You have invested a lot of money to build up your fleet of company vehicles. And you know that keeping your fleet operating well is crucial to your bottom line.
The cost of downtime for fleet vehicles can add up quickly. And that cuts into your company’s profits.
The cost of repairs and citations for violations can also be high, especially for larger fleets.
In 2015, over 300,000 violations were found on vehicles undergoing roadside inspections. And the cost of injuries and damage in commercial vehicle accidents was more than $100 billion for the same year.
Fleet management software can provide many benefits to improve all areas of operation for your company.
Here are some reasons why your company needs this type of management software.
Vehicle Maintenance
Vehicle maintenance is the first thing most companies think of when they are thinking about investing in fleet management software. Maintaining your vehicles is a big part of improving your operations.
Vehicle management software tracks your fleet’s maintenance history including the following:
- Notifications on malfunctions
- Preventative maintenance schedules
- Warranty tracking
- Repair history
- Parts Order history
The investment your company makes to keep your fleet operating smoothly affects your company’s success. It also gives you a competitive edge in the marketplace.
The maintenance of your vehicles’ tires is crucial to your company’s dependability and your drivers’ safety. Fleet management software can keep a record of tire size and cost per mile and it can track tire PSI, and tread depth.
Operations Management
Managing operations for a company with a large fleet of vehicles is a big job.
Data analysis helps with decision-making and problem-solving. Here’s some information that is helpful to fleet managers in planning strategies for improving operations:
- Wear and tear on vehicles
- Cost of repairs
- Driver performance
- Fuel economy
Fleet management software can track a lot of information. This makes it easier for managers to make purchases or contract services. The software can help companies track insurance claims, purchase orders, and vehicle parts inventory.
The software supports administrative tasks like billing by creating invoices and purchase orders. And it tracks fuel usage, fuel delivery costs and produces fuel tax reports.
Automating your operations with the right fleet management software reduces company liability and minimizes downtime.
And it makes life easier for the fleet manager.
Personnel Training and Support
A big plus of management software is the data management capability. The information from the data gathered can be used to train employees about best practices in fleet operations.
Having up-to-date and accurate information about your operations can improve all areas of your organization.
Your shop technicians can schedule maintenance appointments for repairs and maintenance work. And your service department can track work orders and report progress on repair jobs to stay accountable for downtime. Dispatchers will find the GPS feature very helpful. They’ll get the right delivery information to drivers quickly, including special instructions.
A good management software program can help your company avoid unnecessary problems and help you stay on track and on the road.
Fleet Management Software Flexibility
When choosing software to manage your fleet vehicles, here are some things to consider. While most companies that operate a fleet of vehicles have similar requirements, every company has unique needs.
Look for software that provides flexibility. Do you need software that can integrate with your existing accounting software or other systems? Will you need customized training?
Ask if the company does software updates regularly to ensure you have the latest and most accurate information.
Whatever your needs, the right fleet management software can help you resolve them.
For an example of the type of features available, take a look at the robust fleet management software offered by this company.
Save Money and Increase Profitability
As a provider of fleet services, your company faces a lot of competition. In 2014, there were close to 40 million trucks on the road moving more than $700 billion in cargo.
While there’s a lot of money to be made, it is a high-expense business. The ability to streamline your business can increase your profits.
Here are some other ways management software can track your fleet and save you money:
- Accident and off-route notifications locate your vehicle and decrease response time
- Monitoring systems optimize appointment setting for service work and reduce wasted man-hours
- Better route planning eliminates unnecessary fuel expense
- Fuel card and receipt tracking avoid fuel theft and abuse use of fuel card
Management software can save you time, and time is money. The software helps you work more efficiently by assigning tasks to units as soon as they are available for another assignment.
You can save on insurance premiums too. Many insurance companies will reduce premium rates for companies with systems that promote safer operations.
Finally, if you’ve ever had a customer dispute billing, you know accurate records help to document and support your version of the story. Good records can resolve billing disputes quickly.
Create a Positive Company Culture
Your company ‘s practices, policies, and procedures determine your company culture. Fleet management software can help you plan management strategies that promote good work ethics among your employees:
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Responsibility for your operations
Taking care of the customer is a priority for successful businesses. Every business wants its employees to value great customer service. When your divers deliver on time, you improve customer relations.
Another priority for companies is to develop safety.-conscious employees. Here are some of the benefits of monitoring and training drivers using management software data:
- Fewer violations of driving time and more frequent stops
- Less wear and tear on vehicles
- Fewer issues with speeding
Good employees are a valuable asset to your company. Employees who strive to do a good job should be rewarded. Having information on employee performance allows fleet managers to recognize valuable employees.
What Are You Waiting For?
Fleet management software can provide a lot of benefits for your company including the following:
- Improve your fleet vehicle performance
- Cut operational costs
- Increase overall efficiency
- Provide professional development for your employees.
When you consider the many benefits fleet management software can provide, you may be ready to learn more.
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