Late Fees and Communication with Driver Managers for Better Service

We have always valued quality service in our business model. We know that sometimes it is impossible to make a delivery by the latest drop time due to unforeseen circumstances like traffic, weather, or mechanical problems. But having good communication between drivers and their driver managers is often the factor that distinguishes a company for quality service.

Many of our customers will charge us a late fee for not delivering a load by the latest agreed drop time, and some of these customers are very strict with appointments. One customer in particular, Glazier Foods, charges us at a rate of $100 every hour past the latest drop time. Meijer’s lanes also charge a $200 late fee for any late delivery. Even if a company does not charge a late delivery to the driver upon completion, they will charge the company later on the invoice. We want to make sure that all personnel understands the importance of quality customer service.

This is why communication with your driver manager about your estimated time of arrival (ETAs) and any delays is so important. Any information that will change your delivery time or ETA needs to be communicated to your driver manager immediately. This way we can communicate with our customers in a timely manner to avoid such late fees if at all possible.

You do not need to wait until the end of the day to send updates, we prefer to have them as soon as possible so that we can inform our customers and make arrangements for more quality customer service. Phone call updates throughout the day are appreciated and PeopleNet messages as well. Keep your driver manager in the loop as much as you can.