Category: Fleet Management

HOS Relief Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on HOS Relief Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

As the concern of the COVID-19 outbreak continues to worsen, many are looking at how businesses can be provided with additional relief during this time. While there are initiatives in place to help small businesses who had to close their doors to practice social distancing and slow the spread, there is additional aid that focuses on the demand for essential supplies. Specifically, focusing on increasing the amount of supplies and equipment transported daily by waiving hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. 

 

Below are updates in both Canada and the United States: 

 

HOS in the United States 

 

Earlier this month, on March 13, it was announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will adjust the HOS regulations. They will help those in the US transportation sector provide more assistance to relief efforts of the virus. Until April 12, 2020, or when the COVID-19 emergency is terminated, a FMCSA Emergency Declaration has been issued and will be in place nation-wide to suspend the hours-of-service regulations for drivers. 

 

Prior to adjusting any processes within your fleet, make sure you familiarize yourself and your team with the Emergency Declaration as the FMCSA has specific criteria on what will allow a carrier to be eligible. 

 

Find the Declaration here: Emergency Declaration

 

HOS in Canada 

 

Similarly, Transport Canada has issued an exception to help provide COVID-19 relief to Canadian truck drivers moving essential supplies. Again, drivers who meet specific criteria will be exempt from hours-of-services requirements when carriers who are federally regulated give advance notice with specific information regarding which vehicles will be partaking in it. This waiver will be in effect from March 24, until April 30, 2020. 

 

Again, prior to implementing any new initiatives related to HOS, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself and your team with the Essential Freight Transport Exemption. As there is specific criteria that must be met prior to being safely exempt, understanding the exemption in-full is critical. 

 

Find the Exemption here: Essential Freight Transport Exemption

 

As information and plans are in constant flux during this time, we always recommend for businesses and fleet drivers to stay up-to-date with ongoing news and regulations. This will ensure that compliance is always met and teams are working efficiently. 

 

Additional Resources To Follow: 

Truckload Carriers Association: https://www.truckload.org/resources-for-covid-19/#1585236782225-d159424f-afd2

Canadian Trucking Alliance: http://cantruck.ca/covid-19/

Staying Healthy On The Road

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Staying Healthy On The Road

Among the discussion of work-life balance in the transportation sector, many are beginning to also shift the focus towards the health of drivers. Specifically, improving awareness about how drivers need to continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle while on the road. As drivers must sit for long periods of time alone in their vehicle, fleets are starting to find that more drivers are voicing concerns about  how the job could be impacting their health.

 

A New Focus: Staying Healthy On The Road

 

While on the road, it’s important for drivers to take the time to focus on their health. While it may be obvious that drivers should always take the time to improve their well-being, sometimes, it’s easier said than done. 

 

Driver Mental Health 

 

1. Human Connection and Sense of Community

 

Many drivers within the transportation sector spend hours or even days on the road alone. Meaning, they sometimes don’t interact with others in a meaningful way until they return home to their families. During this time, many drivers report feeling disconnected or alone. While some may overlook how this can impact mental health, it’s important for fleet managers to do what they can to improve it. Allowing for proper ‘home time’ between long haul deliveries or encouraging drivers to communicate with each other can make all the difference. In addition, many fleets have seen success by encouraging their drivers to bring their trained pets to act as companions on the road. 

 

Here are some additional tips to help long-haul drivers to stay healthy on the road: Tips For Good Mental Health

 

2. Technology to Improve Life on the Road 

 

With technology advancing and being widely adopted, many fleets are seeing mental health benefits from such innovations! Specifically, because many tools and devices are being implemented to streamline tasks so drivers can complete deliveries and return to their families sooner. For example, ZenduWork has been seen as an asset to do this because it uses intelligent dispatching software to help make the lives of drivers simpler! As it can organize the quickest and most efficient routes while allowing for work orders to be completed electronically, it’s highlighted as something that can bring ease to some draining or time-consuming processes. 

