Vendors, how do you contact your vehicles & subbies?

Hi, following on from my last question, again this is aimed at Speed, Pronto, and any other vendors that may or may not use exchanges to cover their work.

I'm interested to know how you generally contact your couriers to get a job covered. When work comes in are you so up to date with all your subbies and vans positions that you know who will be getting the job, you call them and job is done. Or do you have to call round a few of your guys before deciding who's in the right place/time for the job?

Do you always call, or maybe you text? Perhaps you may use some automated software to send a message to a number of your guys in one go, via SMS or software on their phones?

I'm interested in knowing what happens for 90%+ of your jobs, not the odd weird ones. What happens the majority of the time?

Thanks

Mostly all done by text by us.....keeps the phone lines clear for calls.....we know where our drivers are, or can soon find out, and a lot of local guys let us know what they're doing, and/or if they're available......our software sends details direct to driver, and/or cx does similar. For out of area jobs we use exchange sites and/or text or ring drivers we know to see if they can cover. As we advertise pick ups within 60mins ,it is unusual with all the above measures in place, that we can't cover within that time. There is always the odd one or two, but generally this works for us.

Any other info from vendors? (Or subbies... how do your vendors normally contact you?)

easy i have a dairy with whos doing what job, i know roughly what time they should be back, and i have spot on tracking on all vehicles

and if i need to i call them on the telephone :-) as moscode is so yesterday :-D

And the first guy you call always does the job or do you sometimes have to ring the next... and the next etc?

the 1st one i ring does the job as he is employed

if i need to us a subby like tomorrow i always pre book them the day before :-) once everyone is out i use myself for any panic jobs so i have no need to panic and look for someone ;-)

So Simon, if you get a call whilst you're out covering a "panic" job, and it too, is a panic job....what do you do?

does the word PANIC come to mind.....lol

^^ lol ^^ i have good customers if i tell them the van will be 1.5hrs before i can get to them 99% of the time thats fine, customers get pissed when you tell them 30 minutes and you know damn well its going to be 1 hour

if its joe bloggs with a one off job and never worked for them before then i wouldnt both,

like today everyone should be back done and dusted by 1pm apart from 1 doing reading he should be back around 3pm, most of our work is pre-booked 85% of the work today came in yesterday, ive already got 6 booked for monday, as for not working friday afternoons yes we do but not for peanuts lol

the one company that sometimes give me a panic screamer finish at 12 on a friday :-)

i can never understand why people take on more customers than they can handle :-s

So Simon, if you get a call whilst you're out covering a "panic" job, and it too, is a panic job

as one van is going out normally there will be a van coming in within an hour or so, like know ive got 2 on the a38 at kilburn they have got 4 locals to do then there done,

"i can never understand why people take on more customers than they can handle"

Lets say i have 10 drivers, and they all earn a decent amount and we cover 90% of the work, the extra 10% goes on exchange sites. If that becomes 20 or 30% then we'd take on more drivers, so now its 15 drivers all earning a decent wedge and now covering 90% of a bigger pot, the extra 10% on exchange sites. That becomes 20 or 30% so we take on more drivers again. We now have 20 drivers, all earning a decent amount, and covering 90% of an even bigger pot.

It's how you grow, you take on just enough drivers to get you by, and stick the additional on exchange sites until that additional warrants taking on more drivers...etc etc

so how many drivers and vans do you have that are yours? or do you just have o/d, but doing it that way you become un-reliable, and if it is all o/d that you use what if there out with another job for someone else, or can they only work for you

I have enough drivers to cover most work, so that there's not too much sitting around. Those day when I need more, then I use exchange sites to cover it. If i get a collection that isn't local I'll use an exchange site, unless I can tie it in.

I have to toss up driver earnings v availability. If i have too many drivers then no one will earn and i'll lose them It's all a balancing act and exchange sites allow me to keep the balance right.

If an OD takes one of mine as a co load, then if the timing works it's all good. If it doesn't then obviously I can't use him and will find someone else. Its all about communication where that's concerned. Honesty is the best policy