How to Be a Great Fleet Manager

As a fleet manager, you’re responsible for the vehicles your company has on the road. Even if you don’t drive, your reputation is on the road – and on the line – every time your drivers leave your facility. Asset management software can provide profiling services linked to each vehicle, trip profiling or both. Depending on the needs of your company and your preference, an asset tracking system can be operated on your company’s servers by in house staff or maintained totally in the cloud by a service provider. Along with your training, skills and experience, the right equipment can help you become a great fleet manager.

What Is Fleet Management?

At its most basic level, fleet management is keeping track of your company’s vehicles. Components of fleet management include telematics – tracking and diagnostics, along with fuel management and driver management. Asset tracking software from a company such as Novo Solutions can make the job of a fleet manager much easier, whether the system is operated on a company’s own servers or in the cloud. Fleet management can improve driver performance and vehicle efficiency. You may even find that your maintenance and repair bills are reduced as a result of good fleet management.

How Am I Driving?

Fleet management software can monitor driver behavior using global positioning software or similar technology while your company’s vehicles are on the road. Drivers who exhibit careless driving habits can receive remedial training, while drivers who are guilty of more serious infractions can be relieved of their duties.

Asset tracking software has other uses besides monitoring driver behavior. For instance, asset tracking software allows you readily locate drivers who are injured in an accident, or who become stranded in inclement weather. If you receive a last minute order, asset tracking software allows you to determine which of your drivers to redirect to take care of the delivery or pickup.

No Left Turns

Fuel is a major expenditure for company vehicles, so finding a means to save fuel can have a positive impact on your company’s bottom line. The United Parcel Service Company did an analysis of the efficiency of its deliveries, and made the simple discovery that eliminating left turns could increase efficiency and safe a tremendous amount of fuel. It’s possible that installing asset management software for your fleet management system could allow you to make a similarly significant discovery.

Asset tracking software can also help you keep track of each vehicle’s maintenance records, to allow for regular maintenance. In addition, whenever your company’s vehicles receive major or minor repairs, asset tracking software allows you to keep track of the work that was done. With such a system in place, a particular vehicle shows a pattern of repeated repairs will be easier to track – and to get rid of.

Dude, Where’s My Truck?

If your company operates a large number of trucks and vans for delivery or other company business, simply keeping track of the whereabouts of all those vehicles can become a full time job. Asset management software eliminates much of the need for your company’s drivers to continually check in whenever they’re on the road. Instead of pulling over to make a call or marking a tally sheet, your drivers can go about the business of delivering goods and services to your company’s customers.

An asset tracking system can also be useful if your business has company cars available to loan to employees conducting company business. With such a system in place, you know immediately where each care is located. As a result, you can quickly call one or more cars back to your company’s location back if an unforeseen urgent situation arises.

Jeremy S is a vehicle manager. In his free time, he likes to share his findings on other management blogs. Click to learn more about Novo asset management software.