3 Tips for Better Fleet Management
When it comes to fleet management, the ultimate goal is a high level of performance among drivers and their vehicles. Unfortunately, the paperwork alone is such an arduous task that there is little time to do much else. There is so much to consider such as logging the number of hours drivers are spending behind the wheel along with the amount and cost of fuel. Then there is payroll and downtime in which vehicles are in for inspections and repairs. All of this needs to be balanced so that the company shows a profit, and this is often difficult to do. With that in mind, there are a few things you can do to make managing a fleet easier. Here are three tips that are effective in striving toward better fleet management.
1. Install Electronic Logging Devices
One of the things you will often hear drivers complain about is the amount of work it takes to log all the things they are held accountable for when out on the road. You will likely hear them say they spend as much time on the payroll as they do driving. While that isn’t true, they aren’t far off the mark. However, with the newer technology of electronic logging devices actually logging much of that information automatically in the background, drivers can focus more on resting up before the next leg of their route.
These are devices that hook directly up to the vehicle to log distance, hours, fuel and so much more. If your drivers are still doing all that logging manually, you might find how much more productive they can be when relying on an ELD for much of the paperwork they were bogged down with in the past.
If you are looking for the best ELDs on the market, Geotab is a good choice, so search for the best Geotab resellers.
2. Systematic Tracking to Stay Within Budget
Some of the trackings are already being done seamlessly in the background with that ELD. It will be much easier to set budgets when you have everything you need in front of you in black and white. As mentioned, an ELD can track:
- Hours on the road.
- Fuel Usage.
- Distances covered.
But then you can also track such things as:
- Downtime for maintenance and repairs.
- The rising cost of Fuel.
- Vehicles in use – when, where, and how often.
- Licensing and training of drivers.
- Driver performance in terms of legal requirements.
And other things like times and locations where vehicles stopped and how long they were ‘resting.’ All of this is calculated into a formula to show the profitability of each route and how a driver’s performance impacts the all-important bottom line.
3. Making It Work Together Toward an Improvement in Your Bottom Line
Although technology is advancing by the day, fleet managers may not realize just how much is out there and the extent to which it can help better manage an entire fleet. If you are finding that your company is underperforming, it’s probably time to enlist the aid of technology, freeing you up to do so many of those tasks you’ve left behind. In short, your crucial takeaway is that if you want to raise your bottom line, look to technology for the answers you seek and an easier way to find them. Hope these 3 tips will help you with better fleet management.
