Four Trucking Expense Hacks to Improve Profit Per Mile

Wow, trucking expenses can really add up. As an owner-operator or fleet manager, there always seems to be someone to pay, another fee, bills, and more! This is really tough in the beginning when you’re busting your butt trucking just to break even.

However, if you develop a good business plan and create a trucking budget you’ll quickly discover ways to cut costs and increase your revenue per mile. Check out a few ways to save and make money trucking.

Four Trucking Expense Hacks To Improve Profit Per Mile 

1. Improve Employee Management

As a fleet manager, you’re a leader. How you act will influence your employees. You’ll profit if they do a better trucking job. Be sure to use positive reinforcement and to make time to listen to your employees. Learn their names and a little about them, so they won’t feel replaceable. The cost of finding new employees is much higher than retaining them.

Also, you can grow your employees to move up in your operation. For example, provide them with educational materials and give them a shot at working in other areas. For example, if a trucker gets tired of driving, see if they want to be a trainer or dispatcher. Don’t limit their potential.

Be sure to promote safety practices and lead a lot of safety exercises. If your drivers are safer, the number of accidents your trucks are involved in will become reduced. With safer drivers, you’ll have better insurance rates and can avoid the costs of repairing or purchasing new trucks.

2. See if Some Projects can be Outsourced

Every time you need to build a website, increase your SEO, recruit drivers, or handle human resources, you don’t have to bring in a new professional. You can simply pay a freelancer, independent contractor, or company to handle the project.

By outsourcing these tasks you won’t have to pay someone a salary or offer them benefits. You will simply pay them for the project or service performed.

3. Save on Miles

Fuel is the number one trucking expense, so you’ll want to save as much as possible. Use a routing program like ProMiles to find direct routes, specifically for trucks. This way you can avoid downtown areas and driving out of the way.