Thursday, May 23, 2013 – 11:15
Finding a reliable haulage company is hard. Finding a trustworthy haulage company in the UK in hard too. In some ways, it can be as important as choosing the next employee for your company.
Many make the mistake of choosing a haulage company from the local Yellow Pages listings due to it’s heritage. Those questioned in a recent survey said that they felt that the listing made the company reputable. Of course reputation is a top ranking factor in your evaluation of haulage transport companies, but it should not be the only reason you select your haulage company.
When it comes to finding a haulage company for your business…
Time is money.
One of the most important parts of the process is efficiency. When customers do not get a timely delivery it creates havoc for those customers and can also cause a company to lose business and potential profits… or worse – the customers move their business to your competitors. Also, time is money. If you can find a haulage service that can deal with situations quickly and efficiently then it’ll be a good bet as a long term partner. It could be the ideal company to form a relationship with.
Haulage companies are ten-a-penny.
So it’s important that you take your time to choose the right partner. If you rush it, you will almost certainty choose the wrong haulier.
There are a few key factors that you should research before you decide on the right road haulage company for you:
- Have they got the necessary equipment? (Handling pallets for example)
- How quickly will they deliver your goods?
- Will they provide documentation to ensure that they are dealing with it correctly? (Especially when transporting Dangerous Goods)
- Good haulage companies in the UK will ensure that your goods are tracked every step of the journey all the way to their delivery destination.
- Note: You should know; there are large fines handed out if freight companies have transported goods without having the correct paperwork – so all the more important that you ask for the right documentation when choosing a suitable company.
Getting quotes for haulage
Don’t just go with the lowest price; do lots of research. We’re not saying don’t take a low price – we’re saying that you need to include the price in amongst several other factors. You can find low cost haulage companies that can also provide quality service and prompt delivery (yes, really). It’s not easy, but it’s doable.
Haulage company reviews
Why not try to find a review on the company you’re thinking of using? You can use Google to search for things like:
- “Reviews on haulage companies in the UK”
- “haulage company reviews”
- “Road haulage services reviews”
- “Reviews on UK hauliers”
- Other ways to get a better opinion
- Ask friends in the industry for advice
- Ask friends in the industry for reconsideration
- Ask your employees
- Use your social media profiles to ask you friends and followers