The well-publicised shortages of milkshakes at MacDonalds and chicken at Nandos, KFC and Greggs here in the UK have been largely blamed on the equally well-publicised dearth of truck drivers. While there is a lot of truth to that (there are also labour shortages in farming, meat processing and packaging), we wonder if the driver shortage hasn’t at last exposed a lack of operating efficiency in the transport and food industries. Looking at the current market conditions, the use of drivers by truck operators and retailers alike will need to change as the traditional way of doing things relies too much on a plentiful supply of cheap HGV drivers and that state of affairs has changed.
We believe that a substantial part of the solution to the driver shortage is readily available and has been proven in real-world use by certain industry heavyweights. In short, it’s our contention that every element of the supply chain must be made as efficient as possible, starting with recognising that drivers are a vital resource that needs to be cared for and valued accordingly. It can’t stop there, however. Transport operations must also be regarded as a commodity to be conserved. By viewing transport in such a manner, all companies in a supply chain should use whatever measures are available to improve the efficiency of transport resources.
The solution of which we speak is a sophisticated TMS. While it cannot solve the whole problem, it can go a long way to doing so. What would really help is if not only hauliers and 3PLs utilise such a TMS, integrated with their other systems, but that suppliers and retailers do likewise. A leading-edge TMS will enable the best mix of full and consolidated load shipments, together with total transparency, along with many other benefits.
To learn how some major operators are already using our CarrierNet TMS and improving their operating efficiencies and cost structures please do not hesitate to contact Bashir Khan here.