Often linked to the organization and its management style, vehicle fleet management can quickly become a source of internal discontent and very heavy costs.
Less strategic but not necessarily less complex to manage, this functional position is very often taken lightly and assigned to internal multi-purpose resources (general services, assistants, etc.) with a traditional mode of operation.
Managing your fleet effectively is not easy. Time constraints, costs, technical and technological resources and the availability of your workforce are all factors that can influence the quality of your fleet management.
In this article, we invite you to delve into the avenues of optimization.
Indeed, more than 10 years serving the fleet management of businesses and administrations have given the DIGISOFT team the necessary experience to give you the recommendations capable of improving the quality of your daily fleet management.
Here are some tips which, when applied, will promote fleet efficiency and vehicle lifespan.
#1 – Implement a fleet management policy
If you do not have very precise management rules, you will often have to deal with repetitive problems such as recurring infractions, the incorrect allocation of certain vehicles or even the deterioration of others.
Solving these problems can quickly become a vicious circle and cause you to waste valuable time that could be used to carry out high value-added missions.
So, you can easily conclude that fleet management can affect your bottom line and increase your costs. Indeed, the absence of concrete rules has a direct impact on your ability to anticipate problems and make the right decisions.
The long-term aim of a fleet policy is to facilitate the management of the vehicle fleet. But above all, it must be created and, above all, made effective.
#2 – Check the condition of the tires regularly
Tires are generally a good indicator of the condition of a vehicle. Having them checked daily significantly reduces the risk of breakdown and helps avoid more serious problems in the long term.
#3 – Control your fuel consumption
If you regularly update your fleet's fuel consumption data, you will be able to learn more about how to achieve a more efficient fleet.
Indeed, monitoring your daily fuel consumption very closely will allow you to make comparisons over time and subsequently identify the reasons for your excess energy consumption, something which will allow you to reduce your costs at a certain cost.
#4 – Apply preventive maintenance
Preventative maintenance plays a critical role in ensuring the efficiency of your fleet and keeping your vehicles in good working order (not to mention the benefits in reducing downtime and raising driver awareness of the problem).
Setting up regular maintenance plans, and ideally receiving alerts as each new scheduled maintenance approaches, will maintain the good health of your vehicles and increase their lifespan by 30% according to statistics.
#5 – Eco-driving practice
This responsible driving of vehicles today represents one of the means to control the TCO of a vehicle fleet, reduce energy consumption and limit CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. It is a simple but effective practice. In addition to the very low investment cost of this option, the possibility of its application to old vehicles makes its impact significant and instantaneous. Make sure your vehicles are driven frequently and responsibly, avoiding excessive speed or sudden braking.
#6 – Avoid making assumptions
Are the vehicles in good condition? Is their fuel consumption correct? Do drivers follow safety and maintenance rules?
If you are a fleet manager, you cannot afford to make assumptions and should not take anything for granted.
If you assume that the technical inspection of your fleet has been carried out and that this has not actually been carried out, you run the risk of receiving a fine and increasing your charges.
#7 – Ensure regulatory compliance of your vehicles
Compliance with current legislation and standards is a condition for success: Indeed, it is thanks to this that you will be able to develop your business in complete safety, in particular by avoiding possible offenses or sanctions.
#8 – Have a fleet management solution
Implementing fleet management software is often viewed with scepticism, but if it can make your life easier and give you a complete picture of your fleet then why not?
With the right fleet management tool, many things will be simplified and you will have all the information about your vehicles at your fingertips in one place for viewing.
If the success of fleet management is essentially based on good information, which is particularly necessary to plan your development, robust fleet management software will therefore be your essential ally.
DIGIPARC integrated fleet management software solution will not only best meet your needs but above all will considerably increase the quality of your management.
