Some big name carriers are pressuring, and in some cases, insisting that shippers be more responsive to drivers when they arrive at their loading dock. Detention, inflexible appointment times and unsympathetic dock personnel are major causes for carrier inefficiencies. J.B. Hunt recently released a report directed at shippers and receivers on the full extent of the wasted time drivers spend as a result of their inefficient practices. Mitigating such inefficiencies, the report notes, can increase capacity.
Shippers will be forced to increase efficiencies in order to ensure capacity. Here are some suggestions for shippers from the J.B. Hunt report.
1. Start by eliminating 60 minutes per day from loading and unloading times. By eliminating just 30 minutes at the shipper and 30 minutes at the receiver, a single driver could remain on the road for an extra hour each day, equivalent to 50 miles per day, or 12,500 miles per year.
2. J.B. Hunt also suggests doing drop-and-hooks instead of live unloading. A study by the company found drivers spend 48 more minutes at a live unload than at a drop-and-hook. Losing those 48 minutes equates to 40 miles per day, or 10,000 miles per year if the driver is on the road 250 days a year.
3. J.B. Hunt also found that inflexible pickup and delivery times result in detention time and dwell time for drivers. The paper suggests shippers go to a 24/7 approach, as carriers have higher driver availability on nights and weekends, to help increase efficiency.
4. Another way drivers lose driving time is looking for a safe and legal parking spot before shutting down. The paper says to eliminate this problem, shippers could provide on-site parking and amenities.
If shippers and receivers increase awareness and empathy for the drivers they can increase the overall quality of their relationship with their transportation providers ensuring a high quality customer service experience. Please let us know what your organization is doing to address these issues. All submissions will be entered to win dinner for two and published in a future article.
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