Success isn’t accidental. The most successful people have a process for getting things done effectively, sticking to a schedule and staying under budget. The same goes for fleet management. Optimizing your processes means you’ll need to leverage your talents and skills to create the best solutions. You can help yourself get there by practicing these seven proven habits of highly effective fleet managers.
Proactively addressing unsafe driver behaviors will help you avoid the challenges associated with accidents. Even a near miss can lead to costs for the company and driver, especially if it involves negligence. Some of the best ways to manage what happens on the road are to use GPS fleet tracking solutions and dashcams to monitor your fleet. Knowing you’re watching will encourage drivers to do the right thing.
Maintaining a maintenance routine is crucial to ensure optimal vehicle performance and longevity. It will also help you avoid the costs and downtime associated with repairs. The easier you make it for drivers to perform their roles and for maintenance teams to track history, the easier it will be to get vehicles in for services on time and without disrupting the schedule. With today’s technology, you can access data at a glance and even get notifications when it’s time to act.
Maintaining a consistent budget is one of the most critical aspects of the role. Set purchasing guidelines for all fleet-related purchases to make this easier. This includes establishing rules on purchasing and recommendations on when to replace vehicles, like suggested vehicle ages or mileage thresholds. When you buy new vehicles, look into options you can spec out to meet your requirements and shop around for the best price.
One of the top habits of highly effective fleet managers is adopting new technology. There are many solutions available today that will help you become more productive, efficient and profitable, including different GPS tracking solutions, dashcams, electronic logging devices (ELDs) and fleet management software. In most cases, these products are all worth the investment if you use them to their full capability.
Practicing and encouraging good communication is essential to effectively managing a fleet. When your whole team understands the common goal and knows what’s going on, you can deliver a better experience for everyone in the supply chain, including your:
Developing expectations for drivers is easiest when you create a realistic set of performance standards and incentivize good behavior. Motivating drivers to be mindful about their fuel consumption, perform vehicle inspections and be safe on the road can deliver multiple advantages. The benefits of having established standards include reducing overhead, keeping vehicles in good condition, maintaining compliance and protecting your company reputation.
Fleet managers are constantly making decisions that impact the bottom line. The more information you have at your disposal, the more prepared you’ll be to manage day-to-day operations and handle the unexpected. Some of the insights available through today’s solutions include driver identification, real-time and historical vehicle location data, and information regarding mileage, average fuel consumption and idle time.
Take advantage of what other fleet managers are doing right and start using GPS technology on your vehicles today. Track Your Truck GPS fleet tracking solutions include technology designed to monitor vehicles, trailers and assets. We also offer advanced ELD products and dashcams with built-in GPS. Our team will help you create an optimal and cost-effective configuration.
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