 

Driver Physical Health

 

1. Staying Active 

 

As previously mentioned, drivers must sit for long periods of time. While some are able to take short breaks to stretch their legs, sometimes it’s all the physical movement they do in a day. That’s why it’s important for drivers to feel motivated after hours to get active! Learning about simple yet effective workouts that don’t require equipment can make all the difference. So if visiting a gym isn’t an option, drivers can still get moving! Not only can this help improve overall health, but working out consistently can release positive endorphins that have been proven to reduce stress, improve sleep and even in some cases lessen feelings of anxiety.

 

2. Choosing Healthy Options 

 

In addition to staying active, it’s important for drivers to pick healthy food options while they’re on the road. Even though this can be difficult at some truck stops, it’s important that drivers do everything they can to combat this. Planning ahead with prepackaged healthy snacks and meal options to limit the temptation of fast food is only one way. Another option, if a driver is using a vehicle that has enough space and power support, is to cook inside the truck! Some have seen success with preparing dishes in portable stoves, microwaves, crock pots or even blenders that are able to be connected and powered by the vehicle. This, of course, is dependent on the company policies and approval of fleet managers. 

 

3. Reducing Exposure To Germs

 

Last but not least, it’s important for drivers to stay on top of their hygiene to reduce their exposure to germs with recent concerns of arising viruses. As drivers will typically be travelling to various locations and will come in contact with new bacteria daily, proper hygiene is crucial. It is suggested for drivers to take extra precautions to ensure that they stay healthy and limit the spread of illnesses! Properly washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap, using hand sanitizer, not touching their faces, in addition to maintaining a healthy lifestyle are only a few ways to keep immune systems strong! 

Taking Your Fleet Telematics to the Next Level

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Taking Your Fleet Telematics to the Next Level

With basic telematics implemented into your fleet, you are now able to track the location, movement and speed of all of your vehicles, which helps your organization increase efficiencies, and effectively, reduce wasted time and improve costs.

So, what comes next?

Advanced Fleet Tracking
Once you have the basics in place, you can start to dive deeper into telematics technology in order to really fine tune and optimize your fleet operation.

Check out these major benefits your company can gain by implementing advanced fleet telematics solutions.

Increased Safety
By monitoring driver behaviour – things such as how fast your driver is driving and how aggressive their driving may be – you can use technology that allows you to talk to the driver and coach them through safer driving practices, thereby increasing safety for them and for your vehicle.

It has been shown that drivers who are aware that their driving habits are being monitored, are more apt to perform safer behaviour which not only increases their safety, but also reduces accidents and damage to vehicles and freight.

Increased Efficiencies
By using real time communication as an add-on to your basic telematics, and adding in some routing apps, you can manage driver routes more efficiently – if there is an accident, you would be able to re-route the driver and eliminate wasted time having them stuck in traffic with high priority loads on the vehicle.

By using some of these type of add-ons to your basic telematics, adding a few minutes more to your driver’s HOS (Hours of Service) can really increase your fleet efficiency and delivery rate.

Reduce Operating Costs
In being able to track even the smallest things, such as idling time and minimizing it, a fleet can increase savings by reducing fuel costs. Other things that can be looked at are tracking at a more granular level, such as live movements on a map, maps routing, stopping vehicles, accidents and who’s responsible, which allows for increased productivity thereby reducing costs.

Optimize Vehicle Performance
With advanced telematics, sensors can send out alerts about engine issues and other diagnostic problems. Further to that, the data can be used in a predictive manner to determine when service should happen on a vehicle and allow for advanced planning in order to ensure as much uptime for the fleet as possible and manage the expenses related to repairs.

Reduce your Carbon Footprint
It’s a hot topic these days more and more companies realize that not only is this good for business, it’s good for the planet as well. By reducing your fleet’s idling time and decreasing speeding (thereby reducing the amount of exhaust and CO2), not only are you increasing the safety of your fleet and drivers, increasing your efficiencies and reducing your costs, you are also helping to do your part in reducing emissions in the air for our future generation.

