If you are a trucker and have decided to start your new journey as an owner operator, you might find it challenging. This is because getting constant load at favorable price can be difficult and time consuming.
To make sure you are getting loads and are growing constantly, you might consider planning your route before starting the journey, leasing different types of freight trucks and finding potential clients who might be interested in your trucking solutions. You can also try educating your drivers, using load boards effectively and getting dispatch service for owner operators. Let us know about these effective strategies to help you grow your trucking business in detail.
5 Proven Strategies to Grow Your Trucking Business
There are many strategies you could follow that can help you grow your trucking business, stand out from your competitors and overcome challenges in the transportation industry. These are:
Plan Routes Efficiently
Truck route optimisation is important to grow your business. Mapping shortest routes between multiple pickups/deliveries minimizes overall mileage. You can use truck route optimization software to find optimal paths to lower fuel costs. This can also help you cut and lower your logistics operational costs and be profitable.
Educate Your Drivers
Training drivers in defensive driving, timely maintenance and hypermiling techniques can reduce the risk of delayed shipment. This can also help you save money that you would have to spend otherwise on truck maintenance.
Use Load Boards Efficiently
Utilizing load boards efficiently by tapping into multiple platforms expands your access to available freight loads. To maximize your chances of getting loads, you can use platforms like DAT, TruckStop, and many more. And if you are already using these platforms, then use them efficiently by:
- Promptly responding to load queries that interest you.
- Refreshing the web page after every 10 minutes to see recently added loads.
- Looking for shipments where shipping goods are perishable items.
Expand Your fleet
Adding more trucks allows you to book more loads and significantly increases your overall capacity. You can diversify your fleet composition by incorporating different truck types, such as flatbeds, reefers, dry vans, goose neck trucks, etc. This can broaden your service offerings and increase your appeal to potential clients.
Partner with Companies Offering Dispatch Service for Owner Operators
To add new clients, you will need to communicate well and convince new businesses to work with you and get your trucking services. Or you can get in touch with experts who provide dispatch service for owner operators. However, it's crucial to exercise due diligence when looking for dispatchers to set your business for success.
Conclusion
Adopting a growth strategy focusing on fleet expansion, driver education, and efficient use of load boards can help you compete successfully against big players. Planning efficient routes and working with experienced dispatchers can also result in high growth and can help you scale your business and gain profit over time.
