In stark contrast to today's sophisticated, safety-focused, productivity-driven turnarounds, the choice to use antiquated, decentralized worker transportation is rife with risks and inefficiencies. Two decades ago, when fewer than 500 workers performed in a shift, contractors often loaded up their workers and headed directly to their assigned units. Fast-forward to 2017. Turnarounds demand huge manpower on a temporary basis, with headcounts often in the thousands. Despite dramatic growth, contractors are still often tasked with driving their workers to and from assigned parking lots, across public roads and into the plant site.
As a plant owner, you have two transportation options: decentralized, which hands each contractor responsibility for transporting its crew, and centralized, which enlists a single provider to transport all workers via shuttles. On the surface, the decentralized approach seems like a good idea. You can pull an item off a long checklist of turnaround responsibilities, and contractors can address the unique needs of their labor pool.
But decentralized transportation has flaws, particularly in large turnarounds. You surrender billing control to dozens of contractors. The designated drivers, usually high-wage earners and unqualified as commercial drivers, are late to arrive and early to depart from their specialized work. And since workers can only ride with their group, partially filled vehicles congest roads.
Driving efficiency with a shuttle system
When you compare the efficiencies of shuttles against contractor-managed transportation, you quickly discover that there is no comparison. You interact with only one company to coordinate route changes, early outs and other logistics. Shuttle stops at units, turnaround administrative facilities and parking lots get workers to their units faster (increased time-on-tools) and expedite their departure at shift's end (reduced time-on-clock). And since shuttles can fill to capacity with any and all workers, you have less traffic -- up to a 40-percent reduction in worker transport vehicles -- elevating efficiency across your project.
Unlicensed? Uninsured? Unacceptable!
The liabilities of decentralized transportation would put any attorney on high alert. In the event of a fatal vehicle accident on or off your plant site, what coverage will your commercial insurance policy provide? That answer could very well be "none." At Onpoint, for example, we hold insurance coverage for passengers in every seat of every vehicle in our fleet. This comes at no small expense, but it isn't optional. Transporting workers on public roads invites additional concerns. Does each driver have a Commercial Driver's License? Has anyone checked their Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records? With a professional transportation provider, those liabilities are covered. Professional drivers are trained, properly licensed and DMV cleared. They are focused and ready to transport your entire workforce safely.
Transportation cost: The rubber meets the road
Transportation is a relatively small budgetary item, but for contractors it can be a revenue bonanza. Owners may scrutinize shift hours on an invoice, but transportation costs go relatively unnoticed. And since those costs appear differently on each contractor's invoice, it's impossible to track them. You have little recourse and no control.
With a single, centralized transportation provider, you gain clear insight. Pricing is negotiated upfront, and transportation is a line item on your spreadsheet, allowing you to forecast and track costs.
Today's turnaround objectives, and the workforce required to execute them, have scaled up dramatically. Plant owners demand higher sophistication in planning, managing, engineering, budgeting, scheduling, procurement and risk management. A sophisticated approach to workforce transportation is equally imperative. It lets you align teams logistically, manage risk more successfully, improve safety performance, increase time on tools and realize measurable savings.
For more information, visit www.onpoint-us.com or call (800) 639-1347.