Streamline Compliance
With the Canadian ELD mandated for June 21st, 2020, it is imperative that fleets ensure they are compliant and implementing advanced telematics not only ensures this but provides many other benefits previously mentioned. In addition to the benefits, the cost of not being compliant is expensive and can be avoided with the correct telematics solutions in place.

Do you need to upgrade your telematics plan for advanced fleet tracking?
Some features are already built into your tracking device that collects the data and some solutions require you to step up to the next level of offered services and products.

In order to get the most out of your fleet telematics so that you can save your company time, money and increase efficiencies and safety, give GoFleet a call. We are here to help create a customized and fully integrated telematics solution that is specific to your needs and lets you get the most value for your money.

Advanced fleet tracking is much more than GPS services and with the telematics of the future, there are and will be so much more you can do in order to continually create the best fleet management company you can envision.

GoFleet – Connected Technology. Smarter Solutions.
Discover more about GoFleet and its Telematics Services

Steps You Need to Take to Protect Your Vehicles

Posted on | by Wisam Abou-diab | Leave a Comment on Steps You Need to Take to Protect Your Vehicles

Whether you are a small or large business, it’s never too late to look into solutions to protect and optimize your vehicles for the sake of protecting them. Personally speaking, my car is my baby. And by baby I mean she has a name, gets regular car washes…

 

via GIPHY

 

…new air fresheners every week …

 

via GIPHY

… and is equipped with a dash cam. Basically, I love her. And because I love her so much, I do the best I can to protect her, for my own peace of mind.

 

If you own a fleet, your vehicles should be your babies too. They get your services/products to places they need to go, and your business probably wouldn’t be the same without them. So let’s discuss some ways you can protect them and sleep better at night.

 

Firstly, knowing the location of your vehicles would probably be the first thing that comes to mind. Currently, many different solutions exist for vehicle tracking and the one you choose would be based on your needs. GO7’s are essential in my book, as they provide your basic tracking functions as well as advanced diagnostics and driver behavior tracking. The reason I recommend GO7’s is mainly because of how seamlessly you can add more hardware or software depending on your needs. (Add-ons like ELD, & GoTalk for example) Plus, they are easily installed without any hardwiring, making them a good choice for fleets of any size. Simply put, if the GO7 could talk, it would be like…

 

On the other hand, let’s talk about those dash cams I mentioned earlier. Dash cams are the eyes of your vehicles, except they record what they see too. We hear stories every day about insurance fraud, hit and runs etc. What if you had proof of an incident? Would you be more likely to win your case and avoid large fees? Absolutely! Check out this video captured on a dash cam of a driver who bumped into another vehicle and tried to imply that it was the other driver’s fault –

 

“No, you reversed into me” – Lying driver caught out on dash cam

 

Unbelievable right? But it happens all the time. So take the necessary steps to protect your vehicles. They are your precious investment (aka your babies) and you deserve a peace of mind.

Climate Targets May Result in More Sustainable Fleet Management

Posted on | by Jimmy Song | Leave a Comment on Climate Targets May Result in More Sustainable Fleet Management

Sustainable fleet management is a forefront industry item because many businesses around the world are going greener. In fact, recently in October 2018, a climate study group advocated that humans need to be greener.

The IPCC & the 1.5 Degree Target

Global warming is a controversial topic. Some people believe that natural cycles caused recent climate change. However, a lot of scientists tend to disagree.

One group of scientists, the IPCC, issued a stark warning about global warming at a UN conference. They explained that humans need to act quickly to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees in the next few decades.

Otherwise, if temperatures continue to climb over 1.5 degrees, scientists warn that there will be irreversible effects. For instance, rising water levels will leave some areas uninhabitable and deadly weather will become more common.

CO2 emissions cut by 45%

In particular, the IPCC noted that governments should aim to cut CO2 emission by 45%. Consequently, a 45% goal can significantly impact heavy fuel users- such as business fleets.

