How to Start a Sustainable Trucking Company

Julie Starr • May 14, 2022



Today’s trucking industry is rapidly changing. The emergence of e-logs and other digital compliance solutions has made it possible for
fleets to operate more efficiently . The increased adoption of telematics and connected vehicles improves fleet uptime and monitors driver performance to help reduce accidents. These changes also make drivers happier, safer, and more productive by eliminating unproductive waiting time, cutting downtime during maintenance, and proactively monitoring vehicle performance. This has led to an increased demand for companies that can provide services related to this type of truck—known as sustainable trucking companies.

Do your research into sustainability in trucking .

Before deciding to start a sustainable trucking company, make sure you have researched the viability of this type of business. And if you are thinking of investing in an existing sustainable trucking company, you should conduct due diligence to determine its financial viability. As mentioned above, the demand for clean diesel trucks has grown significantly. This has created a new market for sustainable trucking companies to take advantage of this demand. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before entering this market. Sustainability currently plays a significant role in trucking. But since it is a relatively new concept for many truckers, you need to do your part to educate the industry on how to be sustainable and why it is essential. 

Align with sustainability allies and partners

Reaching out to various allies and partners can help you get your sustainable trucking company up and running quickly and efficiently. Some of the most important partners to consider are policymakers, regulators, logistics providers, and customers. Working with policymakers and legislators can help ensure that your business complies with the latest regulations and that your customers can remain compliant. 

Logistics providers such as truck manufacturers, fleet owners, fleet management companies, and suppliers can provide you with essential equipment and services to help you get your business off the ground. These include everything from vehicles to maintenance and telematics services, helping you get your business off the ground and running efficiently. 

Ensure drivers are on board with your sustainability efforts

Before you hire any drivers looking for careers in truck driving , you should ensure they are on board with your sustainability efforts. Drivers can be excellent advocates for your sustainability efforts by sharing their knowledge with your customers. Likewise, they can also help you improve your sustainability efforts by providing feedback and recommendations on how you can do better. 

Use eco-friendly fuel sources .

In addition to using clean diesel trucks, sustainable trucking companies also work to reduce pollution and achieve greater fuel efficiency. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using bio-based or renewable fuels in vehicles. While diesel engines have been proven to run on blends of bio-based and renewable energies, trucks that operate on natural gas reduce emissions by up to 99% .

Use technology to improve route planning and logistics .

A vital part of any sustainable trucking company is the planning and logistics behind each trip. These include the route, fuel efficiency, and more. Some key technologies that can help improve these efforts include the following: 

  • Satellite-based navigation systems 
  • Real-time traffic information 
  • ELD technology
  • IoT devices 
  • Real-time fuel prices
  • Digital maintenance logs 

These technologies can help you plan the best route, avoid traffic jams, minimize idling time, track maintenance, reduce fuel usage, etc. They can also help you plan your trips using various sustainability factors, such as fuel prices and the weather. The IoT devices and real-time data that these technologies provide can also allow you to provide better service to your customers. This includes tracking the location of shipments, managing inventory, and ensuring drivers are meeting delivery timeframes.

