It’s no secret that fleet maintenance is essential to the operation of any fleet. It serves the pivotal function of addressing its overall state and is key to ensuring that vehicles are on the road and making money as much as possible.
But that’s not to say all ways of performing fleet maintenance are the same – there are definitely better ways to optimize efficiency. After all, a well-oiled machine is one that’s running as close to its potential as possible.
In this post, we’ll discuss how effective fleet maintenance can help you run a leaner, meaner operation – and save money in the process.
How Fleet Maintenance Improves Efficiency
The first thing to understand is that fleet maintenance and fleet efficiency are two sides of the same coin. Just as you wouldn’t expect a car to run without gas, you can’t have an effective fleet without properly maintaining it.
Proper maintenance helps to ensure that your vehicles are running as efficiently as possible. This, in turn, saves you money on things like fuel, repairs, and even vehicle replacement.
What Is Effective Fleet Maintenance?
To understand how to optimize your fleet, we first need to know what effective fleet maintenance looks like.
At its core, effective fleet maintenance is a proactive process, rather than a reactive one. It means staying well ahead of repairs with regularly scheduled check-ups, implementing best practices, and using high-quality parts and products.
The right solution will help minimize downtime and keep your vehicles on the road, whether by tracking maintenance records or scheduling future appointments.
Helps to avoid breakdowns: By catching problems early and addressing them head-on, you can help to avoid larger issues down the road. This not only saves you money in repairs, it also keeps your vehicles on the road and keeps your organization profitable.
Increases fuel efficiency: Regular maintenance helps to keep your vehicles running smoothly, which can lead to increased fuel efficiency. This lowers your overall operating costs and helps you save money at the pump.
Improves vehicle lifespan: Properly maintaining your fleet extends the life of your vehicles. This not only saves you money on replacement costs, but it also minimizes downtime.
Reduces repair costs: Because small problems have a tendency to snowball into larger, more expensive ones, addressing issues early on can help to reduce the cost of repairs.
Boosts productivity: Automating your fleet maintenance processes helps keep your fleet running smoothly, minimizes downtime and maximizes productivity.
Tips For Optimizing Your Fleet Maintenance
Schedule Regular Inspections
By scheduling regular inspections, you can catch problems early and prevent them from turning into larger issues. This helps to keep your vehicles on the road and minimizes downtime.
Use High-Quality Parts And Products
Using high-quality parts and products helps to ensure that your vehicles are running smoothly. This, in turn, increases fuel efficiency and extends the life of your vehicles.
Keep Accurate Records
Keeping accurate records is essential for effective fleet maintenance. This helps you to track maintenance history, schedule future appointments, and troubleshoot problems.
Automating these processes by digitally recording your maintenance data is the most time-efficient and cost-effective way to ensure data accuracy and easy access.
Develop a Preventative Maintenance Plan
Developing a preventative maintenance plan helps you to stay ahead of the curve and avoid problems before they start. This includes things like regularly scheduled check-ups and using operational best practices.
Work with a Fleet Maintenance Partner
Fleet maintenance is critical for any fleet-based business, but it’s only effective if done correctly.
An optimized maintenance program will result in fewer breakdowns, increased fuel efficiency, improved vehicle lifespan, reduced repair costs, and boosted productivity. All of this leads to a lower total cost of ownership.
Whether you’re tracking records, scheduling appointments or just want to stay organized, working with a fleet maintenance partner can help to take your program to the next level.
Your consultants at GoFleet can provide expert advice, and around-the-clock support. Contact us today.
Frequently, commercial fleets tend to get stuck with maintenance inefficiencies, simply because it’s “easier” than trying something new. With an exponential increase in maintenance expenses paired with advances in fleet connectivity, now is the time to think about upgrading your fleet maintenance strategy.
What is Fleet Maintenance?
Fleet maintenance keeps your vehicles operating in good condition so that they remain reliable and safe. A proper fleet maintenance strategy will also extend the life of your vehicles on the road and is an important part of managing a fleet.
TechTarget identifies fleet management as “an administrative approach that allows companies to organize and coordinate work vehicles with the aim to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and provide compliance with government regulations.” Proper fleet maintenance will reduce your operating costs and improve inspection outcomes, keeping your engines in good health and your drivers safe.
The Importance of Efficient Fleet Maintenance
Maintenance is the cornerstone of any successful fleet. Without vehicles that function properly, your operations will inevitably come to a grinding halt. Sticking with an outdated fleet maintenance strategy will only end up hurting you in the long run.
How?
Higher repair costs, more downtime, and less productive drivers to start. It’s also worth considering how much time is wasted using an inefficient system. In today’s fast-paced world, time is money – the sooner you can get your vehicles back on the road, the better.
The following strategies will help improve fleet maintenance and keep your vehicles on the road, where they belong.
1. Establish Standards For Vehicle Maintenance Performance
The first step towards having an efficient fleet maintenance strategy is to establish standards for performance. This means setting measurable goals for things like fuel economy, brake life, and scheduled downtime.
This simple step will give you a better idea of how well your vehicles are performing and where you might need to make changes in order to improve efficiency. It also provides a baseline against which you can compare future results.
2. Keep Track of All Maintenance Records Electronically
Another important part of running an efficient fleet is keeping track of all its maintenance data in an accessible and digital format.