The Case for Sustainable Fleet Management

Nonetheless, many fleets are moving towards sustainable fleet management even without a carbon target. One explanation is taking environmental leadership. However, another reason is reducing business costs.

Multiple studies show that sustainable fleet management leads to business savings. For instance, fleets save directly on fuel costs and indirectly from tax credits.

How do you Implement Sustainable Fleet Management?

After deciding to go green, the next question is often, “How do you do it?”.

Fleets need to work on every area of their operation including purchasing assets, planning operations, and conserving fuel.

Asset Purchasing

The first area is purchasing equipment. Fleets are moving towards fuel efficient ideas such as electric vehicles and solar appliances.

Asset Purchasing

Electric vehicles continue to be a fleet management trend in 2019. The technology is more feasible than ever, and as a result, a lot of fleets are testing the idea to cut fuel costs.

Another alternative is switching to solar appliances. For example, some fleets equip solar panels to power vehicle appliances. According to a study, solar power cuts 3% of fuel during drives and 16% of fuel during idling.

Route Planning

Yet another idea is route planning. Many fleets are combining internal functions into single routes rather than spreading out their trips.

route planning

To illustrate, consider the medical industry. Medical organizations might use vehicles to collect supplies and deliver medical test samples. Rather than sending out two vehicles, businesses are now combining tasks into a single route.

Fuel Conservation

Lastly, fleets are always looking for ways to reduce fuel usage. Some of the traditional ways of reducing fuel include implementing a no-idling policy and monitoring fuel mileage.

In 2018, however, fleets tried new ideas. For example, if you look at trucks on the road, you might notice that some trucks travel in a line. This is on purpose and is called “platooning”. Researchers found that platooned trucks can save up to 10% of fuel, which is a small step towards a 45% target.

Many fleets are adopting sustainable fleet management ideas. It’s a good move for moving green and for saving costs!

Links
United Nations Environment Programme: Rapid and unprecedented action required to stay within 1.5ºC says UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Sustainable Roadmap: Environmental Considerations for Fleet Management

GPS Fleet Monitoring: Pro Concepts

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Welcome to Part 2 of our GPS fleet monitoring guide. In our last entry, we caught up with essential GPS fleet monitoring concepts such as Live Map, Rules, Fuel Reports, and Maintenance Reminders.

However, Pro fleet managers go beyond average data skills by learning and using powerful tools. We’ll cover some Pro-level concepts in this guide by reviewing Grouping, Advanced Coaching, Dispatching & Routing, and Engine Diagnostics.

Grouping

Firstly, Pro fleet managers should know how to group their fleet. Sometimes, a fleet might have multiple divisions and branches. Each branch might have their own manager and their own policies.

Therefore, fleet managers need to learn how to group data. After grouping, fleet managers can create rules for each specific branch and ensure that data is only shared with its respective branch.

For instance, Geotab has a Rules & Groups portal. Fleet managers can manage data by clicking on Groups and adding branches. Then, fleet managers can filter Maps or Exception Reports by created groups.

Advanced Driver Coaching

Previously on the Essential GPS Fleet Monitoring blog post, we covered speeding rules. While speeding is absolutely an essential and useful datapoint, Pro fleet managers use other driver coaching metrics. Some of the best driver coaching data include Harsh Braking, Harsh Acceleration, and Harsh Cornering.

Advanced driver coaching is a powerful GPS fleet monitoring tool because managers can give better feedback to drivers and improve fleet objectives. For instance, studies indicate that harsh acceleration is closely linked to fuel usage and distracted driving. Fleets that monitor and control harsh acceleration significantly improve fuel and safety scores.

Geotab monitors acceleration and braking events through G-shock detectors. Furthermore, managers can control acceleration events by playing with their sensitivity. Some of the recommended G-shock settings include:

Dispatching & routing

Another Pro concept is dispatching and routing drivers. Pro fleet managers minimize fuel expense and simplify operations through effective route planning.

Typically, this involves plotting job sites on a map, sending jobs to drivers, and then monitoring route compliance. To illustrate, we’ll show these three functions on the Geotab platform.

