Over the past few years there has been a huge breakdown in the supply chain on literally every level from local deliveries to global shipments. Much of it was the result of Covid-19 but perhaps the pandemic just heightened an issue that was already causing problems in the background. There have always been customer complaints in regard to not getting shipments timely, but with the sheer influx of online commerce, those numbers became much more pronounced. As a result, a growing number of entrepreneurs are seeking to start a shipping business. With this in mind, let’s look at a few essential tips for starting that much-needed delivery service.
Choose your service area wisely
This will largely depend on the type of delivery vehicles you choose to invest in. For local deliveries to end consumers, vans and smaller trucks may be your best option. However, if you are going to be servicing the entire country, you may need to invest in a few large trucks referred to as Heavy Goods Vehicles, or simply HGV. The legal maximum weights HGVs can carry are defined on the government website but you can already imagine the loads will be quite large. These are more often used for large B2B shipments from warehouses to local distributors.
Compare costs on all major expenses
Another thing to be aware of is the importance of reducing startup and operating costs wherever possible. For everything from truck insurance to office premises, you can do a bit of comparison shopping online to get the lowest price available; truck insurance can easily be found online via a site like quotezone.co.uk. With that said, you should also locate consumer feedback to ensure you are dealing with reputable companies wherein quality will not suffer with reduced costs.
Hire experienced drivers
In terms of truck insurance, let that be your guide when hiring drivers. Be sure to thoroughly check their licence classification as well as their driving history. You don’t want to hire drivers who were at fault in traffic accidents or have an abundance of moving violations over the years. An HGV licence isn’t the only factor you are checking for and it also might be a good suggestion to see if they’ve ever had a drink-related ticket. All this matters and so it really is important to check as completely as the law allows. Your business survival could depend on it.
Utilise the latest fleet management software
Finally, this is another important investment. With the latest hi-tech fleet management software, you can almost let the program do the scheduling, updates, ordering and analysing every aspect of every function within your startup. From keeping trucks visible in real-time GPS to finding more efficient routes Artificial Intelligence, AI, takes many of the tasks off you. The right fleet management program can even keep track of and schedule vehicle maintenance to keep those trucks in service every day of the week.
There has already been a breakdown in the supply chain, and this is why you are considering starting a delivery service. Don’t be yet another break in the chain. These tips should give you essential information for launching a successful startup.