From vehicle inspections and repairs to scheduled maintenance and downtime, these data sets will keep everyone up to date and reduce manual tracking. Using a vehicle inspection app simplifies record-keeping and inspection processes, ensuring everyone has the latest information. Digital tracking also offers several advantages. First, it allows you to easily access records and track trends over time. Second, tracking makes it possible to share information with other members of your team quickly and easily.
Finally, tracking helps you avoid losing important data if something were to happen to your physical records.
Using these maintenance tools will help you to save time and money, while also improving the overall safety and efficiency of your fleet.
4. Create a Service Schedule for Each Vehicle
One of the best ways to ensure that your fleet is running efficiently is to create a service schedule for each individual vehicle. This schedule should include things like oil changes, tire rotations, and other routine maintenance tasks.
Creating a service schedule will help keep your vehicles in good working condition and minimize the risk of unexpected breakdowns.
5. Keep Tabs On Inspections
Inspections are essential when it comes to properly caring for and reducing the maintenance needs of any fleet. Not only are they necessary to log and track issues with a vehicle, but they can also help to identify potential problems before they become more serious.
As such, it’s important to keep tabs on all inspections that are carried out on your fleet. This includes everything from routine safety checks to more comprehensive annual inspections.
6. Outsource Your Fleet Maintenance Strategy to a Specialist
If you don’t have the time or resources to properly maintain your fleet, you may want to consider outsourcing this task to a specialist.
GoFleet, for example, offers fleet maintenance strategies, and they can help to keep your vehicles in good condition while also saving you time and money.
Making even a few small changes to the way you manage your fleet can have a big impact on its overall efficiency. By following the tips in this article, you can make sure that your fleet is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
Is your fleet currently using an outdated fleet maintenance strategy? Contact a GoFleet consultant and ask how we can help take your fleet maintenance to the next level.
The logistics industry is a vast ecosystem of supply chains, software, and services that work in unison to deliver goods to customers as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.
From the ongoing demands of inventory management to data security and risk assessment, this industry demands constant vigilance. These struggles can be mitigated with efficient and effective fleet management. Below, we’ve listed the top five ways to improve fleet management in the logistics industry.
The World of Logistics: Current State
Currently, the logistics sector is growing at a rapid pace, making it a particularly attractive target for those looking to leverage their skills and enter the industry from a new angle.
The chief gap in logistics is a lack of quality data. At its most basic, the industry is made up of individual suppliers and businesses that come together to support business processes.
For fleet managers, an overflow of data sets (or not enough) makes it difficult for businesses to understand their supply chains and track the performance of their operations as a whole. Read on for five ways to improve fleet management in the logistics industry.
Utilize GPS and Telematics Devices for More Than Location Tracking
The telematics industry continues to create increasingly sophisticated apps that connect to fleet vehicles, allowing logistics companies to track the location of their fleet vehicles in real-time.
Of course, these apps are only as good as the data they receive. There are a number of benefits associated with incorporating GPS tracking devices in your fleet vehicles, including improved fuel efficiency, better driver safety, less vehicle maintenance, and reduced insurance costs due to liability or repairs.
Another option for improving fleet management is the use of telematics devices, which provide a variety of analytics, including fuel consumption and driving behaviour.
Fleet managers who use these devices not only know where their drivers are, but what kind of driving behaviour they’re engaged in.
These data sets can improve training and reduce accidents caused by risky driving activity such as fatigue or distraction.
Switch to Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports for Speed and Compliance
Electronic driver vehicle inspection reports for speed and compliance are the best way to optimize your fleet’s performance. These reports show a company’s progress over time, highlighting points where improvements can be made.
The electronic driver vehicle inspection report is an excellent metric for tracking business performance to boost productivity across the board.
You’ll also get access to customizable dashboards with metrics such as fuel efficiency and employee satisfaction so that you can see how your team members are performing, and where they can improve.
Of course, it’s not just about improving performance; these reports also offer security through monitoring drivers, vehicles, and companies across the supply chain.
With these reports, you’ll better understand how safe each link in your supply chain really is, and where privacy can improve.
Better Leverage Fuel and Maintenance Data with Integrations
Logistics companies that have a fleet management system typically have one of two options for integrating with logistics software.
First, they can use a web-based integration tool like API bridges, which is what most logistics companies do. This method is the simplest and most straightforward, but does not provide all the benefits that integration through a software platform offers.
The second option is to use third-party integrations, where logistics managers can better allocate resources across their supply chain and make more informed decisions about where they should place stockings and other materials.
Overall, integrating with a software platform provides logistical managers with more insight into their fleet’s performance and helps them improve it faster than ever before.
Track Expenses More Effectively
One of the biggest challenges in logistics is that it is a capital-intensive industry. An organization must spend a significant amount of money to maintain its operations.
With that said, it is also imperative that they can track expenses to keep tabs on overall performance.
For example, many logistics companies work with carriers who offer insurance and tracking services for their goods. These services do wonders for operational efficiency, but can be quite expensive.
The good news? A business can track these expenses by getting an invoice from the carrier and entering it on a spreadsheet, allowing them to monitor how much money they’re spending on these services over time.
This system does not only help a company see where their financial resources are being allocated, it also allows them to make more informed decisions about whether or not these investments are viable and sustainable.
Improve Fleet Management in the Logistics Industry with GoFleet
Without quality data, it’s difficult for companies to make informed decisions about their operations. One way to improve fleet management in your business is by using a customized solution with GoFleet.
We have a range of features that let you easily manage your fleet and keep track of the performance of every vehicle in your fleet.