Scheduling Routes

Firstly, fleet managers need to create routes. Fleet managers usually draw routes, import routes from a database, or use route optimization software. Geotab users can go into Zones & Messages and click Routes to create a route.

Sending Jobs to Drivers

Secondly, after scheduling routes, fleet managers communicate with their team. Managers can click “Send Route to Vehicle” on the Routes page to send route to a driver’s Geotab Drive app. Also, managers can access the Message portal to chat with their drivers.

Monitoring Route Compliance

Finally, managers can monitor route compliance and productivity through reports. Two of the most popular reports include “Unmatched Routes” and “Planned vs. Actual Routes”. Unmatched Routes indicate when drivers stop at unassigned destinations, whereas Planned vs. Actual Routes show when drivers deviate from set plans.

Engine Diagnostics Data

Lastly, we’ll cover Engine Diagnostics Data, which is another Pro fleet management skill. While Maintenance Reminder is a good essential concept, Engine Diagnostics Data allow fleet managers to check engine codes and plan preventative maintenance.

Why is that so powerful? Normally, fleet managers have to take their vehicles to a shop to read engine data. However, because telematics devices remotely reads engine codes, fleet managers can pull engine data from their desk. Managers can then decide when to take the vehicle to the shop based on fault severity.

Engine Measurements

Also, managers can check a vehicle’s health by data such as battery voltage, cranking voltage, and engine RPM.

Click here to schedule Pro Training on Best Practices & Reports.

GPS Fleet Monitoring Guide: The Essentials

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

One of the most important fleet management skills to learn and develop is using analytical tools like GPS fleet monitoring.

According to a survey, the vast majority of fleet managers have used or will use GPS fleet monitoring by 2018. Clearly, fleet managers who never used fleet software are falling behind of their peers.In our 2018 GPS Fleet Monitoring Guide, we want to teach fleet managers about important software concepts.

The Essentials

What are some of the essential fleet monitoring concepts? Geotab, installed in over a million vehicles worldwide, considers the following concepts as essentials: Location Tracking, Rules, Fuel Reports, and Vehicle Maintenance Reminders.

Location Tracking

Location tracking remains the bread and butter of GPS fleet monitoring because that’s why most fleets start using vehicle monitoring.Geotab users can access location tracking commands by clicking the Map sidebar button. Three important Map functions include Live Map, Trip History, and Geofencing.

Live Map

Firstly, fleet managers need to be familiar with Live Map. Every single fleet GPS solution will have a map portal. On Geotab’s portal, users can view a vehicle by hovering over their map and clicking vehicles. They can also search and select a vehicle from a list.Some useful applications of live maps include providing location updates, managing drivers, and dispatching the closest driver to a site.

Trip History

Secondly, fleet managers should learn how to use the Trip History report. Again, every GPS software should allow managers to view a vehicle’s location history.Geotab users can look at a vehicle’s trip history by selecting a vehicle or driver. Then, the program replays trips with “destinations”, or events when drivers stop for a specified amount of time. In effect, managers can review or download all trips in the prior year with Geotab.

Geofencing

Finally, fleet managers need to know how to geofence. Geofences are custom map zones. Users can then set up rules and alerts with their created map zones.For example, consider the following applications. One company processed payroll by creating a geofence on a customer site and monitoring their employees’ hours. Another company set up a “Casino Rule” which alerted managers whenever their employees broke company rules by visiting casinos.

Rules

Another important GPS fleet monitoring concept is Rules & Exceptions. Rules & Exceptions are powerful tools because managers can create and manage productivity or safety rules.Some important functions to learn include Creating Rules and Viewing Exceptions.

Creating Rules

Before managers can view reports, they have to create rules. Geotab uses a Rules portal, where managers can quickly change Rule Settings, apply Advanced Settings, or Set Notifications.For example, for custom Speeding rules, managers can manage event triggers by dragging a bar to indicate the speed over (or under) a speeding limit. Managers can also apply Advanced Settings such as changing the Speeding Duration before an event is triggered, or setting up text and email notifications.

