A bay door with no truck is lost time for them. Yes, I know some don’t care either way. But their bosses want the trailers emptied and gone. Then when you tack on government regulations regarding drive time, weight limits, and all of that, it can get to be a real hassle at times.
Source: www.wisegeek.com
24. Trucking Industry Factors – Equipment type:
There are both pros and cons to the equipment available to the trucking industry today. As such you must really do some research to find what is best for your organizational and operational needs. This equipment can include everything; for computers to forklifts to the trucks and trailers.
There are times when a particular item might be required, per government or contractual obligation. You might have to install special equipment to better assist performance.
Whatever the need, be sure to know what and why you are getting certain pieces of equipment. Often those new to an industry will rush and get the latest toys, only to learn they didn’t need them.
Source: www.rcxsolutions.com
25. Trucking Industry Factors – Driver-friendly facilities:
For some of the old school truckers and loaders this might seem a bit touchy feely. But the fact is that far too often the location where the trucker needs to go just isn’t friendly to the drivers.
Of course, some drivers could possibly be the reason (yes it can go both ways). But respect should be a two-way street.
Drivers should refrain from giving the facility staff reasons to be rude, but at the same time those workers should be professional in their dealings with drivers. There are times when not much can be done, other times the misunderstanding can be resolved rather quickly. But no one can deny there are facilities which some drivers just dread going to.
Things are much more different now with all those great truck stops with all amenities for drivers; truckers all have their favorite one that they visit every time they have a chance.
Source: www.iowa80truckstop.com
Bonus – Trucking Industry Factors – Other Factors:
There are other things that can have a real impact on your operation. A couple of these trucking industry factors are cultural barriers, not respecting the culture or customs of your clients.
Language barriers are another key barrier that can adversely affect your business dealings. There are the obvious examples like: you must deal with a client from Mexico or Quebec but don’t speak Spanish or French. But something that is actually more common, it’s the not understanding the different dialects.
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The USA, depending on which expert you speak to, has almost 30 different English dialects! This doesn’t include the numerous sub-dialects and non-native American-English speakers.
We have all seen and/or experienced speaking with someone whose accent is just too thick or different and you cannot communicate. Well this can cause a real issue, especially when they use regional jargon that isn’t familiar to you, or you use it on them (on top of the differing accents).
Source: www.blog.expresstrucktax.com
Conclusion
As you can see there are numerous influences that cause these trucking industry factors to exist. They often overlap into other areas and can drastically impact the industry. Some of these just can’t be helped, such as the weather. However, other trucking industry factors actually can be controlled, or at least their negative effects can be limited.
Yet, others will actually change the industry, such as the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 or the Motor Carrier Act of 1935. There have been numerous ramifications from the creation of these two acts (besides all the other laws, regulations, acts, and regulatory agencies that were created as a result). The most obvious was the creation of the federal regulatory agency the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) now the DOT.
What are some of the trucking industry factors you deal with the most? What are some trucking industry factors you think I should have included? Share your thoughts and ideas with us.