With GoFleet, you can identify potential problems before they impact your bottom line. For example, if you notice that one of your vehicles is consistently late or experiencing mechanical issues, you’ll be able to rectify the problem before it becomes something more serious.
What is GoFleet?
We have premium fleet management solutions to meet the business needs of virtually every industry.
From telematics, work routing and dispatch, ELD, driver apps and asset monitoring, GoFleet offers countless hardware and software-based solutions to address all needs related to efficiency, maintenance and management in fleets.
Our fleet management software helps logistics companies across the globe improve fleet management and productivity. Our solutions are customizable, so you never have to worry about limitations or restrictions when it comes to business growth.
Commercial fleet managers face all the same problems as those in professional management—directing and coordinating people, talent and assets, while simultaneously trying to save money for the parent company. When your employees are on the road, there can be additional fleet management challenges in the logistics industry.
That’s a lot to juggle effectively; when your employees are most often on the road, crossing state lines and borders, logistics can get even trickier.
Fleet managers are often forced to solve a plethora of problems in real-time—vehicular accidents, personnel safety, package delivery issues, closed routes.
Often these fleet-management decisions are made within a shifting and sometimes volatile marketplace. One recent glaring example is the recent volatility in global gas prices.
When it comes to transit logistics and all the details involved in transport, there’s much that can go wrong in any single workday.
Recent digital innovations such as driver dash cams and integrated GPS communications have revolutionized logistics, allowing fleet managers to streamline information by automating a range of processes.
While the world prepares itself for the inevitable path towards automation, technology is causing seismic shifts across every industry. Businesses everywhere are upgrading, aware of the timeless maxim: adapt or perish.
For fleets, this usually means better fuel efficiency and improved onboard technology—car dashboard systems, wireless connections, vehicle sensors, telematics and more.
As the roll-out of innovative disruptions continue, smart technology is being instituted at an equal pace. However, with new tech come new challenges.
Logistics & Fleet Management
Fleet management is one of the industries most thoroughly impacted by recent technological innovations. Vehicles in particular have undergone massive changes in recent years, offering smarter navigation and driver-focused ‘infotainment’ centres.
Yet when it comes to logistics, most fleets are still struggling to manage their employees, stay on top of administrative paperwork, and adapt to each upgrade.
Here are the top eight most encountered fleet management challenges in the logistics industry, as well as how the digital revolution is currently addressing each challenge.
08. Excessive Administrative Tasks
TomTom, maker of car navigation systems, recently conducted a study of over 1,000 companies to determine the particular challenges most affecting fleet management. Most complaints revolved around inefficiencies in time management. Specifically, spending a majority of their time on rote tasks: a reported 42% said they spend too much time searching for the right employees, and 59% stated that reporting and management of staff work hours takes up the majority of their time.
Common rote tasks include sorting through spreadsheets and databases for up-to-date transit information, or updating printed lists of information that become obsolete immediately after printing.
Replacing paper-based systems with automation can help save businesses enormous time and considerable money over the long term. Automating administrative tasks can free managers from outdated practices that monopolize their precious time.
07. Rising Fuel & Maintenance Costs
Since 2019, the cost for fuel has risen. Not coincidentally, fuel and maintenance are often the largest expenses for fleets, with soaring costs significantly impacting fleet management.
As more cars move toward greater fuel-efficiency, including hybrids and electric vehicles, some drivers still prefer the more powerful gas guzzlers.
Telematics can also inform you of vehicle servicing dates and schedule maintenance reminders, as well as provide engine information and sensor alerts. These features in turn help fleets avoid or reduce larger maintenance costs.
06. Data Privacy & Control
Today’s world is teeming with data vulnerabilities and privacy concerns. As TomTom writes, “It’s common for new companies to be overwhelmed by the selection of tools and APIs when creating proprietary software to manage fleet operations, making it easy to overlook potential data privacy vulnerabilities.”
Many apps sell driver location information to third parties, which add cookies, trackers and even sales ads on top of GPS navigation screens.
GoFleet engineers work to streamline fleet operation processes. Our intuitive software solutions assist with data management, assuring that fleet managers do not drown in data.
We build scalable web and mobile solutions that integrate different platforms and device tracking types. This gives fleets control of their operations while seamlessly protecting wireless transmissions and data privacy.
05. Effective Fleet Communication
When drivers are on the road, it’s not always easy (or safe) to communicate using regular means such as calling, text or email.
Drivers must keep both hands on the wheel, yet successful fleet operations depend on open communication and regular updates. If a delivery suddenly changes, or a significant change in road conditions will affect ETA, all parties need to be made aware.
Our integrated devices and telematics support help simplify order workflow through automated messaging.
Both management and drivers can send automated messages, providing regular status updates and relaying key information: schedules, calendar and other regular communication through navigation devices, visual updates, and customized dashboard solutions.
04. Coordinating Geographic Diversity
Commercial fleets, whether coast-to-coast or across international borders, have quite a few logistical and travel hurdles to manage on a daily basis.
Large, active fleets are not always easy to track with accuracy. For example, coordinating communications providers across long distances can make remote fleet management very difficult, and changing road conditions can disrupt scheduled arrival times.
GoFleet telematics software and GPS tracking solutions let fleets of all sizes effectively integrate their communications systems and their customer service.
Locate drivers, track operations and communicate with your team more intuitively, anywhere on Earth. We help fleets maintain visibility across all terrain, with real-time data on all major moving assets.
Managing these fleet management challenges in the logistic industry amidst geographic complexity is what keeps drivers and fleets ahead of the game.