Exceptions

After creating rules, fleet managers need to learn how to use data. On Geotab, everything can be done through the Exceptions portal. Under Exceptions, managers can generate reports from time periods, vehicles, and rules.

Fuel Reports

The next essential concept is Fuel Reports. Fleet managers are responsible for controlling operation cost. Successful managers use tools such as Fill Up Graphs and Idling Reports.

Fill Up Graphs

Fill-up graphs are one of the most commonly used fuel management reports. It displays critical fuel data such as fuel purchases, fuel usage, fuel remaining, fuel mileage, and odometer readings.

Idling

Idling reports also deserve their own category because monitoring idling reduces fuel expense. In fact, a majority of enterprise fleets have some sort of no-idling policy.Fleet managers can create an idling management report on Geotab by going under Exceptions and selecting Idling rules.

Maintenance Reminders

Finally, maintenance reminders are also an essential fleet monitoring concept. One of the worst kept secrets for successful asset management is to always schedule regular maintenance.A smart strategy, then, is to use a tracking tool to monitor vehicle odometers or engine hours. Fleet managers can go under the Engine & Maintenance sidebar and go into Reminders to create reminder rules such as oil changes based on measured odometers.Click here to schedule a one-to-one training session to get started on myGeotab.

Fleet Maintenance Management: GPS & Engine Diagnostics Data

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Enterprise fleet maintenance management can either make or break a fleet manager’s career. Why?

Great maintenance makes fleet managers look like superstars because the fleet is productive and runs at a low cost. Bad maintenance, meanwhile, will cause a fleet to miss its productivity targets and ultimately force fleet managers to look for a new job.

Thankfully, fleet managers use a few tools to help them monitor enterprise fleet maintenance. For instance, managers use anything from basic monitoring reports to advanced engine diagnostics.

These reports include:

  • Basic GPS data. A lot of fleet managers collect GPS data such as vehicle location or driving habits to plan maintenance and monitor risk drivers.
  • Engine diagnostics data. Fleet managers also use advanced engine diagnostics to get more data and proactively plan maintenance.

We will discuss how fleet managers use both basic GPS data and engine data to improve enterprise fleet maintenance management.

Basic GPS & Useful Data

Firstly, fleet managers can use basic GPS data for better maintenance. Basic GPS data is simple, yet, effective. Here are some examples.

 

fleet maintenance management

 

Maintenance Reminders

Maintenance reminders are one of the important GPS data because it springs the entire team into action.

For instance, managers might schedule check-ups by either vehicle usage or by period. Fleet managers can then use GPS to keep track of odometer or time data and schedule regular maintenance.

Utilization Reports

Next, fleet managers need to collect data to distribute fleet utilization. For instance, while fleet managers would love to order the newest trucks, they would probably get into trouble if they order new trucks while old trucks are sitting in a yard.

For that reason, utilization reports contain useful GPS data that organizes the fleet’s resources. Fleet managers can see and use under-utilized vehicles rather than buying new trucks or burdening the other fleet trucks.

Driver Reports

Finally, fleet managers use GPS data by taking a look at driver reports. Bad driving increases a vehicle’s wear and tear, and in turn, increases downtime. Some fleet managers use driving event rules to evaluate and train risky drivers.

Engine Diagnostics Data

Secondly, fleet managers use engine diagnostics data to refine their enterprise fleet maintenance management plan. Engine diagnostics dig a bit deeper than basic GPS data. Geotab’s data engineers partnered with OEMs to collect more data and codes from engines. Here are some examples of additional data.

 

fleet maintenance management

 

True Odometer

GPS odometer readings might be different from “True” Odometer readings. That’s because GPS odometers draw their data from location data whereas True Odometers draw their data directly from engine use. Why are True Odometer readings more accurate?

The answer is idling. Idling uses the engine which causes wear and tear. Therefore, fleet managers should absolutely consider idling data when planning regular checkups.

