Many industries talk about ‘high availability’ – sometimes as a critical factor, and frequently as a strong argument. In the transport industry, ‘availability’ can have numerous meanings – everything from the range of suitable transport services and access to spare parts to servicing and roadside assistance. Let’s take a closer look at the concept of availability, and its significance to transport companies and profitability.
Availability can have many meanings in the transport industry. The first things a haulier considers are, perhaps, easily accessible servicing and good availability of spare parts. The need for servicing and spare parts is self-evident when it comes to truck rigs, since they have to undergo regular servicing and repairs due to the wear and tear associated with freight transport. This means that high availability equals financial security, because vehicles can get back on the road more quickly and generate revenue for the haulier.
Availability does not only relate to parts and servicing. A company can also make itself available in various ways – for example, by being receptive to changes in the industry and actively fulfilling new needs that regularly emerge. Another example of availability is building trust and acquiring knowledge in partnership with other operators in the industry, or compiling and sharing knowledge in different industry-related contexts. An available supplier is relevant and present in various contexts, but to create broad availability of this sort requires long-term, systematic work.
Delivery reliability is viewed by many as the ability to deliver the right product at the right time. The concept can, however, be expanded; by delivering fully-assembled system solutions to truck bodybuilders instead of individual components, installation can be made significantly easier.
This, in turn, improves delivery times for truck dealers, and comes with a stamp of assurance that everything is correctly installed. As a result, quality and time savings at multiple stages also become an aspect of delivery reliability. Being able to offer this opportunity for streamlining is also a form of availability.
Today, 99% of VBG’s deliveries to truck builders and aftermarket operators arrive correctly assembled and properly packaged at the right time, according to our own assessments. The fact that we are exceeding our targets is no coincidence – it’s the result of our long-term, systematic work aimed at meeting the needs and expectations of the industry. Achieving this necessitates that all our employees are prepared to listen to your specific needs and viewpoints. You are therefore welcome to contact me or my team at any time. Just drop us an email or give us a call. We are available.