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There has been a change in attitude in recent years which has seen the recruitment of temporary drivers gain a bad reputation. Route4 Solutions is keen to allay any fears, some firms may have and would like to educate the industry on how beneficial employing temporary drivers can be.

Most haulage companies will have their own in house logistics department, but only a few take advantage of recruiting outsourced temporary drivers on a regular basis. Hiring temporary drivers for set periods or for specific jobs is a tried and tested means of saving money, especially when a recent study assessing the financial resilience of the haulage industry in the East Midlands revealed that more than 1 in 3 haulage firms may be facing insolvency.

Typically, temporary drivers are recruited in the event of unexpected staff shortages, usually occurring during periods of increased productivity or to cover planned absences such as holidays.

From a business perspective, it seems only logical to take on temporary staff during busy periods. Christmas for example is one of the busiest times of the year and in other industries it is common practice to take on temporary staff. From a haulage standpoint, it may well be an operational necessity to take on temporary drivers to meet customer delivery dates.

There’s also a cost element to consider. When planned and managed efficiently, using temporary drivers reduces a company’s overall staff costs but increases their flexibility.

The alternative solution is to employ permanent staff who will eventually become underutilised when business levels return to normal. This solution will eat into your bottom line and productivity, and will also be detrimental to staff who don’t want to be stuck around twiddling their thumbs.

It is in situations like this where Route4 Solutions has helped many leading haulage and logistics operators to review their cost base in terms of driver utilisation and helped them achieve a more efficient and cost effective balance between full time and temporary driver solutions, without causing a negative impact on driver morale.

Our approach is fully focused on placing the right driver in the right placement. We are committed to working with transport managers to help them understand how beneficial temporary can be to meet demand and provide seasonal cover for holidays and illness.

If you would like to understand how we might be able to help your logistics operation become more efficient and cost effective, please complete the enquiry form below or call our office on 0845 8520444.