Solving Transportation Challenges in the Construction Industry

The construction industry has been expanding, granting significant returns to contractors, drivers, and material producers who’ve been able to take advantage of new economic activity. According to one report, the industry saw record spending in 2017 and it grew by 5% in 2018.

Nonetheless, construction, logistics, and managing a fleet of dump trucks are not stress-free enterprises. Everything from driver shortages & compliance issues, to manual processes, can weigh heavy on a company’s resources.

However, there are new innovative technologies that can help companies address these challenges.

Common Transportation Challenges in the Construction Industry

We’ve laid out some of the most common transportation challenges in the construction industry below, and how to solve them with technology:

Driver Shortages

According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry is short about 60,000 drivers and could reach a shortage of 100,000 drivers in just a few years. That’s no small order to fill.

For companies seeking drivers with specialized licensing, it makes the problem even more difficult to manage. It’s common to make several phone calls just to hire a single driver, for example.

Compliance Issues

In addition to keeping track of core business operations, companies must meet rigorous compliance guidelines. This means keeping track of all dump truck driver records and staying prepared in case of an audit.

Manual Processes and Paperwork

Although plenty of firms have invested in new technology, plenty more are still dependent on manual and paper-based processes. Drivers must punch in and out, invoices must be sent manually, and administrative tasks must be done one at a time at a high cost.

Juggling Supply and Demand

It can be a challenge to meet demand when you get several orders in a row without much lead time. This impacts truck traffic at your facilities, potentially creating bottlenecks that make it harder for you to fulfill your obligations.

Data Limitations

The construction industry’s value chain is far more complex than the ride-sharing industry for instance, where it’s broken down into drivers and riders. In the construction ecosystem, we need to take into account contractors, material providers, truck drivers, state and local governments – none of which shares a common set of data. It is no wonder many companies don’t have the means to collect and analyze that data, much less put it to use.

The Solution: Leverage Logistics Technology

One of the best ways to combat these challenges is to adopt a cloud-based logistics platform. With the right solution, material producers, contractors, and dump truck owners, and others in the construction industry can gain the following advantages:

Real-Time Dump Truck Tracking and Acquisition

Flexible workforces are now more necessary than ever, especially given the dump truck driver shortage. With the right cloud-based solution, you can access a wealth of licensed, third-party haulers without making a single phone call.

Simply post your job to the platform and let the drivers come to you. You’ll even be able to keep track of your drivers and their progress on your jobs.

Automated Invoicing & Record Keeping

With automated invoicing and record keeping, you’ll never need to chase down a piece of paper again. Your payment and invoicing schedule will become organized, streamlined and digital. Don’t let the manual, time-consuming processes shift focus away from business growth.

Harnessing the Power of Data

If you’re struggling to grow and scale your business, the solution is likely within your already existing data. A comprehensive logistics platform gives you the means to capture data and analyze it in real-time, so you can identify and eliminate drains on your resources or areas where you can optimize your performance.

Looking for a solution for your transportation challenges?

Contact TRUX today to learn more about our platform and how it can help. We’re always happy to get to know businesses like yours and walk you through how our platform solves for your specific needs.