By Julie Starr 06 May, 2024
Building a business can be full of stress, uncertainty and pretty ugly moments whilst you’re in the trenches. Although you can’t avoid some pressured moments, you can choose to take the happy high road when it comes to all aspects of your business. Cultivating an ethos that is based on happiness will help to keep you grounded during those trying times. It will also help to attract the right employees and customers in your business realm so that you are always crossing paths with people who think in the same way as you. When it comes to employee satisfaction , you should always try to keep them as happy as possible, as they are truly what makes your business go round. Happiness isn’t a linear scale, but it can certainly help to give your business the edge over your competitors as it will be a more appealing and positive establishment overall. If you’re unsure how to weave happiness into the ethos of your business, here are a handful of ideas to help you get started. You’ll Retain Your Team for Longer When you make a conscious effort to cultivate a happy and positive working environment for your employees, they are much more likely to stick around. Employee retention is vital if you’re hoping to create a happy and cohesive workplace for your team. Moreover, you will also reduce unnecessary costs by having to retrain new employees on a regular basis. It’s important to hold onto the hard-working staff members you have as they will be an asset to your team for many years to come. Your Employees Will Be More Passionate When your employees are working in a truly happy and thriving environment they will be much more passionate about what they do. The last thing you want is a team of people who are lackluster about the tasks at hand, and they need a regular shove in order to boost their motivation. Building a positive and supportive environment means that your workers feel more comfortable talking about their issues and sharing their creative ideas. Nurturing your employees and encouraging them to take action in every job role they undertake will help them to carve out their own place in your company so that they can feel as though they’re making a real impact. This is a mindful way to approach the management of your team as it always keeps their emotions and person goals in mind too. You’ll Be Committed to Continuous Improvement When you’re striving towards a happy state of mind throughout your business, your work will never truly be done. To some people this may seem like you’re carrying out a thankless task, but it actually means you’re dedicated to continuous improvement for the future. One of the most effective ways you can do this is look into options such as enterprise service management . With an integrated system which combines digital services and IT systems your employees will have everything they need in a simplified format. Instead of long and complicated processes, you can have smooth and positive automated processes which reduce employee errors and frustration. Having a simple and smooth system for your employees to use will ultimately make them happier and more content as they carry out their daily roles. Your Clients Will Sense the Positive Ethos Clients and customers need to be assured that their hard earned money is never going to waste. Buying from an honest, upbeat and positive business is what many people prioritize so this is why you should consider making it part of your business ethos. You would be surprised at how quickly your clients sense this sort of joyful way of approaching a business. You’ll Start to Think More About the Environment When you make a conscious effort to bring more happiness and positivity into your workplace, you will start to think more about other things that matter. Whether you’re focusing on the mental health of your employees, or you’re approaching your business in a more sustainable manner, this sort of business ethos is bound to be a healthier place to work all round. Your Brand Will Build a Good Reputation Consumers can spot a positive brand from a mile away, which can work wonders for your profits and sales. Although it’s not always about the numbers, it can give you a sense of comfort that your hard work to promote positivity at work isn’t going unrecognized. Not only will people want to buy from you as you have strong ethics and excellent attitudes, but top talent will also want to work for you too. Nowadays, people can be more picky about where they choose to work, especially if a certain workplace isn’t offering the right type of support or positive ethos. Building a good brand reputation is possible as long as you are being authentic throughout the process. You Will Feel Less Stressed When you’re a business owner, it can be very difficult to manage stress , especially when you have so much on your plate at a time. However, if you regularly instill a happy and positive ethos into your business workplace, this is going to have an impact on your mood too. It’s not only your clients and employees who deserve to feel happy and positive; you deserve to reap some of the rewards you have created yourself. Instilling this happy business ethos means that you are much likely to adopt this way of thinking for yourself too. Turning your business into a happy, centered and calm place to be won’t happen overnight, but it is possible when you have the future in mind. When your brand chooses happiness over conflict, stress and upset you will have a happier set of customers and employees altogether. It’s clear to see why your business might improve when you adopt the ethos of happiness, from more passionate employees to a better brand reputation. As you start to implement these culture changes in your workplace, hopefully all of your hard work starts to shine through in multiple ways.
By Julie Starr 04 May, 2024
If you're thinking about creating a new product for your business there's a lot you need to keep at the forefront of your thoughts. When you have a new idea it can be exciting and you want to jump right in and test whether or not it will bring in some much-needed capital into your business. However, before you forge your head you need to put some brakes on your ideas. This is because you're going to need to go through a few steps to make sure that you are not wasting your time. Here's a look at the things you should do when you want to create a new product. Do Market Research Market research is the first thing you're going to need to do. No matter how great the idea you may have, if there is no demand for it then you're wasting your time and your business capital. You want to do market research to see whether people will be willing to buy your product. Once you have validated that there are customers for it you can move on to the next step. Unique Selling Proposition In the next stage of the entire process, you're going to look at the unique selling propositions of your product. How is it different from what is already out there? Why should someone buy it as opposed to another product? You have to make sure that you have some kind of innovative features that are superior in quality that will catch your customers' eyes and get them to reach into their wallets. Product Design and Development The next thing you're going to do is to make sure that you put a design and developmental system in place. This is the only way that you're going to end up with a high-quality product to put on the market. You may have to get other people to assist you or select the employees that are skilled to help create the product. If you have to do the creation of a product that requires a lab, you can use lab facilities that are located in your area. In some cases, you might have to get manufacturing help from outside of the country but with all the communication technology available this should be a breeze. Do a Cost Analysis You're going to need to do a cost analysis of the product that you are creating. You don't want to have to empty your company's piggy bank to create a product. You need to make sure that you are going to make enough of a profit based on what you will be spending to actually create the product in the first place. You don't want to shoot yourself in the foot. It's up to you to make sure that you're going to get back every penny that you are spending and then some. The type of products that you are creating should create a sense of excitement in your existing customer base. You do a survey and find out if excitement is bubbling up in them to see a new product. This can gauge how successful it will be.
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