ROUTING & DOCUMENTATION: YEAR-END CONCERNS FOR HAULAGE BUSINESS

So most of your trucks did long haul in the outgoing year? Good. But what was the turnaround time like? What feedback did you get matching repairs history for each truck against the choice of routes? Any repeated cases of misdemeanour or wrongful behaviour associated with any particular route? What is the popularity of the route among peers in the industry or how busy was the route?

Aside the online report you may probably have gotten from your tracking software, you may need to enlist the services of a professional route surveillance company to give you a more comprehensive real-time live report for your most popular routes with a view to establishing route integrity, route safety for both truck and goods and recommendations regarding opportunity for turnaround improvement.

State consolidated emblems, state gaseous emission pass, state driver’s badge, Niger Delta Development Permit, National Union Stickers, Inter-Auto Trade Supply Permit, Vehicle operational Permit and other mandatory emblems without which your journey beyond the western states could be a living hell in the hand of touts and local government officials.

Multiple taxation or duplicated levies remains a clear and present threat to road transport efficiency in Nigeria and there seems not to be any solution in sight in the nearest future. The set of permits you obtained for both the full year and half year are probably due for renewal. You may need to review your contact person’s responsiveness to cases of harassment in relevant locations. Note that your possession of the required emblem still does not guarantee you protection from harassment. Hence the responsiveness of your contact person, who probably also facilitated the processing of the emblem really does count in this instance. You may on the strength of this decide on continuing with the agent or switch to a more responsive candidate.

It could also prove to be a stitch in time that saves nine if you are able to establish that arrangement have been perfectly concluded to have the expiring vehicle licenses, road worthiness, state carriage and heavy duty permits etc. renewed on time.