Any business needs to implement a delivery strategy at some stage. Outsourcing this may have worked when you didn’t get many orders, but that won’t see you through. When things start to improve, paying per delivery will become too expensive. Plus, it could begin to complicate your business processes. When that happens, you may find it worthwhile to invest in trucks and drivers of your own.
Having your own trucks on the roads is fantastic news. It even means that you can get free marketing as you carry out deliveries. There’s just one issue; you have no way to see what your delivery drivers get up to. Many employers see a worrying trend of drivers going slow so that they can boost their hours. Some don’t even clock out when they get home. The issue with this is that you have won’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to discipline. Delivery jobs can take varying lengths, after all. Getting stuck in traffic can lengthen a driver’s day no end. If you make accusations when this has been the case, you could find yourself on the wrong end of a legal battle.
But, that doesn’t mean you can’t implement some processes to make sure your drivers can’t diddle you. Keep reading to find out how you can be 100% certain you’re only paying for work done.
Install GPS tracking
Installing GPS tracking devices like those found at Securitybees is by far your best bet. Bear in mind that there are laws about monitoring staff without their knowledge. You need to be upfront about installing these. Even so, this ensures employees know they can’t park up at the side of the road and rack up hours. If you have any doubts about a driver clocking out hours after getting home, you can also check with these. You’ll be able to see the location of trucks at all times. It’s a simple step which, in itself, can weed out your worries.
Set up delivery confirmations
It may also be worth setting up confirmations in your inbox when deliveries are received. This is useful for pinpointing your delivery times, which can improve your service. It also shows you how fast or slow a driver’s day is progressing. Over time, you’ll come to know roughly how long deliveries should take depending on the day of the week or the time of day. Then, you’ll be able to spot straight away when a driver is taking longer than average.
Take a no-nonsense approach to rule-flouting
At the very least, make it clear you have a no-nonsense policy when it comes to issues like these. If drivers know they risk their jobs by parking up and wasting time, they’re far less likely to do it. Of course, you’ll need substantial evidence that this has been going on before sacking anyone. But, if you have that, you can set an example to the rest of your fleet to make sure the same doesn’t happen again.
