Don’t Lose Good HGV Drivers. Empower Them with TouchPoint.
The HGV driver shortage is still badly affecting UK companies in 2023. Driver shortages currently impact 42% of businesses, while 45% of drivers feel inclined to quit their jobs due to the increased pressure the shortages are causing. That is why it is vital, more than ever, for rental companies to focus on retaining and utilising their HGV and van drivers.
The Spartan team has shadowed HGV drivers as they delivered and returned rental equipment to and from customer sites. The drivers explained that the software apps they currently use to manage their daily workload are clumsy, slow, and inflexible.
For example, the time taken to photograph four sides of delivered equipment and upload the results to the server is often longer than the time to physically unload the equipment. Drivers are forced to answer unnecessary questions due to the software’s inability to identify different equipment types, meaning drivers must provide information that is not necessary for their load. Then there is the juggling of work management apps and specialist truck navigation apps, which requires rekeying both coordinates and truck dimensions for every trip.
These everyday frustrations reduce driver morale and increase the risk that drivers will defect to competitors. The costs of replacing experienced drivers are higher than ever, and the time it takes to recruit new drivers will adversely impact your operations.
And with driver wage costs increasing, it is even more critical to squeeze maximum productivity from every shift. Poorly designed software will reduce the number of trips a driver can complete and decrease equipment utilisation.
Rental companies that remove driver frustration and replace clumsy general-purpose apps with streamlined rental-ready apps will lose fewer drivers to competitors and avoid lost revenue due to driver shortages and wasted time.
Spartan Solutions designed TouchPoint in collaboration with equipment rental HGV drivers. Logistics planners use the TouchPoint web app to group, route plan, and assign delivery, return, and transfer work to depot drivers. HGV drivers then use the TouchPoint mobile app to complete vehicle inspections, load the truck, execute their work, and finally unload the returned equipment at the end of a shift.
TouchPoint is aware of your equipment types and can change behaviour accordingly. For example, drivers delivering large plant must record at least four photographs and the latest fuel meter reading when dropping off at a customer site, while a hand tool will only require one photo. Taking pictures with TouchPoint is rapid (think Facebook or WhatsApp speed), and drivers don’t have to wait for an internet connection to upload – TouchPoint takes care of this in the background.
TouchPoint also integrates with leading HGV truck navigation apps, automatically launching and updating weight and height measurements as the equipment is loaded and unloaded. This means your drivers can quickly and safely navigate from site to site.
Don’t lose good HGV drivers. Empower them with TouchPoint