Conquering driver shortage

Conquering driver shortage through efficiency

In mid-2021, as the UK began to emerge from its period of lockdown, our client needed help to address the increased demand for transport services. The challenge they faced was significant given that the transport industry as a whole had experienced an acute shortage of drivers and an inflation of costs associated with transporting goods.

The Challenge

Streamlining operations and achieving success amid driver shortage
In mid-2021, as the UK began to emerge from its period of lockdown, our client needed help to address the increased demand for transport services. The challenge they faced was significant given that the transport industry as a whole had experienced an acute shortage of drivers and an inflation of costs associated with transporting goods.

Our Strategy

Our client had two key areas where we needed to provide a solution. The first was for the daily operational volumes required out of their East Midlands depot, and the second was supporting peak periods from September to January. During these times, up to 20 extra loads per day were needed to be shipped out to UK customer distribution centres.

We provided a mixture of our own Artics and traction only services for their pre-loaded trailers. As well as pre-booked loads, we offered flexibility with last minute changes and adjustments, handling up to 40 loads per day during the busiest weeks.

It was essential that we handled this task with efficiency, making sure that all documentation and regulations were met while meeting tight deadlines.

To ensure that our client’s needs were met, we implemented a strategy focused on efficiently managing resources and creating a set of rates as a base for their forecasts. This was done to prevent any potential disruption caused by the volatile open market rates at the time. A team of experienced professionals were also brought on board; two dedicated Account Managers who covered shifts around the clock, plus additional operational staff for monitoring and addressing any daily operational changes.

Our Impact

We took our commitment to the client’s satisfaction seriously and worked hard to ensure quality results. Our close relationship provided us with insight into the client’s needs and, as a result, we were able to exceed their expectations. Through regular communication, we managed to provide continuous coverage of all work required and successfully made sure no stores stopped service or ran out of daily stock or online orders. In this way, our client was able to carry on throughout Covid-19 without disruption and into the post-Covid months. This is a true testament to our commitment in delivering unparalleled customer service.

Dedicated, real-time support from experts

At Freightline, we understand how important good customer service is to retailers – we want our clients to be able to offer the same. That’s why we take such care over every delivery system and guarantee an outstanding level of logistical support 24 hours a day. Not only that, but our team are constantly searching out new ways to reduce journey times and find the most efficient routes possible.

With Freightline on your side you can have confidence that goods will always reach customers promptly and securely.