Top 4 trucking management software myths debunked
By Komal Puri | October 20, 2022
Managing your supply chain and logistics operations by leveraging traditional means, which mostly includes high levels of manual intervention, isn’t going to help enterprises achieve the twin objective of ensuring happy customers and boosting profitability. But yes, an advanced trucking management software can definitely get us there and beyond.
Trucking management software can ensure visibility of your fleet, enhance driver accountability, bring down expenses, come in handy during contingencies, and enhance customer loyalty. From guiding drivers via GPS to optimizing delivery operations--trucking management software can empower fleet owners to expand their businesses easily.
But even with all these advantages, many transportation business owners hesitate to have their fleet GPS tracked. From citing workers' trust-issues to cradling other misgivings, they miss the positives of having their business organized by efficient software. Here's busting some popular trucking management software myths.
Myth #1: It's expensive and too complicated.
Let's debunk this one upfront – no, it isn't. With its multi-pronged advantages, it helps cut costs in the long run. Modern trucking management software can help businesses improve fleet visibility, and track delivery trucks in real-time, thereby reducing the chances of theft and optimizing delivery. It enables seamless collaboration between the owner and the consumer. It seamlessly facilitates multiple-level person-to-person interactions and ensures rapid data-backed decision making. It eliminates information overload by ensuring that supply chain stakeholders can only access those screens that are specific to his or her job. It also increases employee accountability, as you can build various checks to manage delivery proofs and customer feedback in real-time. It adds fleet-value by helping you cut down on documentation (imagine the driver being able to concentrate on delivery instead of filling up a tower of invoices) and empowers you as the logistics stakeholders to be in control at all times.
The ROI of investing in trucking management software is high as providers of such software only charge for what is being used. Businesses pay only for what they use making scaling up and down economical.
Myth #2: The traditional system is the best way to optimize logistics.
Wrong. Today's time is all about exactitude. Doesn't your customer want to know the exact time of the arrival of their shipments? Using the traditional methods, you can only approximate the delivery timing, often having to deal with disappointed customers. But with a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) trucking management platform, you can pinpoint the exact location of your fleet at all times. In fact, even during emergencies (for instance, your truck is caught in sleet or heavy traffic congestion), you can inform your customer well in advance about delays and the rescheduled time of delivery.
With trucking management software, you can take this a step forward by -
- Empowering customers to take charge of their own shipments and change delivery location and time if needed
- Gaining real-time visibility of end-to-end logistics operations and KPIs through advanced Digital Control Towers
- Generating accurate ETAs to help customers have contingency plans ready delays
So, installing and letting trucking management software run the show helps make operations efficient. Such software eliminates time-consuming manual processes, makes deliveries profitable, ensures accurate benchmarking of 3PL KPIs and more.
Myth #3: Even modern trucking software cannot track my vehicles when they travel through remote locations.
Well, that was a decade ago, when the very thought of losing a truck that was transporting thousands of dollars worth of goods kept every transportation businessman awake at night.
Not any longer, though.
Advanced logistics solutions can use tech to allow you to track your fleet out on delivery even in areas of poor to nil connectivity using advanced GPS technology. Constant visibility of your trucks means you can constantly monitor its whereabouts, and act instantly if it suddenly comes to a halt for some reason, reducing chances of theft and pilferage. Businesses’ can proactively plan routes by factoring in climate clemency and route viability.
Myth #4: Mine is a small-fleets business. I don't need digital trucking management.
Whether you have 50 vehicles or 500, the benefit of an automated system will be the same. In fact, you'd be able to scale up your 50-vehicle fleet to a larger one much faster with an efficient tracking and delivery system in place. Look at the advantages of installing a trucking management software -
- Predictive visibility of your fleet
- Seamless collaboration with drivers and customers wherever they are
- Optimized route planning
- Full GPS-tracked visibility of your fleet
- Exact ETAs
- Improved customer service
With so many benefits, do you still need convincing?
Myth #5: Trucking management does not help customer retention.
Oh, yes, it does! Poor customer satisfaction and losses to business thereof are a direct offshoot of poor supply chain visibility. An American Shipper research reveals that "almost three-fourths of supply chain stakeholders cite visibility of freight as one of the most critical challenges to their business, second only to operational costs."
Especially given today's tech-advanced delivery mechanisms, customers want to track their shipment right from the word go and if they can not, it might result in churn. This, in turn, impacts your productivity and business. Know this: time is money, and no customer wants to lose business owing to delays – which means you end up compensating for lost time.
It's quite right to say that in today's age, visibility equals trust, and from the customer's perspective, this can be a game-changer for your business. Trust is a key aspect of ensuring customer happiness and retention when it comes to supply chain and logistics, and trucking management software can boost the visibility of freight movement. Advanced tracking software can also generate critical route-to-delivery data, helping you boost productivity. Tech-savvy businesses are already gaining market ground using trucking management software. Shouldn't you, too?
FarEye is empowering businesses across the globe to optimize logistics operations, reduce costs and drastically shrink delivery turn-around-time. Sign up for a quick demo to understand how we can help your business enhance core logistics processes.
Komal Puri is a seasoned professional in the logistics and supply chain industry. As the AVP of Marketing and a subject matter expert at FarEye, she has been instrumental in shaping the industry narrative for the past decade. Her expertise and insights have earned her numerous awards and recognition. Komal’s writings reflect her deep understanding of the industry, offering valuable insights and thought leadership.
