So you want to start your own trucking business, or maybe you have your own business but you want some tips and hints to make it better. It isn’t an easy business to run, and you need to make sure you pay attention to the finer points of trucking to ensure you and your guys stay legal and your business stays shielded against potential threats. You may already do some of these article points, however you can also try the ones you don’t to see if it increases the productivity or even safety of your business.
Do Proper Driver Checks
These are really important and unfortunately some companies aren’t stringent enough. You need to first properly interview them with all the right questions asked. Then go for references and a criminal background check to make sure they haven’t committed crimes that could affect their driving. They could be banned from driving, for example. Check their license, make sure it is legitimate. These guys are driving machines which are incredibly hard to drive and sometimes will be carrying extremely valuable cargo. They are essentially a reflection of you and your business so be sure to make the employee checks stringent.
Random Driver Testing
After you have employed your workforce don’t stop keeping them on their toes. Test them every now and then to see if they are adhering to the law and your rules. Use a drug test cup to check whether they are using drugs and similar products to test for alcohol. You should also ensure they are getting all the right amounts of sleep they need. You can install timers in the cabins which monitor how long they have been driving for. By doing these your drivers will not get complacent. Also, it gives you the ability to show due diligence. If something bad happens you can quite easily show a court the amount of checks you make to ensure your drivers are adequate, potentially saving you a lot of money in damages.
Keep Trucks In Good Condition
The best thing to do is get them fully serviced twice a year. Usually it is only once, but as they are constantly in high speed motion and used more than other vehicles you should get them checked more often to ensure that they are at top condition. Doing this finds potential issues, which in turn increases the longevity of your fleet.
Truck Test
Make sure before each driver sets off they do a quick truck test to ensure everything is working. This means checking the mirrors are calibrated, the tire tread depths are good and that the brakes work. This can save issues on the road and further damage being dealt to the truck or to other vehicles on the road which could of course lead to legal action. You should set out a checklist for them to follow and make sure they are sticking to it. Get them printed off and they should fill them out and hand them into the depot before leaving for their journey.