Every successful and established trucking business knows, accepts and fully understands that the fundamental way to nurture, grow and expand their core customer base is to ensure their reputation is always of the utmost priority and in the forefront of their mind.
There are, however, a number of other essential areas to focus on when wanting to develop and enlarge your trucking business. Here are seven of the top ways to grow and expand your trucking company.
1. Outsource Your Financial Management and Functions
Regardless of the industry your business is based within, it is impossible to start growing and expanding without first taking full control of every aspect of your finances and financial management. The most effective way of objective and productive financial analysis is to outsource the management of your finances, as well as your payroll services and accountancy. The benefits of outsourcing your financial management are copious and include, but are in no way limited to:
- Access to the latest technology and finance-related software
- A substantial reduction in costs
- The ability to repurpose employees into other areas of your trucking business that need attention
- Access to professional experts who are fully trained and experienced in the management of company finances
- Efficient streamlining of your finances will result in an increase in your cash pool
Alternatively, go through the entirety of your company’s finances with the proverbial fine-toothed comb, first determining your expected, regular and totally unavoidable business costs before moving on to examine your optional, more variable costs and expenses such as the cost per mile of gas and maintenance work for all your company vehicles.
2. Increase Your Notoriety and Improve Your Reputation
Customers are, just as they are in other industries, the most important element of a successful business model and therefore your reputation as a professional and experienced trucking company is of paramount importance. You need to come across as an honest, trustworthy and altogether customer-focused business and the easiest way to cement your reputation is to ensure every single courier job is treated with the utmost respect and consideration.
Increasing your trucking company’s notoriety is, arguably, somewhat easier and essentially centers around creating a firm, strong and simple brand identity, complete with visually appealing logo and a snappy, concise strap line. Enhancing brand awareness is the most effective way of increasing the visibility of your business while simultaneously improving your reputation each time a courier job is successfully and efficiently completed.
3. Utilize Your Social Media Platforms
The fundamental way for an established yet somewhat small scale trucking company to attract new and, hopefully, regular customers is to steadily build a strong network of customers rather than placing the entirety of your eggs in the proverbial single basket. Social media platforms are simultaneously an incredibly efficient and equally cost-effective way of building and promoting your brand and reaching the particular target market your trucking company is aimed at.
Additionally, ensure you promote your trucking business in local newspapers and on your local radio station and even consider having professionally printed flyers to give to local businesses.
4. Use One Regular Courier Job Supplier
Instead of picking up random, one-off courier delivery jobs here and there, it is strongly advisable to register with a professional, established and experienced hot shot trucking company that will strive to ensure you never drive empty. Millions of people use such companies to ensure their shipments are quickly and safely delivered and this opportunity to access such vast numbers of potential customers should not be missed.
5. Keep Constantly Informed Of Trucking Regulations
Much like within other areas of industry, the trucking business constantly adapts and changes and it is vitally important to stay abreast of such changes to ensure your business is not left behind by its competitors. Not only that, but any breach, accidental or otherwise, of the current rules and regulations could result in a temporary, or even permanent, ban on trading and delivering.
One fundamental area in which it is strongly advisable that you remain entirely versed in is the area pertaining to environmental law relating to trucking businesses and it is recommended that you thoroughly research and comprehensively understand the INVEST Act, which revolves around states’ transportation policies and legalities.
6. Revamp Your Website Design
Similar to other industries that rely on reputation to ensure repeat business and attract and encourage new customers, a comprehensively designed and user-friendly website is a vital component that you simply cannot afford to neglect.
The trucking industry is becoming increasingly oversaturated and competitive, so it is vital that you ensure your website not only stands apart from the crowd but is marketed specifically to your target audience. The most cost-effective and productive means of ensuring your company’s website is as well-designed as possible is to outsource your web design to a professional, established and experienced website design business.
7. Create A Mobile-Friendly App
In these modern times, not only is the internet quickly becoming the principal way for businesses to attract new customers, but these days it is supremely in the best interests of your business to create a mobile-friendly app for your company to complement your desktop website.
When designing your mobile-friendly company app, ensure you do not commit the cardinal sin of simply downsizing and condensing the main information on your website and compressing it down into a format suitable for a mobile phone.
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