To grow any business, you need to be able to reduce your expenses and increase profit margins. In the simplest of terms, you want more money coming into your business and less going out of it. Using technology to make your operations more efficient is one of the most economical ways to reduce your spend and grow revenue. In many ways, technology levels the playing field between your trucking company and larger carriers.
If you’re looking for ways to increase the profitability of your trucking business in 2021, check out these three essential tips for growing your trucking business.
1. Find and Book Loads Faster with Digital Load Matching
Using load boards to find freight for your truck(s) ends up being more expensive than you think. You often have to pay a monthly subscription fee for each load board that you use, which can add up. Load boards also aren’t real-time, which means you may be wasting time chasing loads that have already been taken by another carrier or driver. Even if you don’t rely on load boards, calling or emailing brokers to find out what they have for loads is time-consuming. It’s important to remember that any time wasted in your daily operations represents revenue lost.
Instead, consider using digital load matching software in your operations to reduce the time and resources needed to find freight for your truck(s). Trucker Tools offers a free software platform for carriers that automatically matches your available truck(s) with loads from the brokers and logistics companies that use our broker software platforms. If the broker or 3PL uses Book It Now, you also may be able to instantly book broker loads via Trucker Tools’ free carrier platform.
2. Reduce Time Spent Tracking Broker Loads
Digital load tracking is here to stay, so why not use it to your advantage? Using a third-party, all-in-one app like the Trucker Tools driver app reduces the number of check calls you get from brokers and provides your drivers with an all-in-one tool they’ll use again and again. Trucker Tools’ driver app integrates with most broker software programs and most shipper visibility platforms. That means your drivers can use the Trucker Tools driver app and its load tracking feature over and over again with multiple brokers and logistics providers on multiple loads. Your drivers don’t have to download a new app every time they pull a broker load, which saves them time.
In addition to a freight tracking tool that will keep brokers happy, Trucker Tools’ free driver app includes 17+ other features and tools that save drivers money and time. The app provides real-time information on weigh scales, parking, truck stops, rest areas, fuel prices, routing, repair shops, hospitals and more.
3. Concentrate Your Human Resources on Relationship-Building, Customer Service
Once you have technology handling load matching and load tracking in your operations, you can change how you use some of your staff resources. When your staff members no longer need to spend hours looking for quality loads, you can have them focus on reaching out to new brokers and expanding your customer base. Increasing the resources you have dedicated to business development will ultimately help you grow your business.
It’s also important to dedicate some of those freed up human resources to providing outstanding customer service to your existing customers. Dedicating more of your staff resources to customer service will keep your customers happy and help you build a strong reputation within the industry.
Read How To Maximize Your Revenue in Q1 for more tips on how to use technology to boost profitability. To learn more about Trucker Tools’ free carrier platform, contact our sales team. To download Trucker Tools’ free driver app, visit https://www.truckertools.com/carriers/.
