Report: How to organize 7 processes in a transport company
In transport, every empty minute of downtime is a real loss in the owner's wallet. An analysis of a company near Rzeszów showed that drivers wasted an average of 43 minutes a day on documentation errors and redundant calls to the base. Resources on the table: we implemented a mobilization plan that shortened the invoice cycle by 3 days and realistically lowered fuel consumption in 9 vehicles.
A mess in papers is not just about aesthetics
The company we worked on in March 2024 had 9 sets. The owner spent 4 hours a day answering calls from drivers who didn't know where to pick up CMR documents. This is classic decision paralysis. Every downtime at loading in Germany cost them about 37 euros an hour. In a month, these small capital leaks created a budget hole that no one could name. Numbers don't lie: 81% of problems resulted from the lack of a single, clear procedure for transmitting orders.
We did a quick scan of the terrain. It turned out that dispatchers were doubling their work, entering the same data into three different sheets. For 4 days, we observed every move in the office. Straight talk, no fluff: 2 out of 7 processes were fit for immediate deletion. The others required simplification so that an employee would know what to do without asking the boss every 15 minutes. This was the first phase of our mobilization.
If a dispatcher calls a driver 14 times during one route, it means the planning system is dead and buried.
Scanning the competitor's terrain and route optimization
Route analysis showed that trucks from Rzeszów to Munich were taking a road 24 kilometers longer because the navigation system bypassed one new bypass. With 9 trucks and 4 trips per month, that's 864 kilometers of unnecessary travel. At current fuel prices, this mistake cost the company 1,542 PLN net per month. We fixed this in 2 days. Market intelligence showed that local competition had long been using automatic notifications about border bottlenecks, which this company lacked.
We introduced a Report in 11 days. That's how long it took us to train the team on new fleet monitoring tools. We didn't look for miracle methods, just specific touchpoints where time was escaping. We focused on the driver receiving a complete set of information on the terminal before even starting the engine. Thanks to this, downtime at the base before departure fell from 55 minutes to 18 minutes. These are real resources returned to work.
Reduction of redundant communication by 62%
The biggest burden for the office was telephone calls. We measured it accurately: 112 calls a day regarding shipment status. We introduced a simple, shared control sheet for key customers. Now the customer checks where the truck is themselves, and the office has time to look for new orders. This isn't theory; it's a practice that freed up 2.5 hours of a dispatcher's work every day. These hours were redirected to active acquisition of backloads, which raised the margin by 7.2% in the second month of cooperation.
We also changed the bonus system. Previously, drivers received bonuses 'by eye', which bred conflict. Now, what counts is delivery punctuality and economical driving confirmed by system data. There is no room for guesswork. Numbers don't lie, and transparency meant that employee turnover dropped to zero in the last quarter. People prefer clear rules, even if they are strict, rather than uncertainty and the owner's decision-making chaos.
Financial result after a quarter of work
A summary of actions in June 2024 showed a saving of 3,800 PLN on fuel alone. In total, thanks to the reorganization of 7 processes, the company kept 12,450 PLN more in its pocket per month than before our arrival. This is equivalent to the lease for one new tractor unit. Without firing people, without buying expensive equipment. We simply organized what was already on the table. Growth Headquarters doesn't deal with visions, but with tactics that work instantly.
The implementation of the mobilization plan ended in success, but it is a continuous process. The owner finally stopped dealing with putting out fires and began planning fleet development by another 2 units next year. Our report became the foundation of a new strategy. Straight talk: if a process doesn't earn or save time, it means it's for the bin. Such an approach saved this business from stagnation and allowed for financial breathing space in a difficult period for transport.
Saving 3,800 PLN on fuel is not magic; it's the result of eliminating 864 kilometers of empty runs.
