With Brighton’s great motorway links to London and the South-West, expanding your business to include a lorry? It isn’t as simple as going out and buying any cab and trailer, there are some serious considerations you need to make. Here are five things you need to think about if you are acquiring a lorry for your business.
A Licence
Depending on the size of the truck you buy, you might need to undertake qualifications to be able to buy it. A standard UK driver’s license covers you for a truck up to a certain size. However, if you need to invest in a full HGV, you will have to undergo training to become a licensed HGV driver. There are four tests you need to take and there may be more requirements depending on the size of vehicle you want to drive.
The Right Lorry
Not all lorries were created equal. What type of goods will you be transporting? This is going to have a lot of impact on the trailer you invest in. For example, if you will primarily be transporting furniture, you will probably have little use for a refrigerated trailer. Take your time to research the variations you could get to make sure you are investing in the right one for your business.
Insurance
Lorries are expensive, so the right lorry insurance will be incredibly important for protecting your vehicle. You should never take such a vehicle out on the road until it is properly insured. Always make sure to compare lorry insurance quotes so you find the right level of coverage at a price that suits you the most.
A GPS
If your lorry becomes stuck in traffic, you can lose valuable time that should be spent on the move. Your driver could use up their allotted hours behind the wheel and an important delivery could end up being late. The right GPS can find out where the slow-moving traffic is and give you an updated route in real-time so you can be certain that deliveries will always be made on time.
Cargo
An empty lorry is never going to make you any money. If you are worried that you are going to have an empty trailer for part of your journey, you should offer part-loads at a reduced price to customers. They may have less flexibility in scheduling their deliveries but you will be able to ensure that you are always transporting something no matter how far you have to go.
Adding a lorry to your business might be an important moment in your company’s expansion. You need to make sure that you find the right lorry for the needs of your business. This isn’t enough; you also need to make sure that you have all the tools to get the truck on the road. From insurance to the proper licenses for the drivers, you need to ensure that your lorry is road-worthy and completely legal in time for your first delivery deadline.