QEC Drivers vs In House Drivers
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This article is part of an ongoing series where Quicksilver employees share their perspectives from the front lines of same-day delivery. Business Development Representative Justin Wicks breaks down the hidden costs of in-house delivery and why outsourcing to a courier often makes more sense than it might seem.
The hidden costs of in-house delivery
One of the biggest challenges that many companies face when it comes to shipping and deliveries is the decision whether to use a delivery service or to hire in house drivers and purchase a delivery vehicle.
Comparing the rates for a delivery service against the costs of hiring a driver and sourcing a delivery vehicle may seem straightforward, but many businesses fail to include all costs associated with doing your own deliveries. The costs that are often missed include:
- Purchase or rental of the delivery vehicle
- Vehicle fuel
- Vehicle insurance
- Vehicle licensing and registration
- Vehicle maintenance
- Employee wages
- Employee benefits
When you add it all up, many companies find their true cost of in-house delivery easily exceeds several thousand dollars per week, often without realizing it. And because many of these are fixed costs, the math only works if your vehicle is making deliveries for a full eight hours a day. The moment volume dips, your cost per delivery climbs.
What happens when something goes wrong
Beyond the predictable expenses, in-house delivery comes with a category of costs that are harder to budget for: the unexpected.
- What do I do if my delivery vehicle breaks down?
- How do I cover my driver’s vacation time?
- What if my driver calls in sick?
- What if my driver gets stuck in traffic?
- Who is going to manage my drivers and fleet?
Many companies keep backup drivers on staff to cover vacations and sick times, but that solution comes with its own complications. A backup driver needs to be insured by your company's policy. You also have to consider what normal tasks your backup driver is not able to complete while out making deliveries.
A simpler alternative for Milwaukee businesses
This is where Quicksilver comes in. You no longer have to hire a driver, buy or rent a delivery vehicle, cover vacations and sick time, or manage drivers and a fleet. And you won't need to run the numbers on how many deliveries it takes in a day to justify owning and operating your own vehicle.
When you partner with a same-day courier service, you’re not just outsourcing a delivery: you’re handing off the entire infrastructure that comes with it.
Quicksilver offers a variety of vehicles from cars, SUVs, minivans, cargo vans, straight trucks, flatbeds, curtainsides, conestogas, and 53-foot tractor trailers. Whatever your logistics needs look like, we have a solution that fits.
**Not ready to make a full switch? **Quicksilver can also supplement your existing fleet, cover overflow deliveries, or fill in during vacations and sick time. It's a flexible, cost-effective way to keep operations running smoothly without the overhead of doing it all in-house.
Check out www.qec.com to see how we can align with your business today!