However, they would not get access to this data from GPS odometers because the odometer does not move when vehicles are idling. True Odometers, on the other hand, solves the idling data gap and schedules maintenance based on actual wear and tear.

 

True Idling

Speaking of idling, another important engine data measurment for fleet maintenance management is True Idling. Idling should be classified into two categories – productive idling and unproductive (or “True”) idling. Sometimes, idling might be productive. For example, garbage trucks idle when they use their containers. However, this idling is productive because that’s how garbage trucks collect and dump waste.

How can fleet managers separate idling? Geotab devices measure productive idling when the vehicle idles but the PTO, or auxiliary equipment, is on. Everything else is considered unproductive idling, or True Idling.

From there, managers can identify and train True Idlers to protect vehicles from wear and tear.

 

Engine Codes

Last but not least, engine code data are used to manage maintenance. This is perhaps the most powerful data because it allows managers to proactively find and fix issues.

Engine codes include two broad categories:

 

  • First, it covers engine faults. GO Devices read and report engine faults while non-users have to take their vehicles to a shop to read engine codes. As a result, fleet managers can view a log of all issues and decide when to send their vehicle to service.
  • Second, it covers engine readings. Managers can use their technical expertise to turn engine readings into powerful preventative tools. For example, cranking voltage is the amount of voltage needed to start a truck. Managers can create a warning whenever cranking voltage goes below a certain number.

Click here to review ZenduMA, a powerful diagnostics add-in for enterprise fleet maintenance.

 

Links
Geotab: Engine Diagnostics or GPS Only Tracking: Which is Better?

How to Develop and Write a Fleet Management Business Plan

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

A fleet management business plan is the blueprint for a fleet’s success – literally! Similarly to a blueprint, a business plan designs the fleet’s future success by looking at current conditions, discussing projects, and predicting future success outcomes.

In this post, we will answer:

1 – Why should fleets develop a fleet management business plan?

2 – What makes a good fleet management business plan?

1 – Why should fleets develop a fleet management business plan?

Humans need plans to stay on target. A great example is my writing style.

In elementary school, I was an average to a below-average writer. I had a good foundation because I read a lot and liked writing. However, I wrote without planning and often had disorganized content.

What changed my writing style? One of my high school English teachers inspired me to start using writing outlines. Then, I transformed from an average writer to an above average writer. Because I started creating outlines, I planned content before writing and focused on wordsmithing while writing! As a result, my work became well-organized.

Similarly, fleet management plans help fleets identify priorities and plan projects. It then allows the fleet to create key performance indicators to monitor yearly goals.

2 – What makes a good fleet management business plan?

A “good” plan doesn’t have an exact formula. However, it should discuss a fleet’s current situation, plan projects to improve its situation, and explain expected results.

I want to thank the team at the City of Edmonton who produced an excellent business plan and allowed us to reshare their plan. We will illustrate a good business plan by going through standard business plan elements, with examples from the City of Edmonton’s plan.

Introduction

The business plan should explain the plan’s purpose and help readers identify the fleet’s overarching objectives.

Edmonton

The City of Edmonton has a great introduction. Steve Rapanos, the Branch Manager, describes that their Fleet team oversees purchase, maintenance, and safety, while aligning with the city’s The Way Ahead initiative. The introduction is short yet informative, and even better, has a personal message from the Director!

Situational Analysis

Next, the business plan should provide an overview of the fleet’s current situation. There are a few ways to do this. For example, some plans include a SWOT analysis. A SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and is an excellent way to paint a picture of the current situation.

Edmonton

overview of the fleet’s current situation

Edmonton’s business plan discussed its situation by identifying and assessing its risks. This is a great framework because the plan pinpoints the most critical business areas. For instance, Occupational Health and Safety is marked as a likely and serious risk. As a result, Edmonton prioritized safety projects in its plan.

Objective Setting & Projects

Here is the meaty part of the business plan! After determining priorities, it’s now time to set up objectives. Fleet plans should outline measurable objectives and outline ideas or projects that support meeting these targets.

