Fleet management refers to the administrative processes regarding the acquisition, maintenance, organization and disposal of commercial vehicles. It also includes the real-time monitoring of the vehicles' condition and geographical locations. Fleet management can also refer to the hardware and software components required to set up the monitoring and tracking functionalities necessary for proper management.
Why fleet management?
Why fleet management?
Fleet management has become a key component of every modern company employing a moderate to large amount of commercial vehicles. The main benefit of fleet management is the ability to closely monitor and analyze your fleet in its every detail from a macro scale.
This allows for a lot of very precise small optimizations that can add up and lead to significant increases in efficiency. Besides the obvious economic benefits, good fleet management helps create a better understanding of how the fleet functions as a whole. This naturally leads to better decision-making from the company's supervisors and generally a lot more transparency.
Fleet management technology
Fleet management technology
Fleet management includes a large array of hardware and software components that are responsible for measuring, logging, processing and transmitting large amounts of relevant data to a server in real time. These components include but are not limited to:
- A GPS tracking system within each vehicle;
- Various monitoring devices logging the speed, the acceleration and the overall condition of each vehicle;
- A system allowing the devices to connect to either the cellular network or a satellite network;
- A server processing all of that data and sending it back to the connected fleet management devices and applications;
- A fleet management software suite for the end user, displaying all of that information in a clear way.
Thanks to this intricate combination of different technologies, fleet management software is able to display real-time data on the entire fleet.
Fleet management and scaling
Fleet management and scaling
An increasingly common element for all commercial transportation businesses, including companies in the fields of trucking, aviation, boating and delivery, fleet management is setting the tone for an increasingly digitized approach to large-scale operations. One of the most valuable aspects of fleet management is its ability to fit companies of any size and its improved cost-effectiveness as the scale increases.
Fleet management software allows you to visualize the physical location and the state of all the vehicles of a fleet at a glance. Getting information about a specific vehicle at any time is easy and takes just a few seconds. Larger scale operations will get the most out of a fleet management solution. However, it can also greatly improve a smaller company's efficiency.
What does a fleet manager do?
What does a fleet manager do?
Fleet managers ensure that fleets operate with maximum efficiency. Their key responsibilities involve supervising drivers, optimizing resources and maintaining regulatory compliance.
When it comes to drivers, retention and safety are fleet managers' main priorities. A growing shortage of truck drivers requires fleet managers to regularly assess employee well-being. They will note if anything can be done to minimize stress behind the wheel or engage drivers with professional development programs. For a real-time glimpse of potential safety issues, fleet managers use telematics to monitor driving behavior and track vehicle locations.
Monitoring driving behavior also helps reduce fuel and maintenance costs. Vehicle fleet managers tap data from their telematics system to analyze patterns in speed, braking and idling. From there, they can pinpoint which drivers may need training.
As of December 2017, commercial vehicle drivers are required under the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate to electronically log their Hours of Service. Fleet managers implement and oversee ELD compliance processes. Additionally, vehicle fleet managers handle tax compliance.
Benefits of fleet management
Benefits of fleet management
The best fleet management solution will support a trucking business' overlapping aims: cutting costs, increasing safety, and shrinking carbon emissions. An environmentally responsible fleet strives for constant improvements. Fuel-efficiency reports summarize a fleet's consumption and emissions history, empowering the business to take actions towards greener fleet management.
A greener fleet is also a safer and more productive one. As any fleet manager knows, well-maintained trucks run better and last longer. They're generally safer too properly maintained vehicles lower the odds of breakdowns. With an integrated fleet management solution, maintenance planning and staying on top of day-to-day vehicle health is simplified. If a truck has diagnostic troubles, for instance, notifications can be translated into preventative repairs. Streamlined vehicle maintenance and repairs prevent unnecessary downtime.
How does a fleet management system work?
How does a fleet management system work?
Big or small, every trucking enterprise is unique. A market leading fleet management solution will meet an organization's fleet management needs by seamlessly integrating with various business applications. The right fleet management system provides the tools to run a vehicle fleet efficiently, from daily scheduling and route planning to driver communication and back-office tasks. A comprehensive fleet management solution includes:
- Real-time, 24/7 vehicle tracking and traffic information
- Accurate and flexible route planning
- Simplified reporting and performance monitoring
- Office and mobile access — manage your fleet from any device
- Actionable insights on fuel usage, driver behavior, maintenance history
A complete fleet management system integrates software with in-truck devices to connect a business with its drivers and vehicles. Webfleet offers a range of navigational devices that can be integrated with our software for a complete fleet management system.
How to improve fleet management
How to improve fleet management
To optimize your fleet's performance, you'll need total visibility over your vehicles. Additionally, you'll want real-time insights on operational costs, workflows and customer service. Fleet management software can help achieve the desired efficiency by 20%.
Complex operational costs can be a tricky challenge. Fleet management software eliminates the juggling act. From a single dashboard you can access real-time data on fuel consumption, driver behavior and route planning, giving you a bird's-eye view of operations.
A fleet management solution will also automate burdensome administrative tasks across the entire organization, freeing up valuable time. Strengthening customer relationships is relatively effortless when your service team can focus on improving customer experiences. Staying compliant with tax laws and ELD is much easier too: digital mileage logs reduce human errors while securing records in one place.
Fleet management with Webfleet
Fleet management with Webfleet
Webfleet offers a wide array of fleet management solutions, with options suitable for fleets of all sizes. Our fully integrated solutions combine navigational and vehicle tracking devices with Webfleet software, enabling you to leverage data for optimal fleet performance.
Webfleet can help you save up to 20% in fuel and maintenance costs while also cutting driving time. Complying with regulations is straightforward, since all mileage logs and reporting documents are securely stored in your cloud-based account. Dynamic dispatching and improved driver communication eliminate delays, bringing your customer service to new levels with reliable ETAs.
Find out why 50,000 fleets worldwide rely on our fleet management solutions. Request a demo or book a personalized call with one of our system experts.
