At times, the trucking industry can seem like a revolving door. We’re not just talking about driver turnover; that has been obvious for decades. We’re talking about old carriers failing and new carriers popping up in their place. In the highly competitive and low-margin world of trucking, it’s vital for companies to stay ahead. By finding new and lucrative ways to reduce costs and maximize profits, a carrier can build a legacy of excellence for themselves, their drivers, and vendors. That being said, some of the lowest-hanging fruit seems to slip past the attention of many large carriers. Simple steps like keeping trucks well maintained, improving driver retention, and reducing bobtailing and trailer under utilization are all things that seem to get missed by the hustle and bustle of each work day. In this article, we’re going to walk through how to reduce trailer under-utilization and the benefits of doing so.
Bobtailing is obviously never a good thing for anyone – drivers or the company itself. A truck without a trailer is harder to control and is not providing any value for the company. It’s a liability any way that you look at it. Many companies estimate that they’re bobtailing as much as 10% of their miles. This can happen from any number of reasons. Driving to the next pick-up location outside the area of the drop-off location, trailers breaking down, or picking up a new trailer are all common reasons why you might be bobtailing. The biggest culprit of lost profits, however, is disorganized trailer pools. Many larger carriers have yards around the country for their drivers to pick up their next trailer, but if the trailer pool isn’t managed well, a driver can find themselves driving several hundred miles to pick up their next trailer.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to combat this issue: Oneway Trailers. Oneway Trailers specializes in connecting drivers looking for a trailer with trailer owners needing a trailer moved from Point A to Point B. With a network of thousands of thoroughly-vetted and high quality carriers, getting a trailer moved quickly and safely has never been easier. Carriers with large trailer pools can utilize Oneway to balance their pools to plan for new customers, organize their dedicated routes, and increase profitability. These carriers pay a flat rate to move their trailer, and can choose whether to allow a driver to load the trailer with their own freight, or deadhead the trailer.
Along with the benefits for trailer owners, drivers and owner operators profit from moving others’ trailers to their next location when their other option would be to bobtail. If the trailer is designated as a load-out, the driver can also find a load of freight to move, therefore being paid for moving both the trailer and the freight.
Oneway Trailers has a daily average of over 850 trailers ready to move to every region in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are countless moves to choose from that help carriers cut down on their bobtailing miles and increase profits, solidifying their outlook on future business. Signing up with Oneway Trailers as a trailer owner or carrier can take less than five minutes and doesn’t charge any membership fees. To sign up, click here and enjoy your increased profits.