Edmonton

plan preventative maintenance

Edmonton’s business plan effectively linked needs with projects. For instance, since Edmonton’s situation analysis concluded that safety is a high priority risk, a lot of the planned projects are focused on safety and maintenance.

Measuring Success

Finally, the business plan should indicate how to measure success. One of the most effective ways to do this is to set up financial measures or key performance indicators.

Edmonton

measure success

Metrics support the Edmonton’s plans. For example, in order to measure safety success, 85% or more of City drivers should have zero demerit points. This metric is effective because it directly links with the City’s safety goals and projects.

Links:
Faster: Sample Business Plan for Fleet XYZ
City of Edmonton: 2016-2018 Business Plan

Best GPS Tracking & Fleet Management Trends to Follow in 2018

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

2017 was a crazy year for GPS tracking and fleet management. Last year, fleets saw logbook mandates, electric trucks, and anything in between! 2018 also promises to be an exciting year. Here are some of the best GPS tracking and fleet management trends to follow in 2018!

fleet management trends 2018

Safety

Marijuana

Marijuana will be legal in Canada starting July 2018. One of the concerns, however, was preventing impaired driving. As such, impaired testing apps are gaining interest. For instance, engineers created apps like Good2Drive to test driver alertness at the start of the trip.

Cameras

Cameras are one of the fastest growing safety gadgets. Vehicle fleets and individual drivers are both seeing the value of dashcams. Because of dashcams, drivers are capturing accidents and successfully defending themselves against false claims.

Distracted driving

Another big newsmaker is distracted driving. Thankfully, the public is much more aware about the dangers of distracted driving. This concern is also reflected by businesses – many fleets created strict policies against texting and driving.

Autonomous Driving

Self driving cars continue to appear on the news. Last year, the FMCSA had a public hearing about the future of self driving cars.

In addition to the hearing, another big step was the Tesla Semis conference. These trucks are electric and are able to self-drive on highways. Several companies have already publically pre-ordered up over 100 trucks!

Although the trucks might not yet hit the road, the market is definitely there. Nonetheless, we can expect further debate and policies in 2018 around self driving trucks.

Cybercrime

Cybercrime is another thing to look for after an eventful 2017. 2017 was indeed a big year for cybercrime, where businesses and even governments were hacked.

Cyber criminals can also target GPS and fleet management systems. These systems contain treasure boxes of data. Hackers can access sensitive data and can even control vehicles in some systems! How can fleets prevent cybercrime?

The best GPS systems have strong cyber security systems. For instance, Geotab includes security in their company culture. Their system has many levels of protection, including encrypted data, secure cloud storage, and controlled firmware updates.

Driver Engagement

Driver recruiting and engagement remains an industry challenge. Older drivers are retiring and that is causing a driver shortage. In order to adapt to a changing workforce, driver recruiters are using creative techniques.

One company used social media to attract new young drivers. They shared pictures of community events, driver birthdays, and driver awards. This resulted in thousands of followers and regular job inquiry messages on social media.

More Data

For a long time, GPS tracking meant just looking at vehicle location.  Only a few years ago, many businesses were resistant to GPS tracking. Fast forward a few years and that attitude has now changed. Fleets are not only buying into GPS tracking but are also asking for more data!

The best GPS tracking services have driver, fuel, and diagnostic reports. Customers are starting to realize this.

In 2016 and in the early parts of 2017, purchasers often ask for “basic location tracking”. As the year progressed, purchasers were asking for more reports. In 2018, we expect fleets to collect and measure even more data.

Regulations

2017 was a big year for rules. Many businesses revamped their logbook policies in order to get into compliance with the ELD rules.

Some of the biggest 2018 fleet management regulations include:

  • Canadian ELD mandate. Transport Canada is drafting its own version of the ELD mandate. It’s expected to be similar to the American rules and should be released shortly.
  • Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Food carriers are required to keep storage reports. Companies are using temperature monitoring systems to report and alert temperature changes.

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