03. Asset Authorization & Utilization
Remote entry, keyless entry, facial recognition, and other asset authorization technologies have revolutionized fleet industries—from rental vehicle exchanges, to expanded ride sharing enterprises.
Automated authorization and chain-of-command GPS tracking help assure that assets stay in authorized hands and in designated areas.
Along with delivery deadlines and accurate ETAs, fleet management software can track all types of driver and vehicle behaviour. Such dashboard reporting systems can warn of aggressive driving behaviour, or if vehicles are operating outside authorized work hours.
Accurate metrics allow for a finely-tuned fleet-force, able to generate continuous cost savings and an optimal ROI.
Integrated fleet management services also include ZenduWork, which coordinates dispatching, work order tools and vehicles. This helps fleets keep utilization high, logistics efficient and people productive.
02. Integrated Data & Accuracy
It can be difficult to integrate apps, platforms and software operating systems at the same time and expect them to work as a streamlined whole. Especially when all of communication, onboard navigation and data transmission rely on a patchwork of cellular service providers.
Data integration means being able to support your drivers in real-time with alerts, status updates and responses. Well-integrated data lets fleets and delivery teams meet ETAs and send automated updates to waiting clients when backups occur.
These improvements in real-time road visibility and flexible support help fleet managers navigate unexpected events and avoid catastrophes.
01. Driver Safety & Productivity
For fleets, road safety and security are a must. Creating a driver safety program, educating and encouraging your drivers on good driving habits are essential.
Safe driving, paired with automated reminders for regular vehicle maintenance and servicing alerts, means that fleets today have every possible advantage when it comes to driver safety and accident prevention.
Not only does this save lives, but it also significantly reduces unexpected costs such as downtime, liability and insurance premiums.
Driver education and real-time driver coaching have come a long way. Features such as voice-activated technology, geofencing, ZenduMaps and other customizable navigation tools greatly bolster fleet productivity, accuracy and timeliness.
Next-generation safety solutions include the gamification of driver coaching, two-way dash cams and real-time safety alerts for distracted, drowsy or aggressive driving.
GoFleet: Rising to Fleet Management Challenges in the Logistics Industry
Telematics software and fleet management solutions have come a long way. In these past 20 years, customizable platforms and AI-equipped dash cam solutions have simplified transportation, streamlined data collection, and protected drivers.
Around the globe, vast fleet challenges are consistently being met by superior IT solutions.
At GoFleet and around the world, improvements in automation continue to make fleets safer and more efficient, with improved ROIs and a satisfied workforce. Contact your GoFleet representative for a free demonstration.
Effective fleet management provides organizations with real-time visibility into their logistic operations and increases efficiency through vehicle routing and accurate reporting. Fleet maintenance management software paired with vehicle telematics can help support your day-to-day transportation needs while providing an overview of your business. Below is a beginner’s guide to fleet management.
What Is Fleet Management?
Fleet management has gained popularity over the past few years based on its reputation for guaranteeing efficient performance, optimum fleet maintenance and helping organizations run smoothly.
Fleet management refers to all actions allowing a fleet to run on time, efficiently, and within a given budget.
Similarly, it can be defined as the process by which fleet managers monitor the fleet’s activities by applying asset management, vehicle dispatch, and routing to make informed decisions.
Benefits of Fleet Management
You can maximize the efficiency of your fleet using fleet management software or by hiring reliable fleet managers.
Here are the major benefits of fleet management, and how they can improve your bottom line.
Ability to Manage Fleets Remotely
With all the various components that require coordination and organization, managing a fleet of any size can be difficult.
The GPS feature on vehicles allows easy monitoring of performance and identifies possible vehicle damage. It is easier to detect potential maintenance issues when you have access to logistics such as mileage and tire wear.
Being well informed allows you to carry out and perform timely maintenance, thus improving the lifespan of your vehicle.
Improved Safety
Fleet management software allows managers to trace the location of a vehicle and keep up with the driver’s behaviour. Most fleet management software has a video recording feature to help monitor driving behaviour while on the road.
This prevents dangerous behaviours such as drowsy or distracted driving, thus improving the vehicle’s safety and consignment.
Fleet management software also provides accurate reports on your vehicles’ performance and total costs incurred during deliveries. These features all play an important role in cost reduction.
Central Data Management
It is a lot easier to organize and coordinate your fleet when all your data is centrally located. Fleet management software provides valuable data sets on demand, from a central (often cloud-based) location.
Improved Customer Service
Customers look forward to working with businesses whose feedback reflects accurate, reliable deliveries.
With fleet management software, you improve customer satisfaction by ensuring all the information you share with them is up to date. Additionally, the software will aid in tracking the current location of consignments.
Preventing Fraud
As a fleet manager, you have trust in your drivers. However, driver fraud does happen and requires even the most well-intentioned managers to stay vigilant.
Drivers who use their fuel card for reasons other than fueling company vehicles or falsely claiming card misplacement are both well-documented examples of driver fraud. Other examples include drivers using their own credentials to allow non-approved drivers to operate company vehicles.
An AI-powered fleet management system prevents fraud and helps promote transparency among your drivers.
Maintain Communication
Fleet management software equips your fleet with a built-in communication tool that allows you to make contact with your drivers directly.
As a result, drivers can communicate in real-time while on the road, without compromising safety or missing deliveries.
Vehicle Routing
Planning the day’s business in advance helps everything work seamlessly. A fleet management system can help you effectively assign vehicles, routes and drivers.
