What started out as a humble organization with a couple of trucks and drivers has grown larger over time. The higher demand and company success have been an open door for opportunity in the shipping industry. By carefully reinvesting a healthy portion of annual revenue, the company growth has been steady and solid. Finally, the capital exists for a major expansion that will help this shipping fleet start to dominate in its market. Here are four vital steps to take to expand this shipping fleet with the right direction in mind.
Upgrade Tracking Tech
Aside from outfitting trucks with new GPS equipment, it will be nice to also have the technology on board each truck to track where a truck is at in its run from the home office. This will make it possible to identify where a driver is located if there is a problem with their truck or if the driver is in any kind of trouble and needs immediate help. Additionally, good tracking software will help to monitor which drivers are pulling their weight and which ones are lagging behind while on the clock.
Ditch the Older Models
The trucks that have been pushing hard for the last 12 to 15-years are now needing constant repair. To put a fresh new look on the business, it is now time to start replacing older semi-trucks with newer models. Just because a business wants to upgrade to newer truck models, this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t shop around and find semi-truck sales that fit their budgetary requirements as well.
Make a Fueling Plan
With the ever-changing costs in fuel prices, some thought needs to go into the best plan of action for fueling the fleet of trucks doing all the heavy hauling. If the business is operating locally, then an in-house fueling plan might be the smart way to go. If a business has a fleet making shipments over long distances, then it is going to tend to be smarter to look for discounted third-party fueling options to help cut down on overall fuel costs. But, the most important aspect of a fuel plan boils down to the system in place to account for fuel to make sure that fuel is being used efficiently and not wasted due to driver negligence.
Upgrade Top Truckers to Supervisory Roles
Some of the professionals on staff have a lot of experience driving for the company. They have put in the years to be top talent among their colleagues. It is now time to consider rewarding the best drivers in the fleet with promotions to Supervisory positions. This will provide a good foundation for training new drivers, and it will also create a better approach for assessing how other drivers and their needs should be addressed by seasoned professionals: those who have first-hand knowledge of the kinds of problems other fleet drivers face on the open road.
While it is costly to expand the fleet, the greater truck capacity introduces a greater shipping and revenue capacity as well. This means more company drivers are actively shipping more product for more clients. With less repairs and lower cost fuel options over the short term, this expansion effort is going to prove to be lucrative for the company’s bottom line.
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
