Fleet managers face many challenges in their day-to-day operations. Some of the fleet management tasks are repetitive and time-consuming such as routing, scheduling, recording timesheets, and so on.
However, these tasks are essential to ensure a smooth flow of operations. Manual handling of these operations poses many challenges to the managers.
Automated fleet management systems provide accurate solutions to solve the challenges faced in fleet management.
11 Fleet Management Problems and How You Can Solve Them
Time Consuming Administrative Work
Fleet managers have to perform a number of administrative works such as fleet scheduling, routing, invoicing, dispatching, etc. These tasks are not revenue-generating and take up too much time when done manually. Moreover, there is also scope for error when recording timesheets or preparing invoices manually.
Automated fleet management systems can free up your time, allowing you to concentrate on other key responsibilities such as driver safety, customer relations, and taking care of the vehicles.
GPS vehicle tracking devices are equipped with modern functionalities such as fuel management systems, fleet maintenance systems, dash cams, etc. These systems take care of many of the administrative tasks such as invoicing, routing, invoicing, scheduling dispatches, etc., and free up your time for important tasks.
High Fuel Costs
Fuel costs are one of the key components in your total fleet management operations. Fuel costs are highly dynamic and fluctuate from day today. Efficiently managing fuel costs can have a huge positive impact on your bottom lines.
Telematics and fleet management software can help you to reduce fuel costs. The software helps in choosing the shortest route with minimum obstructions, thereby saving fuel costs. Moreover, fuel management systems help to track fuel use, driver behavior, and fuel theft.Â
You can monitor driver behavior such as idling time, speed driving, and sudden braking and take necessary actions such as training and orientation to correct them. Plus, you can even budget your fuels better with fuel cards. They don’t ask you to pay immediately rather send a bill by the end of the month, showing you how much you spend on fuel a month, and where you can implement some cost cutting.
Vehicle Downtime
Vehicle maintenance is one of the critical responsibilities of fleet managers. It is important to keep all the vehicles in the fleet well maintained to ensure they function at their optimum capacity. However, keeping track of the maintenance schedules of different vehicles in the fleet is tedious.
Fleet maintenance software is the solution for this problem. The software monitors different aspects such as the health of the engine, fuel consumption, braking system, wear and tear of tyres, etc. and provides instant notifications for repairs and maintenance.
Timely repairs and maintenance helps to reduce downtime and keeps the vehicles in good operating condition. It also helps to improve driver safety.
Communication With Drivers
When your drivers are on the road, communicating with them can be difficult. It leads to miscommunication and delays in deliveries. Sometimes, not being able to pass critical messages can also lead to accidents.
Automated fleet management systems help to streamline communications and ensure a smooth flow of information. Modern vehicle tracking devices are equipped with sim tracking features. This allows you to get in contact with the driver at any time and relay important messages in real-time.
You can also monitor the driver’s behavior such as break time, idling, etc. using the sim tracking facility.
Driver Safety
Good drivers are a valuable asset to the fleet. It is critical for any fleet manager to implement driver safety programs to keep the drivers happy and motivated. Traditional fleet management practices make it difficult to track driver behavior on the road.
GPS tracking devices for trucks play a significant role in improving driver safety. These devices can monitor driver behavior in real-time. You can get insights into driving behavior such as rash driving, speed braking, traffic violations, etc.
Through these vehicle tracking devices take corrective actions such as retraining, counseling, and orientation. Good behaviors can be rewarded with incentives and bonuses, which will help to boost the driver’s morale.
Effective Collaboration With a Huge Team
Most of the time, logistics and fleet companies have large teams, often spread over a wide geographic area. It is difficult to ensure effective collaboration among teams working from different locations. However, effective collaboration is essential for the smooth flow of operations and profitability. You can speed up your business with custom logistic softwares. Click on this link : https://acropolium.com/industry/logistics-software-development/ to get custom logistic software development and management services.
Automated fleet management systems aid collaboration through advanced mapping features. The software provides fleet managers with real-time views of the vehicles in the fleet, at any given time. It improves response time and allows easy collaboration.
Vehicle Theft and Damage
Vehicle theft and damage are a nightmare for fleet managers. It is difficult to track vehicles and know what happened.
Telematics and fleet management software eliminate this worry. GPS tracking devices for trucks, cars, and other vehicles help you to know the exact location of the vehicle.
The dashcam truck cameras provide 360-degree views of the vehicle, allowing you to determine what happened, who is at fault, and the condition of the vehicle.
Unauthorized Use of Vehicles
The unauthorized use of vehicles is a big headache for fleet managers. Some drivers use the vehicles out of the designated area, or out of work for personal use. This may lead to legal complications and dangerous driving.
Fleet management software facilitates 24/7 monitoring of the assets. Combined with sim tracking, you can know the location of the vehicle and driver at any time. You can easily track unauthorized use of the vehicle and take necessary action to prevent it.
Under and Over Utilization of Assets
It is important to ensure that all the assets in the fleet are properly utilized to keep them functioning well for a long duration. Over and underutilization of vehicles is a concern that many fleet managers have to deal with.
Telematics and fleet management systems help to view data of vehicle utilization and schedule assets appropriately. It ensures that all your assets are efficiently utilized and none are sitting idle.
Data Management
Data is important for the strategic decision-making process. It is cumbersome to collect and manage vast data about fleet operations.
Fleet management systems are equipped with tools for data management. They filter out unnecessary data and retain key data sets that are crucial for decision-making. You can select the key parameters to track and report, and get timely updates for them.
Managing Deliveries
It is important to meet the delivery schedule promised to the customers. Delayed deliveries can lead to dissatisfaction and may impact your brand image.
Telematics and automated fleet management solutions aid to avoid delays in delivery schedules. They can track road conditions, weather patterns, and other key metrics in advance and alert the managers and drivers.
You can reroute the trucks or take necessary actions to eliminate roadblocks and meet the deadlines.
Fleet managers face many challenges that can affect productivity and impact revenues, when not handled effectively. Fleet management systems equipped with modern features such as dashcam truck cameras, fuel management systems, and fleet maintenance systems help to overcome these challenges and increase profitability.
Though the costs of installing the software and dashcam price appear to be costly, the long-term benefits help to recover the costs.
