January 2019

Fleet management is one of the most efficient methods to improve your profit, due to the fact that it reduces the cost of your delivery system. This is done by reducing the fuel consumption, planning more efficient itineraries and reducing employee theft and accidents. Still, some businesses believe that all they have to do is pick one employee of the bunch, pay for a fleet management software and have this issue covered. Now, a fleet manager does substantially more than just telling drivers where to go and when and here are five ways in which a fleet manager may become more efficient at what they do.

The choice of drivers is just as important as the choice of vehicles

A lot of fleet managers believe that the safety of their fleet depends on the selection of the vehicles. This is somewhat true, seeing as how vehicles in prime shape are less likely to malfunction. Nonetheless, you need to keep in mind the fact that 90 percent of traffic accidents happen due to a human error. This is why it’s far more important to hire responsible drivers. First of all, you need to check their driving history. Second, even if they are reckless, it’s unlikely that they’ll have an accident right away. Therefore, you may be able to notice this potentially hazardous behavior long before the accident actually takes place.

Proper vehicle maintenance

Another thing you should understand is the fact that proper vehicle maintenance may save you a small fortune on subsequent repairs. Moreover, it’s the job of a proper fleet manager to find a reliable mechanic nearby. Now, the vicinity is important for a number of practical reasons. First, it helps out with emergency repairs and improves your fuel efficiency. Nonetheless, you don’t have to limit the search to your immediate neighborhood. For instance, a business based in Maitland, East Maitland, Cessnock, Kurri Kurri or the greater Hunter Valley region should look for a mechanic in Hunter Valley. This gives you more choice, thus making the selection of an adequate partner a simpler matter.

Fuel efficiency

The next thing you need to watch out for is the fuel efficiency of your drivers. First of all, by monitoring the vehicle via GPS technology, you can easily tell when a driver is driving in a non-fuel-efficient manner. Once you notice this, you can simply urge the driver in question to cruise more often. Also, you need to be aware of the fact that properly inflated tires tend to reduce fuel consumption. The bigger the truck, the better the MPG (miles per gallon) you get from keeping tires properly inflated.

Fuel theft prevention

Previously, we’ve talked about fuel efficiency, which is a scenario where your company loses resources due to the negligence of your drivers. However, what happens in a scenario where your employees deliberately rob your company of these resources? We’re, of course, talking about fuel theft. There are several things you can do here, from estimating the usage of fuel by setting up benchmarks to fitting your vehicles with anti-siphoning or fuel monitoring devices. The key things to keep in mind are the fact that this is a real hazard and that none of these methods are 100 percent reliable. Therefore, try to combine as many of them as you can at the same time.

Lease smarter

Lastly, you need to understand that the purchase of a vehicle tends to be a major investment on the part of your company, which is why shopping around may be incredibly helpful. Sure, purchasing all your vehicles from a single dealer or a single manufacturer helps with maintenance and planning, yet, you might not have the luxury of choice. Therefore, with each subsequent purchase, you need to thoroughly examine the market in order to see what’s new.

A lot of these tasks can be automated with the help of software, policy, gadgets and driver training, which means that the role of a fleet manager is more that of a supervisor. So, if the fleet manager is a good organizer, your fleet will run flawlessly.