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NewsDay

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What struggles and challenges do delivery companies face?

Opinion & Analysis
When it comes to managing a warehouse and fleet, companies need to be diligent and understand what they need to do to make sure that they keep production moving. However, they might have a lot more to organize than many people realize

When it comes to managing a warehouse and fleet, companies need to be diligent and understand what they need to do to make sure that they keep production moving. However, they might have a lot more to organize than many people realize. Here are some of the challenges and struggles that delivery companies face on a day-to-day basis, and what they need to do to avoid some potentially expensive consequences. 

Maintenance of equipment

Equipment maintenance is one area where you can’t cut any corners. If just one bit of warehouse equipment breaks down or malfunctions, your team is going to have a lot of trouble working around it to meet what could be an already tight deadline. A good way to avoid this unplanned downtime is by making sure that all equipment is put in for routine checks every month to ensure that it reaches health and safety standards, and will continue to work well. If, for example, if one of your conveyors stops working properly, they will need to replace it from a reliable company such as fluentconveyors.com.

In this time, workers are going to need to figure out how to get packages and goods from one end of the warehouse to the other in the same amount of time. This can be a huge problem if they have a working line on the conveyor, as it can make work come to a standstill, and then complaints will be made by other areas of the warehouse that production has slowed or come to a stop entirely. 

Managing the Fleet

Many delivery companies face a lot of problems when it comes to organizing their fleet. An organized fleet is exceptionally important for any delivery business that wants to stay in business. On top of this, managing a fleet is a lot more than just pointing fingers on a map to where the truckers need to go. It’s ensuring that both the drivers and the vehicles get the attention that they deserve, all before, during, and after the delivery has taken place. This is ensuring that all licenses and vehicles are checked before they depart, making sure that routes are configured, and what to do if there is a diversion, as well as constant communication to the destination warehouse to give an ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival), so that it can get its own teams ready to turn over the delivery as fast and as efficiently as possible to make sure that the next stage along the production line can begin.

There are also the return journeys for truckers, which can be a long and boring trek and can be quite stressful if they are returning things to the departure site. Delivery companies also have to take responsibility for how their truckers drive on the roads and sometimes need to payout for replacements for any delivery items lost or destroyed if there is an incident involving the truck on the road, or they get stolen. If fleets are not managed properly, there are going to be some huge issues with the driver, the destination site, and the packages themselves.