Maintaining Delivery Efficiency in Bad Weather Conditions.
Bad weather conditions can impact your delivery schedules. Drivers have to deal with all sorts of difficult weather scenarios – heavy rain, flooding, high winds, fog, snow and ice. And it may not just be the adverse weather itself. The aftermath – like fallen trees or power outages affecting traffic lights – can cause traffic headaches or force drivers to take lengthy diversions.
Customer expectations are extremely high and people still assume their parcels will arrive on time, regardless of the weather. Getting through tough weather conditions isn’t just about being a good driver, though. It’s also about smart planning and the ability to adapt quickly, ensuring your deliveries stay on track no matter what.
Using a transport management system (TMS) like Geo2 can help mitigate these weather challenges, keep your delivery rates high and uphold efficiency, come rain or shine. Here’s how.
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Table of Contents.
Route Planning and Dynamic Re-Routing.
If you know there’s a tree down or flooding is affecting a certain road, you can use the route planning functionality in a TMS to help you avoid these sorts of bad weather issues. You can divert drivers around the issues and the system will find the most optimal routes between each of your drops.
Drivers can also use live traffic information while out delivering to dynamically reroute their journeys. This helps them bypass areas troubled by weather-related problems, ensuring the quickest possible delivery times.
With real-time updates and estimated drop times showing in their TMS delivery app, drivers have all the information they need to check how they’re doing. They can then dynamically adjust their routes if needed, avoiding weather-related issues.
Table of Contents.
Enhanced Communication and Real-Time Tracking.
Using live tracking with constantly updated estimated arrival times helps manage customer expectations during bad weather conditions. A TMS with live tracking lets customers know where their orders are at all times, reassuring them that their package is on its way, even if it is delayed a little.
Communication tools like automated email and SMS notifications can keep your customers informed about their deliveries. It can all be done automatically, meaning you don’t have to send update messages manually or one by one. This also avoids you fielding calls from customers who are concerned that the poor weather will delay their deliveries. Good communication practices like this help maintain a smoother, more customer-friendly service experience.
The Geo2 mobile app has delivery confirmation and direct customer contact. This means drivers can easily confirm when a parcel’s been delivered, and if needed, they can get in touch with customers directly. This is useful for quick updates or if they need a bit of help finding the delivery location.
One best practice is to set up a system in advance that can inform customers promptly about potential delays or changes in delivery schedules. If all else fails, and the weather is that bad, then the least you can do is ensure your customers are kept well informed. Maintaining open and honest communication with customers regarding weather-related challenges will promote trust and understanding, which can enhance customer satisfaction despite any delays.
Vehicle Readiness and Safety.
When the weather turns nasty, you want to make sure your vehicles are ready for it. This might not be as drastic as needing to fit snow tyres or chains. But you still need to prepare vehicles for the kind of hazardous driving conditions that come with bad weather.
Vehicles will need antifreeze in the radiator for the cold, working wipers to tackle heavy rain and adequate tyres tread depths to cope with icy or flooded roads. The fog lights need to be working and you’ll want to check that the engine oil is at the correct level for cold starts.
Making sure your fleet is weather-ready at all times is easy when your vehicles are consistently checked. The Geo2 app enables thorough walkaround checks, which can ensure any defects are reported right away. Drivers are prompted to undertake these regular maintenance checks, which will keep your vehicles in prime condition and ready to tackle whatever the weather throws at them.
Using defect history logging, you’ll also get a full record of each vehicle’s condition. With the guarantee that every van or lorry hitting the road is fit for the journey, your fleet will always be equipped to handle tough weather conditions safely.
Weather-Proof your Deliveries with Geo2.
In the face of adverse weather, a TMS can be the difference that means your delivery services can continue to operate smoothly, helping you keep on delivering despite the bad weather conditions.
With key features like advanced route planning and optimisation, coupled with live traffic updates, Geo2 can help drivers navigate effectively around disruptions caused by the weather.
Real-time tracking and dynamic ETA updates further help, keeping both drivers and customers well-informed and maintaining a high level of transparency throughout the delivery process.
Don’t let a downpour dampen your delivery efficiency. Let Geo2 be your weather-beating sidekick to ensure that, no matter how grey the skies get, your delivery game will always stay sunny.
