8 recommendations for better fleet management

2018-07-06T22:00:00.000Z

Often linked to the organization and its management style, fleet management can quickly become a source of internal dissatisfaction and very heavy costs.

Less strategic but no less complex to manage, this functional position is very often taken lightly and assigned to versatile internal resources (general services, assistants, etc.) with a traditional operating mode.

Managing your fleet efficiently is not an easy task. Time constraints, costs, technical and technological means and the availability of your workforce are all factors that can influence the quality of your fleet management.

In this article, we propose you to dive into the tracks of optimization.

Indeed, more than 10 years at the service of the management of the fleets of the companies and the administrations, equipped the DIGISOFT team with the experience necessary to give you the recommendations able to make gain in quality your daily management of park.

Here are a few tips that, when applied, will promote the efficiency of the fleet and the life of the vehicles.

#1 - Implement a fleet management policy

If you do not have clear management rules, you will often have to deal with recurring problems such as recurrent violations, misallocation of some vehicles or deterioration of others.

Solving these problems can quickly become a vicious circle and cause you to lose precious time that could be used for high value-added missions.

Thus, you can easily conclude that fleet management can affect your results and increase your costs. Indeed, the lack of concrete rules has a direct impact on your ability to anticipate problems and make the right decisions.

The long-term objective of a fleet policy is to facilitate fleet management. But first of all, it must be created and above all made efficient.

#2 - Check the condition of your tires regularly

Tires are usually a good indicator of a vehicle's condition. Having them checked daily greatly reduces the risk of breakdown and helps prevent more serious problems in the long run.

#3 - Control your fuel consumption

If you regularly update your fleet's fuel consumption data, then you can learn more about how to achieve a more fuel-efficient fleet.

In fact, keeping a close eye on your daily fuel consumption will allow you to make comparisons over time and to identify the reasons for your over-consumption of energy, which will allow you to reduce your expenses.

#4 - Apply preventive maintenance

Preventive 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 of reduced downtime and driver awareness).

Putting regular maintenance plans in place, and ideally receiving alerts as each new scheduled maintenance is approaching, will keep your vehicles in good health and increase their lifespan by up to 30% according to statistics.

#5 - Practice eco-driving

This responsible driving of vehicles is one of the ways 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 applying it to older vehicles makes its impact significant and instantaneous. Make sure your vehicles are driven frequently and responsibly, avoiding excessive speed or hard braking.

#6 - Avoid making assumptions

Are the vehicles in good condition? Is their fuel consumption correct? Do the drivers follow the rules related to safety and maintenance?

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 done and it has not been done in reality, you take the risk of receiving a fine and increasing your expenses.

#7 - Ensure regulatory compliance of your vehicles

The respect of the legislation in force and the standards is a condition of success: Indeed, it is thanks to this that you will be able to develop your company in full safety, by avoiding in particular the possible infringements or sanctions.

#8 - Have a fleet management solution

Implementing fleet management software is often viewed with skepticism, 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 consultation.

If the success of fleet management is based on good information, which is necessary to plan your evolution, a robust fleet management software will be your essential ally.

DIGIPARC is an integrated fleet management software solution that will not only meet your needs, but will also considerably improve the quality of your management.