I’ve spent years in the logistics industry phoning drivers, and trying to plan cargo pickups and delivery. If you have a fleet of your own, then you’ll understand this picture. But I found the missing link in our operation, a driver app.
Constant schedule changes were hard to handle. From moving shipping containers to the port, to transporting breakbulk cargo to a warehouse, we couldn’t afford delays.
You may be smiling at this point, thinking “I know what you mean.” Of course we had a team overseeing our truck planning, but there was always a disconnect somewhere along the road.
Let me show you how the missing link in your fleet can be solved with delivery technology, more specifically the find of my life, a driver app.
How did a driver app change my logistics business?
Here’s a scenario: Our driver once was en-route to deliver a shipping container to the port. Our company had an 11am deadline to meet the sailing time.
The truck broke down, and we couldn’t reach the driver. Our client’s container was missing in action because we had no idea of where the driver was located.
You don’t have to experience this sort of scenario when you invest in a driver app. Here’s how this technology changed my logistics business for the better.
Instant communication with truck drivers
Our company didn’t have to hold our breath every time we had to make a schedule change.
- You can simply type in delivery or pickup change into the platform. The driver receives this adjustment in real time.
- Your driver doesn’t have to constantly pull off the road to answer a call, or waste precious time.
Real-time tracking gives you control of your fleet
Put yourself in a customer’s shoes: Imagine you have a cargo consignment moving to the port, but you have no idea about what time the cargo will arrive for shipping.
Real-time tracking helps your company help the customer. Why do I say this?
- You can provide the customer with an estimated time of arrival (ETA).
- The customer can then focus on other urgent business matters, knowing cargo delivery is on time.
- If there is an accident on the road, or even a weather hazard, cargo trucks can be rerouted. The customer’s cargo won’t be delayed.
A driver app gives you smoother deliveries
In the logistics industry, it all comes down to speed and timing. You never want to find yourself on the wrong side of a port cutoff.
- A missed dropoff of cargo could result in a missed vessel sailing.
- Extra storage fees at the port.
- Customers could walk away due to delays.
Once our team invested in the app, we knew exactly when a container was dropped off at the port. We didn’t have to call drivers asking “did the cargo arrive on time.”
How to get your team to use a driver app
Okay, many people may not like change.
Some truck drivers have been with our company a long time. These drivers were accustomed to road maps and a phone to their ear.
Here’s what blew me away: The team adapted better than I thought once they saw the benefits.
The team was hooked once they noticed these changes:
- No more constant calls from a panicked manager.
- Wrong delivery addresses were a thing of the past.
- No more misplaced delivery documents.
- Updated real-time trip changes let drivers avoid unnecessary trips.
Let’s recap: A driver app solves the missing link in logistics
If you are not using delivery technology like a driver app yet, then you are making your logistics operations a hard slog.
I have been where you are.
A driver app is the missing link in your business, from dispatch to delivery.
Your fleet has the potential to deliver with speed, without delay. A driver app can unlock this for your logistics operations.
About the author
Sharl is a qualified journalist. He has over 10 years’ experience in the media industry, including positions as an editor of a magazine and Business Editor of a daily newspaper. Sharl also has experience in logistics specifically operations, where he worked with global food aid organisations distributing food into Africa. Sharl enjoys writing business stories and human interest pieces.