6 Tips For Effective Fleet Management
What are some of the fleet management steps can you incorporate into your operations, and where should you begin? Below, we offer some suggestions for managing your fleet more effectively.
1. Set Your Goals
If you want to be successful at managing your fleet, establish your business goals and monitor your progress from time to time.
Your goals should be specific, well defined and adequately aligned to the success of your business. Have a common objective to keep your team united and avoid the need for micromanagement.
2. Track Everything
Data is crucial in helping make sound business decisions. Having all necessary data on how your vehicles and drivers perform on a daily basis is essential.
Maintain a track record of how much fuel your vehicles consume, driver performance, and when deliveries are made. Keeping detailed records helps predict future outcomes and keeps your operations predictable.
3. Choose the Right Fleet Vehicles
Before purchasing or leasing any fleet vehicles, it is essential to assess your business needs. The vehicles you acquire should meet the size and scope of your operations, both in current and future states.
Purchasing too many vehicles up front could mean that several of them remain unused. Acquire too few, and your drivers – and trucks – could burn out.
4. Think About your Drivers
The credentials of your drivers ensure the safety of your fleet and consignment.
Having certified drivers with the right skillsets translates to better business performance, significantly reducing unnecessary costs and repairs.
5. Spend Wisely
As a fleet manager, you should consider all costs incurred through vehicles and equipment that are purchased, leased, or rented.
Spending your capital effectively depends on your knowledge base of strategies that help you meet return-on-investment goals. You should also consider available resources, flexible strategies, and any maintenance costs that change your business’s operational needs.
6. Invest in Fleet Management Software
Investing in technology-based systems such as fleet management software will help you utilize fleet intelligence, improve operational efficiency and properly manage your business.
Your fleet likely runs on data. Fleet management software acts as the “brain” behind your operations. The right fleet management solution will continually play a vital role in ensuring that fleet management activities are well coordinated and properly executed.
In addition, fleet management software records vehicle operations in real-time, allowing you to stay on top of maintenance and avoid potential breakdowns.
How Fleet Management Software Can Improve Fleet Safety
Fleet management is a data-driven process. It requires the involvement of multiple moving parts to function effectively.
It can help improve safety in several ways:
Real-time audio and visual feedback.
24/7 access to safety-related analytics, which can prevent accidents.
Driver performance applications keep your drivers safe and accountable.
Accurately records footage before, during, and after a reported incident. Footage can help prevent future accidents, assign liability and potentially exonerate your drivers.
A successful fleet management program tracks, analyzes, and optimizes your fleet. For more information, contact a GoFleet representative, and see how our fleet management solutions can benefit your business.
Maintaining an efficient fleet management system is key to keeping your vehicles on the road and your business running smoothly. From fuel efficiency to vehicle wear and tear, there are so many variables to consider that the maintenance of your fleet can seem daunting.
However, by regularly monitoring the metrics offered by key performance indicators (KPI), you can quickly identify and address issues before they become major problems. Here are the top 10 KPIs for managing your fleet maintenance more efficiently.
Reduce Fuel Costs and Emissions
Fleet managers face a constant challenge to reduce fuel costs and emissions while maintaining a safe and reliable fleet. A key performance indicator for driving more efficient fleet maintenance management is reducing the amount of fuel used by your fleet. There are many ways to achieve this goal, but some methods are more effective than others.
One way to reduce fuel costs and emissions is to keep your fleet in a state of good repair. This means fixing any broken or malfunctioning parts as soon as possible. A well-maintained fleet uses less fuel, which reduces emissions. Regular maintenance also helps prevent breakdowns, which can cause costly delays and have a negative impact on your business’ performance.
Another way to reduce fuel costs and emissions is to choose the right vehicles for your fleet. Consider the types of trips your vehicles will be performing and select the fleet that is suited to those tasks.
Finally, fleet managers can also reduce fuel costs and emissions by using smart driving techniques, including consolidating trips, avoiding excessive idling, and using the right gear for road conditions.
Improve Driver Safety
One major key performance indicator for more efficient fleet maintenance management is improving driver safety. By reducing the number of accidents and incidents on the road, companies can save money on repairs, insurance and downtime for their vehicles.
Some ways to improve driver safety and, in turn, fleet maintenance management include:
Training drivers on safe driving practices. This can include how to handle a vehicle in different types of weather conditions or how to respond to unexpected situations on the road.
Installing safety features in vehicles, such as collision avoidance systems or lane departure warnings.
Encouraging drivers to take breaks regularly and get enough sleep. This will help them stay alert while behind the wheel and reduce the risk of getting into an accident.
Monitoring driver behaviour and providing feedback. This can help identify issues early on before they lead to accidents.
Enhance Customer Service
Average response time measures the amount of time it takes for a service technician to respond to a customer request. Reducing the average response time can help improve customer satisfaction levels and instill faith in your business.
Another measurement is customer satisfaction rate, which identifies the percentage of customers who are satisfied with the service they receive. Improving the customer satisfaction rate can help improve retention and generate revenue.
By tracking and measuring these KPIs, organizations can identify areas where they need to make improvements and take the necessary steps to improve their fleet maintenance management process.
Optimize Fleet Maintenance Schedules
There are a number of KPIs that you can use to optimize your fleet maintenance schedules. One of the most important is vehicle uptime. By ensuring that your vehicles are in service as much as possible, you can improve overall fleet efficiency.
