When delivering interior doors in a truck load board, transport costs are always an uncertain cost item. Because as a contractor you only know afterwards how many times the truck has driven to deliver the doors. How can you reduce (or minimize) costs for a project, the answer is by properly coordinating the transport, production and hanging of interior doors. With the three tips below you avoid unnecessary journeys and save on costs.
Tip 1: Avoid adjustments during the execution
The most important reason for an extra door delivery and higher transport costs is that the situation on site does not match the building plan. When you order doors, you work from the construction drawings. But if the architect or client makes changes during the implementation, there is a chance that the ordered door will not fit in the frame. If that is the case, then you have to order a new door and must deliver the door supplier again.
Tip 2: Adjust the delivery of interior doors to the phasing of the construction
How often the door operator has to drive for the delivery of interior doors differs per project. What you have to take into account in large construction projects is the phasing. Is it clear in advance that all units, floors or corridors will be delivered in phases? Then it is not wise to have all interior doors delivered at once. Then choose to deliver per phase. Of course then the transport costs go up. But you do not run the risk that delivered interior doors will be damaged on construction, because you cannot (yet) depend on them. That also saves money.
Tip 3: Keep in mind the production time of the door
Door suppliers never guarantee that they deliver interior doors on a specific day. They always give a delivery week because in the production of doors, the door supplier has to deal with the delivery of the plates. He must also order these hard plastic plates himself. The door supplier usually stocks sheets in standard colors. But if your client wants a different color, the plate has to be ordered and the delivery takes longer. In combination with tight delivery terms you have to have doors delivered several times. Then you cannot wait until all doors are pressed.
Save costs with good consultation
You may honestly have not seen a project for which no extra interior doors had to be delivered. So you also have to be realistic. The chance that transport costs will be higher than budgeted is greater than the chance that they will be lower. Consult with your client about interim adjustments and the phasing of the construction. Then you can estimate how often the truck has to drive with doors. This way you avoid unnecessary journeys and you can easily save on transport costs.
