If you are thinking about getting into the delivery business and purchasing a rural FedEx Ground route, the price of fuel could be a concern right now. Prices are fluctuating up and down, and with ongoing conflicts in Europe and elsewhere, things are uncertain.
In fact, we talked about the price of fuel a couple of months ago, but it is worth talking about some additional techniques again. Because you can run a route, save fuel, save money, and still have a profitable business.
Share Stops and Cooperate with Other Route Owners
When you purchase a rural FedEx Ground route, it is important to note that you are not in competition with other route owners, but rather you are colleagues. There are a lot of ways you can cooperate with them, share stops and pick-ups, and in the process save money.
- Get to know the route owners around you. Note when you “cross paths” during the day, and note when you share areas.
- Trade deliveries and pickups that may cause each of you to backtrack.
- Introduce your customers to drivers who may be dropping off or picking up instead of you.
Cooperation between drivers and routes is one sway to save money when running routes.
Rural FedEx Ground Route Data
We talked before about routing apps, but there is even more you can do with the information you get from those apps. You can see when your busiest days are in certain areas and run packages to that area on certain days.
There is a lot of route data out there and running one package to a remote location and then having another single delivery in that area can be quite discouraging from a fuel and a time standpoint.
Set up your route to run to remote and rural areas on certain days unless there are priority or time sensitive packages your customer needs right away. Communicate these things with your customers, and most of them will understand.
Another strategy is to alternate days to service outlying areas if you have another driver near you who goes to the same location or close.
Establish Rural FedEx Ground Route Drop Points
Much of the time, rural customers have established drop points in town, at a storage unit area, or other places where you can drop packages rather than venturing out to remote homes. If you catch someone at home, ask about delivery options. They often work in town, have offices somewhere, or residents have made a deal with a local business to hold items for them.
This can be especially helpful in inclement weather when delivering to rural neighborhoods and remote homes can even be potentially dangerous. This is another situation when communicating with other drivers can help you learn this kind of information.
Put it All Together
There is no one answer for the best way to run a rural FedEx Ground route. If you deliver in remote locations, you’ll find that each one is different with a unique set of customers, territory, and circumstances.
But you will find that the one thing they all have in common is that customers understand the challenges of where they live that impact delivery drivers, and they want to accommodate you so they can get their packages delivered safely and effectively.
The cost of fuel is by far not the only factor when running a rural route, but it is a primary one right now. However, rural FedEx Ground routes can be one of the most profitable and enjoyable routes to own.
Are you ready to purchase a FedEx Ground route? Contact us at Route Advisors today. We’re here to help you every step of the way.