Outsourcing transport to subcontractors: a practical transition guide

The decision has been made: in the future, an external partner will take over part of the transport. Now the real work begins. Because with the awarding of the order alone, neither the knowledge of the previous drivers nor the well-established processes automatically transfer to the new service provider.

If you want to switch your logistics to subcontractors, you need a clear handover process. This article focuses on the transport sector: from the initial inventory through a pilot route to ongoing quality control.

First determine which tasks will be handed over

The term subcontractor is used differently in everyday life. A company can hire a transport service provider directly; This in turn can use other companies to carry out the execution. For your planning, the most important thing is who your contractual partner is, who carries out the trips and who decides in the event of deviations.

Describe the scope of services as specifically as possible. Should the partner just drive or also coordinate appointments with recipients? Who creates transport orders? Who checks readiness for shipping? Who handles queries after delivery?

A clear distribution of tasks prevents activities from being left behind after the changeover between warehouse, scheduling and service provider.

Document the actual process

Start with a representative selection of your previous trips. In addition to route and quantity, information that is currently only known to individual employees is particularly important: different acceptance of goods, access restrictions, contact persons or additional returns from the customer.

Create a short work description for each tour. Record the regular process and known exceptions separately. A new driver should be able to tell which loading point to go to and who to contact if there are problems.

At the same time, check which services you still need internally. Even with outsourced transport, for example, the provision of the goods and coordination with the service provider remain part of your operational process.

Check offers based on a uniform performance profile

A comparison only works if all partners requested receive the same requirements. This includes frequency, shipment profile, time slot, loading conditions and expected additional services.

Clarify in particular:

• How are changes, cancellations and additional trips handled?
• Which waiting times are taken into account?
• How are deliveries and deviations documented?
• What replacement solution is provided in the event of vehicle or driver failure?
• How is the use of other executing companies regulated?
• Which evidence and insurance documents match the order?

These points should be discussed with the contractual partner before the start. Economically, you should compare the scope offered with your full expenses to date, including remaining internal work and one-off conversion costs.

Start with a manageable pilot route

A pilot phase makes it clear whether the planned collaboration works in everyday life. Choose a route that reflects typical requirements and whose handover can be easily accompanied.

Example procedure: A wholesaler initially hands over the supply to a branch. During the pilot, the warehouse and transport partners document pickup readiness, actual departure, arrival and special features. Recurring questions will be included in the tour description.

Before it begins, it is clear when the pilot will be evaluated and what criteria apply for the expansion. The decision is based on observed processes instead of on the impression of a single successful trip.

Prepare the switch to regular operation

After a successful pilot, further tours will be taken over step by step. For each connection there is a start date, a current work description and named contact persons.

An escalation path is particularly important: Who will be informed if collection is at risk? Who can order a replacement trip? Who notifies the recipient? These decisions should not have to be negotiated in the event of a disruption.

Own reserve capacities should only be adjusted once the new solution has been sufficiently tested and the further use of the resources has been clarified.

Evaluate quality regularly

A few meaningful key figures are enough to get you started: adhered to delivery windows, fully documented deliveries, deviations and additional coordination effort. Define how these values ​​are measured. A delay due to late delivery of goods requires a different improvement than an error in route planning.

The existing DAGO contribution to Transportation outsourcing for SMEs supplementary orientation. The implementation then begins with a specific performance profile.

Do you want to hand over regular transports to an external partner? Present your tours, quantities and requirements to DAGO Express and request a suitable transport solution.

Inquire about transport requirements now