Managing Director, David Griffiths and Operations Managers, Deb Towle discuss RJK Logistics and moving transport management system provider for a “better service”.
It all started in 2015 when RJK Logistics was born to back up its sister company, Maplevale Homes. The team were fed up with suppliers letting them down, so they decided to take the matter into their own hands. With just two trucks, they hit the roads of Burton Upon Trent. Fast forward eight years, RJK Logistics has grown to support other clients besides Maplevale Homes. They now operate seven trucks and are still expanding. To keep up with their growth, the company has been using a Transport Management System, but they recently switched providers.
We caught up with the dynamic duo behind the company’s success, Managing Director David Griffiths and Operations Manager Debbie Towle, to talk about their journey and their new move.
HaulTech: Can you tell me about what your roles involve at RJK logistics?
David: As Managing Director, I oversee everything in the business. From looking after staff to making sure our customers are happy. I’ll use the transport system to add jobs and monitor how the drivers are getting on.
Debbie: I am the Operations Manager and I deal with the day-to-day task of dealing with drivers and clients, I manage the accounts, cash flow and all administration including invoicing customers.
HaulTech: You’ve recently moved Transport Software provider, can you tell us why that is?
David: Previously we had Mandata and it just wasn’t right for the industry we are in. If you work with pallets then it looks like it could be half-decent, but for bulk hauliers it doesn’t have the flexibility we need and that’s an example of tech making things more difficult but we knew we still needed a system. We moved to HaulTech because of the positive reviews we heard and it’s mindblowing how much better and faster it is.
Debbie: Yeah, what I would add to that is things are made difficult when a system runs slow and unfortunately our old one did. That could be partially our fault because our internet isn’t always the fastest but so far we’ve had nothing affect the efficiency of the HaulTech system, so I do see it as a positive change for us.
HaulTech: Was moving systems challenging?
David: Not at all. We thought it could be but I think because we had a system before, we were used to using this kind of tech. I think it might be a bit more challenging if it was your first time using a system.
Debbie: I’d agree with David, it’s just an investment of time to get used to different features but once you’re used to it, you can fly through tasks.
HaulTech: What are the key differences that you have noticed?
David: Raising a bulk PO is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s so much faster on HaulTech. Adding jobs is more simple and the way we do things is so much more efficient. Plus HaulTech provides a better service, their customer support team are always on the other end of the phone if we need help.
Debbie: For me, it’s the invoicing. With the new system, we’ve saved a few hours a week. It’s easy for us to just batch email customers their invoices and export information into Sage. Before we had to do a lot of it manually, but HaulTech’s integration with Sage works great and is a lifeline.
HaulTech: How do you see those features helping you in the future?
David: As we grow as a business, we’ll be getting a lot more administration to keep up with and with the system being so fast, it’s going to reduce the difficulty that comes with the extra admin work. If we were using our old system or working in paper, then we’d have to accept the fact that growth could be too challenging and costly from the perspective of time and money.
Debbie: It’s just all about time savings, invoicing with HaulTech saves me hours a week. I can now use that time to help facilitate other tasks that I couldn’t get around to before.
HaulTech: Would you recommend the HaulTech Transport system to others?
David: I can only speak on behalf of the bulk haulage sector, but to the bulk hauliers out there, I highly recommend it. The system really understands the way we work and that makes using it so much more simplistic.
Debbie: Absolutely, for the invoicing efficiency alone, it’s worth it. Everything else it does is a bonus.
If you are considering moving transport management system provider like RJK and would like to know more about how HaulTech can support you, then contact us today by clicking here, calling 01782 662244 or saying hello@haultech.co.uk.
