With costs of operations set to rise in the short to medium term, HaulTech’s complete fleet management solutions provide hauliers with the tools they need to ensure they operate as efficiently and profitably as possible.
Despite increased pressure placed on the industry through Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed how goods are moved into and out of the UK, members of the logistics sectors adapted their operations quickly to meet these additional complexities. However, the ‘Logistics Report 2021’, released in May 2021 makes for alarming reading for some organisations.
Elizabeth de Jong, policy director at Logistics UK, stated that fleet operators in the UK will face higher costs in the short to medium term. This increase in operating costs will see limited opportunity for investment into efficient operations. According to de Jong, expenditure on green technology, such as alternatively fuelled vehicles, upskilling existing workforces, and funding the wages of new recruits will be sacrificed to keep costs within the typical “very tight profit margins” of 1 or 2%.
One of the main findings of the report is that hauliers across the UK are concerned with numerous barriers to business recovery. Customers no longer trading, relationships with the EU and a lack of demand were all amongst the top concerns. One of the other key concerns was the recruitment and training of drivers. With staffing shortages in the industry, highlighted by more than 18,500 fewer Driver CPC qualifications issued in 2020, over 57% of hauliers are concerned about driver recruitment.
However, the effective management of your fleet could present a cost-effective solution to handling this lack of driver availability. HaulTech’s multi-award winning Transport Software allows hauliers to efficiently manage their resources from drivers to vehicles and trailers. Configurable weight totals and/or pallet space for each vehicle ensures that each is fully loaded and there is no unutilised space within your fleet. Detailed driver and vehicle utilisation reports available on the transport system also help management to better understand how their vehicles are being deployed.
Skilled staff member shortages aren’t limited to just drivers. Where proficient back office staff are unavailable, the Transport Management Software also helps to alleviate the pressure. With a single point of data entry and an easy-to-use interface, staff members are able to seamlessly create, schedule and assign work. The elimination of data duplication allows the team to reduce their administration processes by 80%, allowing them to focus their efforts on supporting other areas of the business.
Hauliers may also see increased costs due to the increased costs of keeping their vehicles on the road. Repairs and maintenance costs have risen by over 3% and with some hauliers reporting up to 80% increase on their insurance premium, there has never been a more important time to ensure your vehicles are protected on the road. HaulTech’s vehicle hardware solutions have a proven history of reducing operating costs for hauliers by simply protecting their assets. Not only have they helped to fight false claims, lower the environmental impacts and reduce insurance premiums but improve driver behaviour as well. Solutions like this are a potential factor behind the 22% drop in the number of HGV fatal incidents per billion vehicles miles.
With an unknown road ahead for hauliers, HaulTech has a range of solutions to help cut costs, maximise efficiency and improve output for fleet operators. If you would like to learn more about how these solutions can help improve your transport operations then contact the team today by clicking here, calling 01782 662244 or saying hello@haultech.co.uk.
