How do I check a pallet maker’s delivery drivers and truck loading routine?
Meet the drivers, watch a truck being loaded and review the records for deliveries and vehicles. A pallet maker with a careful routine loads in a set order, secures the stacks and keeps track of what went where. Poor loading shows up as damaged goods, late runs and unhappy customers.
Ask who drives, whether they are employees or hired in, and how long each has been with the business. If one driver handles the key customers, find out who covers when that person is away. Ask what is checked about each driver, and speak with them about the routes and the pressures they feel.
Watch a loading. Notice how stacks are placed, how loads are secured and how the count is checked. Ask what happens when a customer says the count was short. Look at the delivery paperwork from recent runs and see whether signatures, times and quantities are recorded.
Look at the vehicles: age, condition, maintenance records and who is responsible for upkeep. Ask about accidents, damage claims and near misses, and how they were handled. Ask your insurance advisor about coverage for drivers and loads. If you plan to change the delivery arrangements after you buy, ask the seller which customers rely on the current schedule. Your lawyer can advise on driver agreements. Ask what happens in bad weather, when a truck breaks down or when a load must be re-stacked, and who decides. Ask whether customers have ever refused a delivery and why. Those answers show how steady the routine is when things do not go to plan.
Key takeaways
- Meet the drivers and find out who covers key routes.
- Watch a loading and compare delivery paperwork with orders.
- Review vehicle maintenance, accidents and claims.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Transport CanadaGovernmentMotor carriers, commercial vehicles and drivers
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to reduce employee turnover
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