised

Create spreadsheets of each client who has hired you for a

transport contract. Be sure to include location, volume of goods

transported, dates of contract (or several contracts), and to

where they have needed goods shipped. Even if you're contacted

for a shipment but are unable to take on the contract, be sure

to include the information (such as delivery location) so that

you can better understand the needs of your potential clients.

That way, next time you're heading up that way and to a

destination likely to be of use to a client on your list, you

can contact them to let them know that you'll be travelling that

direction and that you can offer them a discounted rate for

including their goods on your trip. This is a great way to

increase groupage contracts, return loads and of keeping in

contact with customers.

Another great way to stay organised is to create an electronic

wiki map of regular routes that you take and make this publicly

accessible on a website. Potential clients on this route with

smaller loads might then be more likely to contact you for

delivery. Have your own private electronic wiki map (not

accessible to the public on your website) where you map out all

your past and current clients.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the

world's largest neutral trading hub for same day haulage jobs

and return loads in the express freight exchange industry. Over

2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together

through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe

'wholesale' environment.