By optimizing your maintenance schedules, you can improve vehicle uptime and reliability, while reducing the overall cost of ownership for your fleet.
Finally, by ensuring that your vehicles are reliable, you can minimize the number of unexpected breakdowns and keep your fleet running smoothly.
Minimize Vehicle Downtime
The best way to manage fleet maintenance is by minimizing vehicle downtime. This can be done by tracking key performance indicators such as mean time to repair (MTTR). This measures the average time it takes to repair a vehicle after it has gone down. The lower the number, the more efficient your fleet maintenance management is.
Other KPIs that can help you manage fleet maintenance include vehicle availability and vehicle utilization. Vehicle availability measures the percentage of time a vehicle is available for use, while vehicle utilization measures how often a vehicle is used.
Reduce Inventory Costs
One way to reduce inventory costs is to drive more efficient fleet maintenance management. By taking a proactive approach to fleet maintenance, businesses can avoid unnecessary repairs, keep vehicles on the road longer, and save on inventory costs.
Lower Vehicle Maintenance Costs
There are a number of ways that you can lower your vehicle maintenance costs and drive more efficient fleet maintenance management. One key way is to track your vehicle maintenance KPI. Some of the most important KPIs to track include:
For example, vehicle repair costs measures how much money you are spending on vehicle repairs. The lower the amount, the more efficient your fleet maintenance management is.
Technician Productivity
Fleet managers must track technician productivity in order to ensure that vehicles are being maintained efficiently and cost-effectively. Productivity tracking can help identify inefficiencies and areas where technicians could improve their efficiency.
Some of the more common KPIs to measure technician productivity include:
Number of vehicles serviced per technician per day
Percentage of vehicles serviced within the manufacturer’s recommended time frame
Number of work orders completed per technician per day
Percentage of work orders completed on time
Enhance Driver Productivity
By tracking driver productivity, you can reduce wear and tear on vehicles and improve the overall safety of your drivers. Some important KPIs to track in fleet maintenance management include:
Driver productivity, measured in terms of miles driven per hour, or number of deliveries made
Vehicle uptime, or the percentage of time that vehicles are in use compared to the total time they could be used
Maintenance costs, including both routine and unexpected repairs
Fuel efficiency, measured in terms of miles per gallon or liters per kilometer
Number of accidents or incidents, measured through safety reports and insurance claims
Overall Equipment Effectiveness
It’s important to track the effectiveness of your fleet maintenance management system with an Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) KPI.
OEE measures how effectively your fleet maintenance management system is operating. It takes into account the availability, performance, and quality of your vehicles. By tracking OEE, you can identify areas where your fleet maintenance management system needs improvement and make changes that will improve its overall effectiveness.
There are a number of factors that can impact OEE. Some of the most important include:
The availability of vehicles
The performance of vehicles
The quality of vehicles
All of these should be considered when tracking OEE. By doing so, you can get an accurate picture of how well your fleet maintenance management system is performing and make the necessary changes to improve its efficiency.
At its core, the fundamental goal of fleet management software is to ensure the proper utilization and protection of every driver and vehicle. Managers can leverage fleet tracking data to evaluate the demand for vehicles throughout all four seasons, predict growth, and track driver safety. Most important to effective fleet management? Choosing the right software to support their specific industries.
ACHR News recently sat down with Vishal Singh, CEO of GoFleet, a provider of industry-leading digital fleet tracking technology. They asked Singh for some pro tips on strategies for fleet management, and what to look for before you invest in fleet tracking software.
Fleet Management Responsibilities: 5 Key Areas
“Fleet management is about responsibility,” says Singh. While ensuring the safety of each driver and vehicle is the top priority, Singh believes any proactive focus should concentrate on:
Safety: The primary responsibility; making sure drivers and vehicles are kept safe.
Productivity: Keeping fleet operations productive and on target.
Compliance: Assuring compliance, not just on the road but with regards to company policies.
Maintenance: Being proactive instead of reactive and decreasing vehicular down time.
Sustainability & Growth: Making sure fleet scalability is integrated so it can expand as your business grows.
“When I’m looking at fleet management software, I’m thinking, ‘how can I best manage these five key areas?’” says Singh. “You need to think about what’s best for you and ask yourself ‘what suite of tools can best help me operate in my industry?’”
Choosing Fleet Management Software
Digital fleet management software has expanded since general GPS tracking, first introduced two decades ago. “Today, we can track a lot more than dots on a map,” says Singh. Using two-way dashboard cameras, fleet managers can actually observe drivers and their driving habits and prevent emergencies before they happen.
Collecting the right data is perhaps the most important criteria for choosing fleet management software, and the data you need will depend on the industry in which you operate. “If it’s for food delivery, I need something to monitor the temperature of the food,” Singh says. “If I’m in a high-risk area, where I’m delivering something of high value, I need cameras. I might also want to monitor and have video recordings, which can connect to the on-board devices for live-streaming.”
For example, if you are an HVC contractor, Singh emphasizes having good maintenance routines and a proactive seasonal maintenance strategy. “With fleet management software you can set up maintenance reminders to service every vehicle,” he says. Singh also warns that failure to do regular checks means you might miss something, leading to costly repairs.
The Advantages Of Fleet Management Software
Electronic tracking devices are essential tools for locating vehicles and monitoring road safety, but they can’t operate alone. When paired with fleet management software, companies can access a rich ecosystem of telematics data. “Fleet management software allows companies to monitor vehicle faults, making sure there are no issues with the vehicles,” says Singh. “We can also, depending on the software, have software that signs work orders for the vehicles.” This can simplify regular seasonal maintenance, routine inspections and more.
