Let’s be realistic: we almost always compete on price, so it has become the only thing we value. And that is the ruin of the whole industry.
Obviously changing is not easy but we need to focus more on the importance of transportation, improving the quality of transportation and recovering margins. Acquire new technologies and understand the needs of our customers and those of our customers.
If we continue to act in the same way, it will be difficult to change our view of transport services.
Digitization is key
It’s not a cliché, it’s the reality, digitization is key. And with few exceptions, the industry does not know how to identify this opportunity. We have a relatively high level of technology in tractors and trailers, highly technical driving systems to reduce consumption, etc. But we do not have digital tools aimed at the management or process of the business related to the load and the service of the same. In a few moments you can know the condition of the tires of a vehicle by accessing the manufacturer’s platform, but when it comes to notifying a delay in a delivery, the thing is impossible.
And for customers the most important thing is to have visibility on the load. If your customer’s customer has an intense flow, this cargo being transported is vital to operations. Knowing exactly what time it will arrive is more than important, even essential for the workflow.
We must now focus on the quality of the information service we provide. And escape the myth that control tower-type technological solutions are a mechanism for monitoring my work, a “spy” sitting next to you, and so on.
These types of tools represent two vectors of improvement for your business:
An intern. Where it helps me better manage my business. With fewer resources and more reliability. How many miles do I run on average? What is my punctuality rate? These are vital questions about running a business, even if you’re “only” on the road. How I communicate work with drivers. How do I implement digital CMR and avoid all this management. Etc.
And an external one. During the time I carry a load, I need to be aware that this load requires tracking. It’s not that they follow me, they follow my charge, in order to determine if I will breach the agreements with the client. Magically some platforms have managed to break away from transport. And this is bad for everyone because “because it has no value” because we separate it. But for many others, delivery is part of the job and that’s where we add value.
Highlighting is key
If we don’t want to compete on price, we have to compete on other factors. The quality of latency has a very high benefit. Even if we fail in certain tasks, if we warn in time and manage the situation well, it will not be considered a failure, on the contrary. It is considered good information management.
And while you can’t always fail, you can’t always be right. And the question is clear, who do you trust more, the organization you need to call to find out where your load is, or the one that warns you in advance that there is a problem?
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Hardman allows for a very fast adoption of technology and is sold as a service so it does not require large investments. The price of fuel is out of our control but the way we work is that we can control it, so you better focus on that.