Christmas is a busy time for many businesses, but fleets often feel the pressure more than most. Increased orders, tight deadlines, bad weather – it all adds up to a lot of work, and a lot of stress.
In this post we’ll share some tips for effectively managing busy HGV schedules over Christmas.
To discuss your risk management and insurance needs for your fleet over the festive season, get in touch on 020 8290 9099, or email commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
How to Prepare Your Fleet For Christmas as Early as Possible
Don’t let December take you by surprise. The earlier you start preparing for the busiest time of year, the better:
- Study your data from previous festive periods. Were there any spikes in activity on particular days, or during particular weeks? What sort of problems did you and your drivers face, and what could you do differently this year?
- Study the wider industry trends, too. Are there any factors that might make things more challenging? This could be anything, from a simple road closure to major new legislation or regulations.
- Try and understand the long-term weather forecast. Will it be a mild winter, or a severe one? This will obviously affect your planning.
Can You Take On Seasonal Drivers?
Many businesses take on seasonal staff to deal with extra workloads over Christmas. But the HGV industry is currently facing a driver shortage, so this might be easier said than done.
Yet there may still be ways you can expand your fleet of drivers to cope with the seasonal demand. Reach out to agencies and specialist recruiters, and be prepared to offer generous payment and other benefits to help you stand out from the competition.
Some fleets are also encouraging older and retired drivers to return to work. Read our full guide to how you might manage this process.
Prepare Your Existing Drivers and Discuss your Schedule
If your drivers have been with you for a while, they’re probably already aware that things can get hectic over Christmas. You should support them in any way you can. But at the same time, it’s important that everyone understands that they’re all on the same team.
Most of your drivers will want to take Christmas off. But some drivers might be fine with working on Christmas Day, so long as they can take Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, or New Years Eve off.
Talk to everyone about their preferences, and you might be able to find a shift pattern that works for everyone. Every driver should expect to compromise in some way, but you could offer incentives for any driver who works on the major holidays. Read our full guide to driver rewards programmes.
Also remember that no matter how busy things get, your drivers will still have to commit to their driving hours and resting periods. You should never lose sight of your legal obligations as a driver or a fleet operator.
Using Technology to Manage Your Christmas Driver Schedule
You’ll really start to see the benefit of fleet management software and other technology over the Christmas period.
Once you understand your workload and your drivers’ needs, fleet management software can help you effectively manage all of your resources to ensure that everyone is exactly where they need to be, at all times. Plus, real-time driver tracking will give you an overview of where all of your drivers are at any time, which could prove useful if a customer ever calls wondering where their order is.
Effective route planning can also become particularly important over the Christmas period. If the traffic or the weather gets particularly bad, you and your drivers can keep things moving through finding suitable alternative routes in advance.
Is Your Fleet Ready For Christmas?
With ample preparation, and if everyone pulls together, you and your fleet should have no problems weathering the busy Christmas season.
At Anthony Jones, we’re here to support you in any way we can. We can help you understand your risk management and insurance needs for your fleet over the festive season.
For more information, get in touch on 020 8290 9099, or email commercial.motor@anthonyjones.com.
