Trucking it right on road

The contribution of trucks to road transportation is enormous, as it links and facilitates productivity for an optimal economic development, says Sumit Sharma, Co-founder of GoBOLT.

Road transportation is one of the important links that facilitates productivity and competitive efficiency, leading to rapid economic development of the country. It also plays a key role in bringing about the development of the remote regions by opening them to trade and investment and integrating them with the mainstream economy. Consider what would happen if every truck were pulled off the cargo means railways and roads haul majority of the goods in India. Even then, there is a bias towards roads in the recent past. At the time of Independence, nearly 90 per cent of the freight in India was transported by railways, which remained the prime source of freight transportation till 1990/91. Thereafter, rapid expansion of the road network and creation of multiple expressways cris-crossing the country saw more and more freight being hauled through roads. The increasing shortage of drivers back of equally high losses due to inefficiencies estimated at a whopping $99 billion, 4.3 per cent of GDP. Hiccups in retention of drivers

The truck industry, which is the backbone of the transport sector and the economy, is in dire straits. There is enough cargo to carry but shortage of drivers has given a blow to this hugely unorganised industry, which mainly consists of single vehicle operators. and more. Additionally, pay increases instituted during the economic downturn only seem to increase turnover as drivers are too willing to switch to companies with perceived better pay.

The driver shortage is a significant challenge and one that continues to be a top concern for the industry personnel. In fact, 90 percent of transporters said they couldn’t find enough drivers who successfully met the Department of Transportation criteria. The driver shortage even threatens logistics companies’ ability to compete. Impact on economy

So, what does it take to make trucking a lucrative enough profession for prospective jobseekers? Given the size of the road transportation industry in the country today - it accounts for 3.2 per cent of GDP, the importance of truck drivers cannot be overstated. In the meantime, the shortage is already pinching with the economic loss estimated

`4,20,000 at almost crore due to trucks lying idle every year. It may be a tad belated, but the private sector as well as the government has begun to realise the need to take corrective measures. Many well-known companies these days have started various driver-training schools, while big fleet owners have not only revised salaries but also started providing social security safety net like provident fund and insurance.

The crisis is fast approaching its tipping point where the economy will begin to stutter for lack of goods movers. The problems, however, are fundamental and there is no easy solution. Thrust in development of new roads has improved the turnaround time for each trip, but creating infrastructure for drivers along the highways and removing red tapism in the regulation of the sector is a long-drawn process. Assimilating a truck driver into the broader society will take even a longer time. Ray of hope

Trucking companies have to operate with flexibility and agility to make their business more responsive in meeting their client’s needs. Owning transportation logistics allows their organisational services to deliver an efficient operation to the stakeholders. It also helps them comply with the higher standard requirement for a professional trucking company. The storage of cargo and their safe delivery to the points of destinations are monitored by the personnel while cutting down costs in the distribution process.

Delivery schedules are processed smoothly without compromising the availability of trucks and truck drivers. With timely and safe delivery of goods, trucking companies can enhance its services and profitability over time. Using logistic solutions provides for an organised streamlining process of your human resource, routine plans, and fleet availability maintenance, data management needed for keeping your operation agile, transparent and efficient. The employment of logistics solution makes the trucking business highly operational with less manpower required and less expensive technology to use as utility in keeping track of the overall business operations. Conclusion

Truck drivers are the most critical players, forming the human backbone of this industry. Poor design and maintenance of the Indian roads add to problems of health and safety. In spite of this, they are paid poorly and not surprisingly there is a growing shortage of drivers. There is both a status and a skill gap among drivers.