Diversify

Diversify

This is my new word of the day.

Definition:  To enlarge or expand the range of their business.

When doing the same thing gets you the same results and your results are poor, it’s time to diversify.

Did you ever wonder why some trucking companies are thriving while others are going under?  Do you think it’s maybe because they are better at money management than the next business?  Sometimes but not always.  Do you think they maybe this great crystal ball that is giving them insight?  Probably not!

When doing the same thing isn’t getting you the results you need, it’s time to look at diversifying.  Making a change isn’t always easy.  It takes out of our comfort zone of something familiar and puts us in a place of maybe having to learn something new.

Trucking companies are having to close their doors and lay off their employees and/or owner operators because of lack of freight to haul.  Lack of freight coupled with low or even lower rates makes it difficult to make money.  I’ll bet you can name off a few companies and people that you personally know in this situation right now.  Life isn’t always fair.

I talked with a trucking company the other day that has diversified what they were hauling and are now growing and making money again.  Good for them.  I love hearing success stories.  This wasn’t always the case though.  They had to figure it out and change direction with what they were hauling.  They had to change their thinking and open up the possibility to change and learn something new.

Change can be a positive word if you let it.  Change can be a good thing, especially if it means the difference between making money and NOT making money.  Change is inevitable and a daily thing.  Think of change like a detour, a detour to making more money.

I don’t have a magic pill that I can recommend to you that will suddenly make you smarter at selecting loads to haul or give you insight to what you should do in your business.

Being an owner operator means keeping on top of your business and making sure it’s profitable.  This may mean looking to haul something else other than what you have been.  Keep your mind open to other possibilities of other freight to haul.  Don’t be afraid to learn something new.

Ask other truckers what they are hauling and who they are working for.  Get input and weigh your options for something better than what you already have.

Get yourself a good trucking program to keep track of your business.  Know where your money is going and what kind of expenses you have.  Easy Trucking Software is a GREAT software that is economically priced and created just for you, the owner operator and small fleet owner.

The economy isn’t going to turn around overnight and we all need to help ourselves as best we can.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.