Ways to Improve Fleet Management for Vehicle
In the day-to-day life of many companies, it is common to need vehicles to carry out important parts of the work. Whether for logistics or commercial activities, knowing how to manage the fleet repair, trucks or SUVs can be an important competitive advantage. But after all, how are we going to control vehicle fleet management?
Finding the ideal way to manage your vehicle fleet has the potential to save time and money. This is a benefit for both small and large companies. The challenge is to find the right tools and solutions for each situation, without causing excessive operational interruptions in the flow of the company.
To help you understand the details of fleet repair, let’s explore the answer to some common questions here, such as: what are the benefits and what is the best way to manage a company’s vehicle fleet?
Controlling vehicle fleet management, why is it important?
A fleet is made up of a series of motor vehicles, owned or leased by a company. These vehicles can be used by various forms of organizations to make them available to employees, such as sales representatives or managers. The most common is to use them for the delivery of goods and logistics work.
Rental companies or service providers, such as taxis, can also use fleet vehicles. But depending on the size of a company’s fleet, it can be difficult to manage, right?
Initially, it is important for companies to assess their overall goals and challenges with their fleet repair efforts. The insights gathered in this analysis will help companies piece together the puzzle to get this job done. But know that having a strategic fleet development is ideal in logistics.
Generally, companies have two options for working in the logistics environment: offering their own vehicles or reimbursing employees for the business use of their personal vehicles. While the two models offer many different benefits, there are times when owning your own fleet makes more sense.
Here, we examine the most common reasons companies choose to incorporate fleet into their vehicle management programs.
Reasons to have your own fleet of vehicles
The overall goal of knowing fleet repair of vehicles should be the optimal use of equipment and capital. This includes factors such as:
- Fuel management
- Vehicle updates, maintenance and repairs
- Longevity of vehicles and equipment
- Security and compliance
All of these fleet control factors have the potential to save businesses time and money if optimally managed. In this case, looking for the best type of internal management is essential to obtain the best results.
For example: performing preventive maintenance instead of just corrective maintenance on a fleet of 15 vehicles can save thousands of dollars in expenses. So being careful will help a lot, expanding your investment possibilities.
Organizations are looking to find solutions that can be seamlessly integrated with existing business systems. They must also meet and adapt to the needs of the vehicle fleet repair and its growth projections.
3 Benefits of having full control of vehicle friction
While the needs and ways to control the management of your vehicle fleet change a lot with the size of the company, there are clear benefits to all of them.
We present the top 3
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It is easier to meet specific needs
Having a fleet repair of vehicles can be an attractive option for organizations that need to provide transportation for specific functions. This includes service trucks, vans, delivery or private vehicles with other requirements.
In this way, optimizing the performance of all the professionals involved.
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Greater supervision and control of vehicles
With fleet repair, it is possible to gain complete control over the fleet used by professionals. This means that it is also easier to manage any factors and information related to them, such as insurance coverage and maintenance.
That way, you can choose the safety features for each vehicle that your business considers important. Businesses can also have a 24/7 view of where their vehicles are and are being driven.
Today this is a simple functionality that can be achieved by installing GPS in vehicles. From there, you can know exactly where they are in relation to the destination route and if they agree with the expected time of arrival, for example.
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Brand disclosure and marketing actions
Companies also fleet repair as a way to promote their brand while employees go about their daily tasks.
This can be done by displaying your company name and logo on your service vehicles. This action increases brand recognition as the fleet moves from door to door.
Therefore, knowing how to control the management of a fleet of vehicles directly influences the way people see your company. If you do not have the necessary care, you can convey the idea of carelessness, for example.
Step by step on how to control vehicle fleet repair
Now that you know the benefits, it’s time to understand the steps you can take to start taking control of your vehicle fleet.
In practice, most companies adopt a simplified way of managing vehicles through daily workflows. However, the difficulty begins to appear when other relevant points begin to emerge and need to be resolved.
To do this, it is essential to use a checklist. From them you can perform a series of specific and necessary tasks. An example is the checklist that must be performed whenever a fleet repair is to be used. To ensure that all security features work.
So, let’s know these steps in practice on how to control the vehicle fleet:
Rely on a central tool for greater visibility
The centralization of fleet repair processes and fleet control solutions is essential on a day-to-day basis. After all, you need to take care of fleet maintenance control, safety inspections, and loading and unloading control with regular checks.
It is important to note that this work can no longer be done with pencil and paper. If the idea is to save time and have reliable control, digital tools and applications are the best option today.
A great example is the Easy Checklist! With this tool, you can have all the information of the fleet in one place. With the available functionalities, you can also monitor these activities with report analysis, implementing specific improvements with a focus on operational efficiency. In addition, you will also find:
- Automated functions to resolve nonconformities
- Optimal tracking of information to manage fuel use
- Accessible tool for the creation of action plans and allocating responsibility
- Use real-time management resources
To accomplish all of this, you need access to operational and historical data for risk assessments and compliance audits. It is precisely here where it is so important to use a tool that centralizes everything.
Plan a complete fleet control program
A well-executed fleet repair control plan can contribute a lot to the bottom line of any business.
The well-planned program includes:
- Tracking functions
- Fleet monitoring
- Maintenance cost management
- Driver training
- Monitoring of the set of security requirements
- Creation of KPIs or logistics performance indicators
Anticipating all these functions is essential for the correct operation of your planning. Without the plan, it is difficult to control the entire fleet, as the most relevant information could go unnoticed by the operation.
Keep adequate records of all data
Make sure you have a log that drivers will sign daily, even using an app to make it more seamless. It should include details such as the name of the driver, the date, the number of vehicles they drive, and the time they left and returned.
Companies must also maintain physical or digital records of information such as:
- Vehicle condition, which helps predict all mechanical problems
- Mileage before and after the shift
- Tire conditions and pressure
- Detailed maintenance history, such as the date of the last oil change for all vehicles in the fleet
- Common routes that vehicles travel on
With these digital records, it is easy to find any report, with data and graphs much faster than searching through a pile of papers.
Use solutions with mobile applications
Fleet control applications based on mobile systems are fleet repair today. This is because this software helps you take full control over almost every aspect of your fleet operations.
In addition to meeting the planning requirements of each company, these applications can generate benefits such as:
- Reduce operating costs
- Improve the visibility of the fleet
- Facilitate fuel management
- Increase driver satisfaction with ease of operation
Companies are providing transportation automation platforms that help turn your fleet’s current operating procedure into application-based procedures that are much simpler to perform. They can increase engagement and create a safer experience for everyone involved.
Provide continuous training to drivers
You can’t think of the action list on how to control your vehicle fleet without thinking about the people who will use them, right? Despite having experienced hired drivers, training is a must.
Passing instructions for driving on different types of roads, warning of dangers when driving and first aid are topics that will help in these training sessions.