Key competencies, challenges and responsibilities of a fleet manager

2023-03-21T09:17:20.966Z

Fleet managers are essential to any organization with mission-critical vehicles. For the uninitiated, we recap everything that fleet managers do to help their organization's most critical assets run smoothly. What is a fleet manager?
To begin, let's define the term "fleet manager." A fleet manager is someone who is responsible for everything related to an organization's vehicles. In the course of a single day, a fleet manager may interview potential drivers, purchase a new truck, schedule maintenance, and review recent fuel expenses. As stewards of a company's drivers and mechanics, fleet managers do everything in their power to ensure that vehicle operations are safe, productive, cost-effective and in compliance with federal, state and local regulations.

As the point person for all fleet-related activities within an organization, the fleet manager has a wide range of responsibilities. The most important duties include:

Buying a vehicle
If you've ever purchased a vehicle, you know how much research, testing and price negotiations go into it. In addition to dealing with all of that, fleet managers crunch numbers to determine if purchasing new vehicles is the right decision to make in the first place. Knowing when to keep an aging vehicle and when to replace it can be tricky, especially lately with supply chain shortages and inflation complicating matters. By balancing budgetary concerns with their organization's needs, fleet managers ensure that their drivers have the vehicles they need to do their jobs effectively.

Managing the maintenance program
In summary, fleet managers determine the maintenance work to be performed on their vehicles and the frequency of these operations. Once these parameters are in place, fleet managers closely monitor the health of their vehicles and make adjustments to their maintenance program as needed. Depending on the organization, fleet managers will work closely with in-house mechanics or contact third-party repair shops to ensure that maintenance work is completed on time and within budget.

Personnel management
While vehicles are obviously critical to the success of a fleet, the people who operate them are even more so. From interviewing applicants to scheduling drivers, fleet managers spend much of their day dealing with personnel issues. By addressing their drivers' concerns, fleet managers are able to remove barriers to productivity and improve job satisfaction within their organization.

Safety and compliance
Fleet managers make the safety of their staff a top priority. By ensuring that employees are properly trained and that safety protocols are followed, fleet managers strive to prevent workplace accidents. For some, this involves reviewing driver behavior using telematics to identify and correct recklessness. Other fleet managers periodically review inspection reports to ensure that drivers are thoroughly examining their vehicles.

Data Analysis
Today, when fleet managers want to check the health of their vehicles or the performance of their drivers, they tend to use the reporting features of their fleet management software. While visualizations and other features make these reports easier to understand, the ability to interpret the data and draw conclusions remains an invaluable skill. The best fleet managers are able to identify data outliers and customize their FMS reporting options to perfectly fit their needs.

Communication
From drivers to executives (and even customers on occasion), fleet managers interact with a wide variety of people. But regardless of who they talk to, the best fleet managers are able to communicate effectively with any audience. By being friendly and approachable, drivers are more likely to ask for help when they need it. And by learning how to present themselves to senior management decision makers, fleet managers can better articulate what they need to achieve their organization's fleet goals.

Controlling costs
While fleet managers have some means of offsetting volatile fuel prices and costly vehicle breakdowns, these expenses are largely out of their control. Despite this, organizations rely on fleet managers to keep their operations within a defined budget. This tightrope act often proves difficult, especially when inflation and supply chain shortages drastically impact spare parts, vehicle and labor prices.

Increasing productivity Getting more work done in less time or with fewer resources is as difficult as it sounds. To achieve this ambitious goal, many fleet managers look for inefficiencies in their workflows. But identifying bottlenecks can be difficult, especially when certain practices have been in place for a long time.