If you run a business that has some kind of fleet, you need to make sure that you are taking proper care of it and managing it as well as possible. This is true for businesses that are working in transportation, such as taxi services and couriers, and for those dealing with supply chains too. Good fleet management secures a brighter future not just for your own company, but for your partnered companies too, and it’s something you need to know about as fully as possible. Let’s take a look at what good fleet management really looks like.
Analytics & Reports
In simple terms, fleet management is not something that you can ace without having all the possible information and data that you might need at your fingertips. You need to be producing reports on a daily basis, and spending time analyzing what they are trying to tell you. Only then can you figure out where you could be cutting corners, where you might be able to change some processes, and where there might be safety issues that need correcting. Without that information, good fleet management is likely to go out the window, never to return.
Regular Maintenance
Few things are more important than keeping your vehicles in a good state of repair. This helps to keep you from having to overspend, it ensures the ongoing safety and security of your employees, and it improves your reputation and reliability with your clients and partners. Make sure you are keeping your maintenance ongoing, including replacing truck and bus tyres, carrying out oil changes, and keeping the hydraulics working well. You should also aim to keep an eye out for any repairs that might need doing, and get on to them as soon as possible once they arise.
Driver Policy
You have to have a driver policy – it’s the law. If you don’t have one, it’s time to set one up. But beyond that, you will also need to make sure that you are keeping it updated as regularly as possible, as that is going to be essential for the safety of your employees, the operations of the business, and so on too. With a good driver policy in place, you will find that your fleet is managed so much better than you might have thought possible, so that’s something that you should really be careful about.
Communication
You need to have the ability to properly communicate with your employees if you want to manage your fleet properly. There are a lot of ways to achieve this, whether it’s through the use of a radio system or with a mobile-based fleet management app. However you do it, make sure that you have some safe and effective manner to keep in contact with your drivers. That is going to be just about your most important tool as you aim to keep your fleet managed successfully, so it’s not something that you should really overlook if you can help it. Bear this in mind and aim for it.