Predictive maintenance is a major benefit of fleet management software. Plugging an electronic tracking device into a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics provides a holistic overview of that vehicle’s health. “We can measure how well they’re being maintained, or if there are faults on the vehicle,” Singh explains. “Understanding those faults can tell us if we need to troubleshoot.”
What does tracking actually measure? “[Tracking allows me to] measure the actual behaviours that can help me in each of those key areas,” says Singh. This can include monitoring the temperature of goods being transported, the safety of your drivers, allocating resources — the list goes on.
“With this technology you can create a way to engage keyless ignition, making it easier to pool vehicles,” Singh says. “People can share vehicles a lot easier if anyone can use their phone to start the vehicle.”
Also important, says Singh, is knowing exactly where the failure points are in fleet operations. For fleet managers, the benefits of streamlining records collections for rich, actionable data improves operational efficiency while making the best use of your fleet.
Singh goes on to explain how an integrated system of dashboard cams, video recordings, sensors and management software can all work together to protect company liability and improve safety. “Vehicle tracking is one thing; tracking the behaviours, harsh breaking and all those conditions,” says Singh. “But having video evidence helps people be more accountable.”
How? “Having cameras onboard limits your risk,” said Singh. “If there’s an accident and you have video evidence, you’re going to avoid a potential lawsuit.” Having video footage of road incidents can also help exonerate your driver “so you don’t have to deal with investigations and claims. Now, if the driver was at fault, you can deal with the payout or settlement and then move on,” he adds.
Moreover, this niche tech an help avoid accidents altogether. “When you have all this data —cameras, video — you don’t need to wait for the accident to happen. You can proactively know who your at-risk drivers are,” he says. “Then, you can work on coaching them and help them take the necessary steps to improve their driving habits.”
Knowing When To Expand
To evaluate when it’s time to expand, he recommends first measuring vehicle utilization. “Generally, companies will set up a threshold where if the utilization is above a certain amount, it’s a trigger indication that they need more vehicles,” says Singh.
“Using fleet management software, I can evaluate the demand of my vehicles through my seasons,” Singh says. “When you evaluate things like engine usage, or miles driven, you want to evaluate that against the total available hours you can drive these vehicles.”
While utilization metrics will vary with each industry, Singh recommends the following: “If you feel that utilization is above, say, 80% or whatever metric — you can then evaluate the utilization to determine how many more vehicles you need to purchase.”
With the current supply chain challenges due to COVID-19, he notes it has become more difficult to acquire new vehicles, making it even more important to plan ahead. “If you see some vehicles are not well utilized, you can cut vehicles from the fleet by pooling them,” he advises. Singh also suggests leasing additional vehicles from pools to expand fleets in a cost-effective manner.
Sustainability & Beyond
While fleet managers look to the future, there has been a big move towards electric vehicles. Singh warns, however, that there are a lot of things to consider before plugging into the electric vehicle trend. “You have to consider installing electric chargers and charger sites. You have to consider how many miles or kilometers you are driving each day,” he says. If vehicles are traveling more than 200 to 300 miles, that might be more travel time than the range of the battery can offer.
For those transitioning to electric vehicles, Singh recommends adding one vehicle at a time. Despite the initial investment, Singh says the cost savings on electric vehicles is impressive, including lowered fuel, vehicle usage and maintenance costs.
Whether you have a few vehicles or an entire fleet, electric tracking devices paired with fleet management software provides your business with benefits that are scalable, cost-effective and safe. The real beauty of fleet tracking, Singh explains, is that “when you’re evaluating this data on a monthly basis, you’re going to be ahead of the curve.”
Local government and public works agencies rely heavily on datasets to improve their operations, satisfy their constituents and plan their community more effectively. What typically remains top of mind for most government agencies is the safety and satisfaction of their citizens. To this end, telematics can help achieve these goals by providing visibility into the inner workings of their services and fleets, creating a partnership with the public rather than an autocracy.
From vehicle tracking to functionality, telematics can have a positive impact on government operations. For example, a winter maintenance fleet manager can have specific data at his fingertips, including when plowing occurred and when, and even how much salt is left in a vehicle. The right telematics solution will help save costs, improve safety and overall operational efficiency, and help fleet managers monitor the status of services while tracking their assets on a single platform. Here’s how telematics can improve your government operations.
Single sign-on
Not all government vehicles are plows and spreaders, which is why it’s important to be able to manage all assets within your organization through one system. Managing your entire fleet through one platform reduces training, reinforces information and highlights inefficiencies.
A centralized, cloud-based “single source of truth” allows you to track assets in real-time while managing their maintenance and controlling costs. Telematics can automate your processes and eliminate hours of manual data processing, giving you more time to focus on decision-making, training and efficient operations.
Automate and manage your assets
Government organizations provide essential services and critical infrastructure that support the daily activities of residents and businesses. In addition they are responsible for maintaining service level agreements, infrastructure planning, policy and ensuring the best use and deployment of expenditures and assets.
Because government fleet managers and leaders typically oversee a diversity of vehicles and assets (usually in the form of unique GPS tracking), an integrated telematics solution would offer full visibility into the operational data of all government vehicle types on a single platform, providing the tools to maintain compliance and road safety while reducing costs.
When you increase your fleet’s capabilities, you can measure material usage and ensure equal delivery of services within the community. Ultimately, these datasets lead to lower costs and a reduced environmental impact.
