Location is a big issue for any business, but, in many cases, it is no longer what it seems. On face value location construes premises and physical space, both of which are vital, especially in the transportation industry. But today it is becoming more and more important to get your head into the clouds!

From cloud computing to online bookings, the digital economy is transforming the concept of location or “place” and the nature of how businesses can make a profit. It is vital to respond to this change effectively.

A virtual toolbox

The everyday tools of haulage companies are usually vans, logbooks and hydraulic lifts. But the digital economy not only offers a new place in which to do business, but also a new arena in which to pluck tools out of a virtual box. There are so many opportunities to use apps, software, mobile devices and online spaces to augment the logistics, communications, and management of even the smallest business. Rather than seeing the options presented by digital economy as daunting, it will help if you see them as new windows of opportunity.

A new priority

Many people who work in haulage companies are used to the empirical. From numbers on a logistics sheet to wheels spinning on the road, the priority of the business is very much anchored in the physical world. Therefore, investment in the tools wrought by the digital economy may seem fanciful and superfluous. In fact, not only is the digital economy here to stay, it also adds huge value to national economies and to the haulage industry as a whole. From GPS controls to cloud storage of client data, new technology has bred new practices, which have cemented new expectations of best practice. Even small businesses need to adapt to this transformation.

Save time online

All businesses, including haulage companies, keep an ear open to whispers of new means of efficiency. From the beginning of the modern computing revolution, efficiency has been both the modus operandi and justification of investment in this technology. These days, the benefits of the digital economy have spilled over to provide improved ways of saving time and money – even for sole operators and small enterprises. The results have been things like online payments systems, job-hunting exchanges, feedback and review sites, marketing platforms, and logistics tools.

A way to sell yourself

The majority of successful haulage companies develop a good client base from which they can pick up repeat work. This is usually garnered through a combination of strategies, but the digital economy has opened up options that are too simple and rewarding to pass up. The capacity to use social media marketing, online exchanges and networking platforms has become so broad that its prevalence is fast making it the norm, rather than an optional extra.