What You Need To Know About Fleet Management
Within the world of logistics driving, be it lorries, vans, trucks or cars, impeccable organisation is the key to success. In order to ensure a smoothly running business, proper planning and constant coordination of operations are essential.
The majority of this responsibility is designated to the fleet manager, who is in charge of a multitude of tasks. These often include but are not limited to, setting driver performance targets, measuring vehicle efficiency, inspections, maintenance schedules, route planning and fuel calculation.
As is the case in many industries, the constant evolution of technology has seen numerous advancements in the world of fleet management. The role has become far more varied and involves much more than purchasing and coordinating vehicles nowadays! When implemented properly, this technology can help fleet managers organise their workloads more efficiently and remove time-consuming manual tasks.
Here is Transcare’s complete guide to fleet management.
Efficient Fleet Management
Part of managing a fleet of business vehicles is staying on top of what can feel like a million things at once. With multiple jobs on the go, tight deadlines and complex jobs to oversee, fleet managers have a lot to think about.
When done properly, fleet management helps eliminate many of the risks associated with commercial vehicles such as mechanical health, cost efficiency and driver performance. It also allows jobs to be correctly allocated and prioritised.
In the event of issues such as lost drivers, vehicle breakdowns or employee safety problems, it is a fleet manager’s job to find a solution.
This is why modernised fleet management technology is invaluable today. Using real-time software feedback, fleet managers are provided with a complete overview of their fleet operations, ensuring maximum efficiency and minimising problems.
What Is Fleet Management Software?
As mentioned above, fleet management is no longer as simple as sending the right drivers to the right places; the job is now more complex, with many moving parts requiring constant awareness and problem-solving.
Fortunately, advancements in technology and wireless/gps tracking have enabled efficient fleet management software to be largely digitised over the last ten years or so. By combining mobile apps, with onboard hardware and gps software, fleet managers are given far more insight into their vehicles.
Fleet management software utilises gps tracking, vehicle telematics and route optimisation programs to relay and record information. This information is then analysed, instantly flagging any potential issues or relevant data.
Issues that can be avoided using this software include:
- Extended vehicle repair time
- Lost drivers
- Inefficient route calculation
- Driver speeding
- Fuel wastage
- Insurance difficulties
Fleet Management And Telematics
Fleet management is a rather broad term that encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and different elements. One of the key components of fleet management is the use of a technology known as ‘telematics’.
Essentially, telematics uses small black boxes which are installed inside the cab of a vehicle. These digital boxes analyse a range of data which is then communicated back to the fleet manager.
Among the huge amount of information recorded by telematics software are:
- Vehicle speed – This helps to plan more efficient routes and analyse driver safety
- Fuel consumption – Recording efficiency and miles per gallon
- Vehicle health and service checks
Telematics is a crucial feature of modern fleet management as it enables businesses to access real-time information and updates regarding the health, performance and efficiency of their drivers.
Benefits Of Fleet Management And Vehicle Diagnostics
As a business, there are countless benefits to implementing fleet management software as a part of your operation. From real-time statistics reporting driver locations and performance, to cost analysis and fuel efficiency, this tech can save you time, money and hassle.
Included among the many benefits of modernised fleet management are:
Job Management
Using digitised job management software allows managers to develop and allocate tasks and schedules for their teams while monitoring progress and efficiency. With a comprehensive overview of your fleet, the software also helps to streamline operations with features such as closest driver job allocation, delivery notification and proof of completion.
Additionally, features such as in-cab notifications and real-time driver updates enable a constant flow of communication between drivers and managers. This means that in the event of a problem, a solution can be reached swiftly.
Route Optimisation
As well as the allocation and planning of jobs, fleet management software is capable of analysing gps data and using it to optimise the route that a driver follows, taking into account fuel consumption, mileage, traffic and time.
By reviewing data and using it to make logical choices, fleet management software can save a business precious time and money. Moreover, by optimising driver routes and minimising delays, the overall experience of customers is improved, leading to better business-client relationships.
Driver Safety
At the very top of a fleet manager’s priority list, should be the safety of their drivers. Ensuring that employees are working in safe conditions, and abiding by speed limits and laws, is crucial. Using vehicle telematics and data analysis, fleet managers are able to view driver risk profiles and work to identify members of their team that may need further training or tailored programs.
In addition to the analysis of driver performance, fleet management software is capable of identifying vehicle issues as soon as they occur, relaying the information back to the driver and manager in real-time. This minimises the chance of a malfunction that could place the driver or surrounding vehicles in danger.
Planned Repairs
Finally, by keeping track of vehicle health and engine condition in real-time, telematics software enables fleet managers to plan ahead, service and maintain vehicles before larger issues arise.
Using electronic scheduling, fleet management software can schedule routine vehicle maintenance. This works to minimise the amount of time that vehicles are out of action, making repairs more cost-effective and less damaging to business.
Lorry Maintenance And Truck Repair
As mentioned before, among the vast responsibility that accompanies fleet management, is staying ahead of vehicle maintenance and repair. No matter the size or scale of your operation, breakdowns and vehicle issues are major setbacks, costing time and money.
Efficient fleet management and the use of designated software allow a business to stay ahead of repairs, book maintenance in advance and minimise vehicle downtime as well as the chance of breaking any laws with vehicles that are no longer roadworthy due to defects or mechanical issues.
There are, of course, ways to minimise the chances of vehicle breakdowns. Staying on top of basics such as tyre pressure, oil level and vehicle lights is a must, but the surest way to guarantee the efficient and smooth running of a fleet is by using the services of expert transport engineers.
Transcare: Fleet Management You Can Trust
As a fleet manager, it is crucial that you are provided with reliable support that is capable of handling planned and unplanned repair work with ease. The surest way to ensure the efficient running of your business vehicles is to use an experienced maintenance and repair firm such as Transcare.
With over 25 years of experience, fast response vehicles and computer diagnostics, we have the capabilities and experience to handle fleets of any size. Our 24-hour support service also means that we can arrive and repair unplanned issues at any time.
If you’re looking for an efficient and comprehensive fleet management provider, look no further than Transcare. From body and accident repair to tachograph calibration, we can help!
For repairs and maintenance throughout Derbyshire and the UK, get in touch with our expert team today. We are always happy to help and answer any questions you may have regarding your fleet or business.