Asset health
Whether seasonal or otherwise, repairing infrastructure and conducting road work is tough on vehicles and assets. Telematics allow you to monitor asset performance to ensure you get the most out of them. When you track asset utilization, such as average daily mileage and service history, you can increase their lifespan and improve your bottom line.
The right telematics solution will compile both historical and real-time data usage so you can proactively decide how best to maintain and use your assets. From forecasting future repairs to predicting vehicle replacement, the fleet reports offered from telematics data give valuable insights into performance and maintenance, giving you a holistic overview of your fleet’s health.
Increase productivity
The unfortunate truth about many government operations is the tendency towards using old management methods, such as spreadsheets, that offer little to no insight into asset usage. When you don’t know the health of your fleet, you can’t prepare for potential work, which can lead to unplanned downtime and reduced efficiency. It is essential to have an automated telematics management system that can track and manage your fleet in real-time so you can maintain productivity.
Manage public perception
In the end, government fleets answer to the governed. Give your community access to visibility and help fight false claims with historical reporting and analytics. Provide proof of vehicle location and services rendered; show your constituents how to track vehicles themselves with a public map they can easily access and maneuver. Transparency can foster a positive relationship with the public and improve overall satisfaction.
Use telematics to turn your fleet data into insights and action. Support your key government business drivers, including asset management, compliance, accountability, and efficiency. Contact your GoFleet specialist for your special offer, and schedule a demonstration today.
Major wireless network carriers are in the process of phasing out their 3G networks – commonly referred to as the 3G sunset. This is the period when wireless carriers will shut off their 3G services to make room for upgraded connectivity. When this occurs, all devices that are not 4G (LTE) compatible or higher will no longer receive cellular service, The period when wireless carriers make room for upgraded connectivity by shutting down existing 3G services is most commonly referred to as the “3G sunset”. All devices that are not 4G and LTE compatible (or higher) cease to receive cellular service after the transition is complete.
While the 3G network shutdown is not expected to be completed until the end of 2022, wireless network carriers are already starting to phase out their 3G networks. With 4G and LTE services now on the horizon, the time to plan ahead is now.
What does the 3G sunset mean for my existing telematics solutions?
The 3G sunset means different things to different fleets; for fleets that haven’t yet upgraded their devices, it could mean loss of connection to vehicle and driving data. To prevent loss of data transferring (and signal), fleets with 3G vehicle tracking devices will need to upgrade to 4G devices.
Conversely, the upgrade to 4G and LTE will provide users with a wider range of capabilities, including enhanced connectivity and speed, faster download speed and wider support for streaming and video interactions. Unfortunately, this means that 3G devices will no longer work or be supported.
What can I do to prepare?
Fleet managers will want to check all of their installed devices to determine how many still operate on a 3G network. You will definitely want to consider reaching out to your GoFleet Account Manager to determine whether your devices are 3G or 4G, as well as what plans are available to you in order to avoid disruption of service.
Fortunately our team prides itself on expandable, scalable business solutions for fleets of all sizes. Your account manager will be more than happy to work with you to create an installation plan for your new 4G devices to ensure a seamless transition.
Fleets can start protecting their technology investment by selecting devices and telematics solutions that are scalable and adaptive. Don’t be caught in the middle of a massive service disruption by assuming the 3G sunset doesn’t apply to your fleet. The move towards 4G — and increasingly 5G — is inevitable. Knowing what lies ahead and adopting flexible technology will help your fleet stay agile.
In a recent webinar we launched and shared information about the ZenduONE Mobile App and how it can be leveraged by fleets to streamline performance. To briefly recap, ZenduONE is the latest evolution of our streamlined performance and end-to-end business solutions. Users who download the mobile app from iOS or PlayStore can access all of the digital business solutions while on the move — in just a few clicks. This comprehensive dispatch, operations and accounting system enables fleet managers to leverage their existing dash cams to review video footage on the go.
ZenduONE is, above all, part of a group of scalable service offerings that can grow and adapt to your ever-changing business needs. Now, more than ever, you can get the content you need, without scouring hours of footage or reviewing irrelevant alerts.
Scale up or scale down
With ZenduONE, you can access all of your solutions from a single app. The goal of the app is twofold: providing visibility to drivers into their performance on the road in real-time, and becoming a convenient tool for fleet managers to expand their fleet business while gaining valuable insight into fleet productivity, operations and safety.
All of your favourite ZenduIT apps can now be accessed on the ZenduONE platform: Asset, Video review, TimeCard, ZenduMaintenance, ZenduReports, and so much more. A range of 15 fleet applications are currently available to install with a single click — and more on the horizon. You can rest easy knowing that all of your users will be fully supported.
ZenduIT has modularized the ZenduCAM platform into separate entities in order to host them all on one app and more importantly, keep your productivity organized based on the functionalities that matter to you.
What does this mean for your business? ZenduONE accommodates your shifting priorities and organizational needs. If you’re a fleet manager, you can review video footage based on the alerts you’ve predetermined, process a work order for vehicle parts, dispatch a driver, review time cards, or find asset locations on a map; and you don’t ever have to be at your desk. Whether you have a large fleet or are just starting out, ZenduONE allows you to pick and choose the workflows you need, when you need them.
Interested in learning more about how ZenduONE can provide a fully-integrated, scalable workflow experience? Schedule a demonstration with one of our consultants and try us for three months — absolutely free!
