Managing a fleet can be very challenging. You have to adjust to fluctuating budgets, accidents, delays, and customer complaints, to name a few things. Fortunately, using a fleet management system can make things easier and also improve the business’ operations. Here are some of the ways your operations can improve.
- Less Downtime and Delays Due to Maintenance and Repairs
A problem with a vehicle can lead to delays and short term downtime when you need the vehicle the most. But this can be avoided with a valuable fleet tracking system. The system can log all the maintenance and repairs that were done for each vehicle. It can also schedule in essential maintenance like tire rotations, oil changes, and wiper replacement. This allows vehicles to get the necessary support and repairs when it’s not in demand.
- Live Tracking and Adjustments
Uncontrollable events like weather conditions, road closings, and traffic jams will always set your schedule back. But a good fleet management platform will be able to identify these barriers and provide alternate routes to mitigate the challenges. Drivers will be given alerts on potential problems and will be given alternative routes so that they won’t get stuck in conditions that lead to significant delays.
- Transparent Logistics
With fleet operations, there’s going to be many parts to the operation from vendor agreements, loading schedules, to multiple locations. It can be hard to piece everything together, using simple platforms or traditional communication methods. But with a fleet tracking system, you can make everything more transparent.
Both the operation manager and the drivers will have an overview of what needs to be done. There will be fewer communication errors, resources will be used efficiently, and time will not be wasted due to a lack of information or disconnected information. Everything will flow smoother, and it will be easy for all parties to understand the goals.
- Better Management of Drivers
Your drivers are the backbone of your operation. You need them to perform optimally and drive safely. Poor performance can lead to delays, loss of clients, and, ultimately, a decrease in profits. Then there are the safety issues you need to deal with. You want to minimize the risk to your operations. Accidents can be costly. You’ll have to pay for delays, repairs, and higher auto insurance rates.
A fleet management system can track and help optimize driver performance and safety. Drivers will be advised on when to increase or decrease speeds. They’ll also be given advice on improving performance. And without technology, it can be hard to identify the good employees from the bad. With the right software, you can focus more on your top performers and fire drivers that pose a significant risk to your operations.
- Better Use of Resources
The profitability of many fleet operations will depend on how your available resources are used. For example, you want to make sure that the nearest vehicles are picking up customers. You also want to spread out your available vehicles to areas that have a high density of customers requesting service. Customer satisfaction will also improve if you optimize how your fleet is used as a result of faster service.
Delivery companies will also be able to utilize resources better. They’ll quickly get an idea of when a truck capable of handling specific cargo will be available. They can allocate critical support to the most important deliveries to ensure that there aren’t any delays to big delivery jobs. This results in better performance, which translates to a longer client retention period.
These are some of the different ways fleet tracking systems can improve business operations. On top of everything, an excellent system will give you in-depth analytics data so that you can make the necessary improvements, fixes, and changes to your operations.