If you’re in the transportation industry, you’re riding a sea of change. There’s change from federally-mandated emissions upgrades over the last 8 years, change from technology advancements and change from a roller coaster in fuel prices. Even our society has changed dramatically in that time. Fuel economy is now capable of topping eight miles per gallon for an 80,000-pound rig. However, finding drivers to operate these incredible pieces of equipment, and technicians to work on them, is becoming a real challenge. The shortages in both of these critical skill sets can really cripple a company. Every day, I speak with companies that are struggling with several issues at the same time. Will it get better soon, or have we just seen the beginnings of a real crisis?

For businesses that are evaluating their fleet’s effectiveness, there are more considerations than ever in deciding the best methods for getting products delivered. Sometimes, it’s not just about dollars and cents; it’s about the ability to do it at all. Private fleets really struggle with this issue. They need their fleets for customer service, quality control and a whole list of other reasons. However, often it’s not the company’s core competency.

The solution may lie in a total fleet analysis to determine what businesses do well and what someone else can do better. Questions you may be asking yourself include: Should I lease or buy? Should I manage my own maintenance shop or outsource? Should I use my buying power or a full-service lease company with better buying power? Should I hire and train drivers or lease drivers? What about the liability, is it worth doing all of these things myself or should I outsource the whole thing? What about breakdowns and the impact on customer deliveries and satisfaction? Even equipment manufacturers and their dealers have struggled. One thing is for certain, managing a fleet represents more risk than ever before and the dollars at stake are staggering.

For many private fleets, transportation is not the core skill set. You have to figure out what you do best and what a partner might do better, and then figure out the right recipe for success today and tomorrow. Proper fleet planning goes out many years into the future. Change is constantly in front of us and with new greenhouse gas regulations coming through 2023, it won’t get any easier. Your tolerance for risk may very well lead you to search for new answers.