Fleet management is essential for any organisation that requires commercial vehicles to operate. Staying on top of the performance and maintenance of fleets allows them to continue optimising productivity. This increased awareness of how the fleet works ultimately helps the business run smoothly and would be nearly impossible without some form of fleet management.
At a glance: what this guide covers
What fleet vehicle management means, and how it works.
What a fleet manager is responsible for.
The KPIs for a successful fleet.
We answer your frequently asked questions on fleet management.
The benefits of using Right Fuel Card.
What is fleet vehicle management?
Any aspect of driving commercial vehicles, whether that’s fuel consumption or driver management, can benefit from monitoring and, in the long run, prevent complications, often before they first arise. Ultimately, fleet management encompasses the systems, processes and tools needed to ensure an organisation’s vehicle fleet is maintained throughout its entire lifecycle.
How does fleet vehicle management work?
At one time, fleet management would revolve purely around buying and maintaining business vehicles and costs, but with the rise of digital technology and fleet management software, telematics data gives managers a clearer picture of how a fleet is operating. This advancement makes it easier to monitor vehicle safety and respond to changing day-to-day demands.
Another core element of fleet management is tracking the costs of the fleet. Aside from the price of purchasing new vehicles, this includes everything from fuel card management to employee hours. A large part of managing a fleet is finding any superfluous spending and making the fleet as economically viable as possible.
What does a fleet manager do?
So, how does fleet management work, and what does a fleet manager do? Being a fleet manager comes with a wide variety of responsibilities; all of them come together to ensure the fleet is operating as best it can:
Vehicle purchasing
There’s no fleet manager without a fleet to manage, so a large part of the role involves vehicle acquisition. Managing a fleet’s vehicle acquisition goes beyond simply purchasing a new vehicle every time an old one breaks; instead, it’s forecasting how many will be needed and anticipating that need.
Rather than just buying a new model every time it’s needed, a purchasing strategy is often required to ensure money and resources aren’t wasted. A purchasing process will usually consider an employee’s vehicle class eligibility, a vehicle’s lifecycle, and the best time of year to purchase a vehicle.
Retain drivers
Like vehicle purchasing, a fleet can’t effectively operate without its drivers, so a fleet manager’s role will often include retaining drivers. As driver shortages are a known issue across many industries, maintaining a stable number of drivers and predicting the fluctuation of workers has become something of a fine art. Several methods can encourage drivers to stay, often ensuring the drivers are happy at work, which can involve dealing with personnel conflicts and disputes.
Ensure driver safety
Driver safety is integral to a successful fleet, reflecting on the manager and the wider fleet operator if something happens. Naturally, driver safety and maintaining the correct behaviour can be difficult if drivers and their vehicles are on the other side of the country or even the world. Many fleet managers opt for dashcams or vehicle tracking devices to provide both a real-time view and a bank of data that allows them to see what’s happening regardless of how far their drivers travel.
Fleet tracking
As previously mentioned, a core element of driver safety is being able to see where the fleet vehicles are at all times. Regardless of how many vehicles are in the fleet, it’s always good to be able to see where your assets are. It can be a complex task tracking several thousand vehicles, but with GPS tracking, it’s possible to pinpoint the fleet to the nearest 10 metres.
What are our top tips for maintaining a successful fleet?
At any given time, individual fleet managers have several targets they must strive for and maintain. Still, several indicators show how effectively a fleet is operating, which most, if not all, try to track. Fleet management software can aid managers in keeping track of their KPIs, gathering the relevant data and facilitating effective operations.
Track distracted drivers
The number one cause of accidents in fleets is distracted drivers. Often, this is due to drivers attempting to multitask, e.g. being on the phone or eating while driving. As concentration on the road dips, the likelihood of an accident rises, though not all distractions are at the fault of the driver.
One of the best ways to track this KPI is through dashcams and AI-enabled cameras that can show the viewpoint of drivers and the inside of cabs.
Keep track of speeds with fleet telematics
Speeding is another factor that’s a leading cause of road accidents in fleets. As well as personal injury and the cost of vehicle repair, accidents can negatively impact the reputation of companies, resulting in speeding fines, increased insurance costs and costlier fuel bills.
While a driver may be in a hurry to reach their destination, the risk is never worth speeding and is something fleet managers are keen to put an end to. Fleet telematics is a helpful way of keeping track of travel speeds, flagging any times a driver has driven over the speed limit.
Consider COS emissions and idle engines
Idle engines in a vehicle directly impact a fleet’s CO2 emissions and cause the vehicle to use more fuel, which has a knock-on effect on cost management. With fleet tracking and telematics, it’s possible to monitor idling drivers and, with some systems, notify them with custom in-cab notifications.
Keep an eye on the average time on customer sites
One KPI fleet managers keep an eye on is the amount of time spent at another location when making deliveries or collections. To keep the fleet as productive as possible, if a driver lingers at a site after the delivery has been made, it can affect the rest of the day or the week’s operations. GPS and site reporting allow fleet managers to calculate the amount of time drivers spend at customer sites.
Create a working timeline for fleet maintenance
A fleet’s breakdowns or mechanical failures can be a massive headache for both management and clients. Vehicle downtime can cause backlogs and affect the wider business, but with fleet management software, it’s possible to track maintenance events and predict a working timeline for how often fleet maintenance should be carried out.
Fleet management FAQs
What is a fleet management policy?
A fleet management policy sets guidelines and rules for the use and management of vehicles, ensuring vehicle safety and regulatory compliance. Read our fleet legislation top tips for more guidance.
What is a fleet administrator?
The fleet administrator is responsible for the efficient day-to-day management and coordination of a company’s vehicle fleet. This role ensures that all vehicles are well-maintained, compliant with regulations, and operating cost-effectively.
What is fleet maintenance software?
Fleet management software is designed to streamline the upkeep and management of vehicle fleets. It replaces traditional spreadsheets and provides real-time insight into your vehicles’ locations, driver behaviour, and maintenance needs, all in one place. Fleet maintenance software can also make it easier to ensure your vehicles are safe and meet UK fleet compliance standards.
What are some types of fleet management services?
Fleet management includes the full lifecycle of running a fleet, including buying or leasing vehicles, tracking fuel use, and setting preventive maintenance plans. Services for fleet management can include vehicle maintenance and repairs, vehicle financing, safety inspections, and fuel management.
Looking to save time and money as part of your fleet management? Right Fuel Card offers a practical and easily manageable solution to fuel cards. If you want to track the fuel outgoings in your fleet, contact us to arrange a conversation with one of our team’s experts.
