Truckers strike: If you are an entrepreneur, or run your own business, you know that keeping your team and company running smoothly is key to success. When a natural disaster strikes or another emergency occurs, it can throw even the most organized operation into chaos. These are the moments when having a strategic plan for addressing challenges is essential.
Fortunately, we’re not the only ones who recognize the importance of pre-planning for challenges. The recent truckers’ strike provides excellent insight into how businesses can best respond to sudden disruptions and keep operations running smoothly. Read on for our expert advice on how to stay prepared in case of a strike, natural disaster, pandemic, or other unexpected disruption.
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Truckers Strike: 5 Ways to Keep Your Business Running Smoothly
Truckers strike: Keeping your business running smoothly during a strike is challenging. Think about it—a work stoppage means no finished products are going out the door. And if you’re an organization that depends on trucks to transport raw materials and finished goods, a strike could have ripple effects across your entire business. Unfortunately, strikes are not uncommon in any industry, but there are ways to mitigate the effects they may have on your business. Read on to find out how you can prepare for and recover from a strike so it doesn’t lead to irreparable damage to your business venture.
Ensure your inventory is properly managed
Truckers strike: First, let’s take a look at logistics. You want to make sure you have an accurate inventory of the raw materials and the finished goods that are currently in the building. That way, you can track what goes out and what comes in, and you can keep your customers informed about wait times for specific items. You’ll also want to make sure your shipping and receiving processes are up to speed. If your normal process is to have truck drivers drop off goods on the loading dock, you’ll need to make other arrangements for receiving goods if drivers are on strike. That could mean additional processing time, higher costs from receiving the goods by another method like rail or barging, and potentially, a backlog of inventory that needs to be processed and shipped out.
Hire temporary workers
Truckers strike: If a strike is expected to last longer than a few days, then it might be worth hiring some temporary workers. Shop around, and don’t just hire the first person you come across. Make sure they have the skills you need, and that they are willing to come in during a strike. All employees will be impacted by a strike, but temporary workers can breathe new life into your organization. Temporary workers can help with both high-level and low-level tasks. They can help with high-level tasks like prioritizing work, but they can also help with low-level tasks like organizing and filing paperwork. Not only can temporary workers help you with everyday tasks, but they can also help you see where improvements can be made.
Try remote staffing options
Truckers strike: If the strike lasts longer than a few months, you may want to look into remote staffing options. This means that the workers operate out of their homes, but they are on your payroll and they have the same job functions as your in-house team. If you are considering this option, then you must take into account the cost of communication. You will either need to invest in an online platform that tracks communication between your team members and also has video conferencing capabilities, or you will need to hire a third-party company to manage communication between your team members.
Strengthen your relationships with partners and vendors
Truckers strike: If your suppliers are on strike, then you may want to reach out and see if a different vendor can provide the same materials. If your customers are on strike, then it’s a good idea to get in touch with them and let them know about the situation. You may even want to offer to give them a discount or some other incentive to remain loyal to your brand.
Make sure you have a solid crisis communications plan in place
Truckers strike: No matter what crisis may arise, your business needs a solid crisis communications plan in place. This means having a public relations and marketing expert on retainer. It also means having regular communication with your top customers and suppliers. If customers are asking questions about why materials and products aren’t being delivered on time, then you want to have a crisis communications plan in place to address their concerns, or even their misconceptions about the situation. You want to be able to respond quickly, honestly, and in a way that will ensure your customers’ loyalty remains intact.
Conclusion
Truckers strike: Trucks are often the backbone of the business, so it makes sense that when the drivers go on strike, it can have significant impacts. While there’s nothing you can do to prevent a strike from happening, there are plenty of things you can do to mitigate the effects. First, ensure your inventory is properly managed. Next, hire temporary workers to help with any backlogs. Then, try remote staffing options if the strike lasts longer than a few months. Finally, strengthen your relationships with partners and vendors and make sure you have a solid crisis communications plan in place.