Don’t Let Travel Time Kill Productivity

As American cities grow and become more congested, we’re all going to spend more time on the roads. In fact, according to InterCall’s What’s a Traffic Jam Cost? infographic, in 2011 the average American spent 38 hours a week stuck in traffic (even more if you live in major cities).

With the combination of larger vehicles that consume more gas, and more stoplights, it seems as though this is a recipe for congestion. In fact, the amount of time we sit in traffic has more than doubled since 1982, when it was just 16 hours per week.

This doesn’t have to be you. It doesn’t have to dictate the way that you work. With a little simple forethought, you can avoid slowing to a crawl on the major interstates on the way to your job. Trying to avoid this mess can save you money on gas as well as time.

Consider working from home, or allowing your employees to work from home for at least part of the week. It could highly improve morale, keep you and your employees from being late, and allow for increased productivity and less drive time. This may become a workable solution that everyone likes.

If sitting in rush hour traffic is unavoidable, try making the hours behind the wheel productive in some other way. Experts caution you against using your smart phone while driving, but you could have your social posts scheduled out for this time. You’re using the time to make an impact.

Chances are there are people paying attention to your business who are just freshly sitting behind their computer, while you’re in traffic. The very beginning or the very end of the day (when travel times are worse) may provide a little downtime for them. It’s the perfect window for connecting with your audience.

You may also want to consider using video conferencing to cut down on travel expenses. This is a great way to simplify client meetings, stay in touch with employees who work remotely, and maintain face to face contact when it would otherwise require travel to do so.

If driving is required for your business, it may be best to make the drive during off-peak hours. This may not always be possible, but when you can travel during non-rush hour times it may be a more efficient way for you and your employees to go from “point A” to “point B.”

You can view and share InterCall’s infographic below: