A delivery fleet is an essential part of your logistics chain, getting your products to where they need to be. However, your fleet needs to be up-to-date. Keeping your delivery fleet as it was a decade ago might be cheaper in the short-term, but long-term it can get expensive as lost opportunities and maintenance fees pile up. Here are some tips on how you can duly upgrade your delivery fleet so that you get the best results.
Find Out What You Need
At the top of your list when you plan to upgrade is to determine what specific sort of upgrades your fleet needs. Upgrading your fleet already involves getting new trucks, which will improve many of the features in them because they will have modern technology. However, there might be specific systems that need to be installed. For example, if you find yourself expanding internationally and sending products via air, then installing air cargo systems on some of your trucks can be worth the price.
Another thing to consider is whether you will be changing the truck type you are buying or whether you will be dividing your truck fleet. For example, you might want to purchase long-distance haulers for your fleet if you have outgrown the small trucks that you are currently using.
Talk with the Right People
There are several people you are going to have to talk to when it comes to upgrading. For one, there is your team of drivers. They take your trucks out every day, and they should be able to point out what the current problems are and what they want to see when it comes to upgrades. Next, there is your mechanics. They are the ones who work on your fleet and keep it running. They will be familiar with what problems there are with your current fleet, and they can answer the most critical question: do you need to upgrade?
The vital person to have a conversation with is the sales rep that you’re buying from. Talk with the sales rep about what you need in your delivery fleet and listen to what they can offer you. Your discussion with the sales rep should also include the price and potential payment schemes.
Budget Properly
An upgrade to a fleet of trucks is going to be expensive. The upfront price is going to be hard to handle. However, proper budgeting can help with that. You can probably arrange a deal to trade in your old vehicles for new ones. If needed, you can outright sell them. This pays for the purchase price, though.
You will need to be aware of the hidden costs of the upgrade. This mainly comes in the form of additional fees and maintenance costs. Take this into consideration when you are doing your calculations for the upgrade budget.
Smart Scheduling
Despite the upgrade, you will still need to keep your products on the road to your customers. This is why you need to properly schedule the upgrade so that there is no disruption in your schedule. A slow phase-out of your old trucks can be easier as you will still need to test out the new vehicles and upgrades. This ensures if something does go wrong with your new fleet, you still have a backup.
Getting your products from your headquarters to your customers smoothly is essential if you want to stay ahead of the competition. The tips above should help ensure a smooth process. If done right, you can be sure that your company will see the benefits in no time.
