Use fleet management software to monitor business vehicles, find sources of waste, and take action before bigger problems develop. When costly vehicles play a core role in your business, you need accurate data at your disposal to run a smooth operation. Revenue depends on timely scheduling, maintenance and incident response, and you have the added challenge of making sure staff perform up to par when they’re unsupervised. Fortunately, automated management features can improve profit, efficiency and data reporting for your business.

Hours of Service

At their most basic level, fleet management systems use electronic logging devices to track the amount of time a vehicle is moving. Many systems also require drivers to report their on-duty or off-duty status to confirm the data. Automated recording calls attention to periods of unexplained downtime. Setting up dual methods to collect data discourages workers from inflating their hours or taking long breaks. That equals higher productivity for you at the same cost. In turn, reduced idle time gives you a clearer picture of travel periods for better route planning.

Safety, Compliance and Reporting

Automated recording saves time for drivers and improves the accuracy of your logbooks, creating detailed records for payroll and taxes. From a safety standpoint, tracking hours of service in real time helps you monitor workloads and stop drivers from taking on too much overtime. Encouraging safe practices throughout your company can reduce fatigue-related accidents and damage to your assets. Many insurers even offer discounts for fleet owners who use automated technologies to boost safety.

Keep in mind that the United States has mandatory rules for tracking hours of service with electronic logging devices. If your trucks frequently travel outside of Canada, installing logging devices may be a smart way to stay ahead of compliance updates.

GPS Tracking and Navigation

Time is money when you’re sending field technicians or delivery trucks out to meet suppliers or solve problems for customers. GPS tracking gives you complete transparency about the location of your vehicles and the average time it takes to perform service runs on key routes. Based on this data, you get better at predicting service timeframes. Not to mention, customers are happy and offer repeat business when staff arrive on time.

If one driver can’t make an appointment, your back-end team can see what other vehicles are close by and available to handle an assignment. Navigation features make it easy for your drivers to reroute around road delays and traffic to meet important deadlines.

Fuel and Mileage Monitoring

Stop struggling with high operating costs. Whether you use vehicles for transportation, hauling or field services, choosing the most time-efficient routes saves you resources. A fleet management system that tracks speed, mileage and fuel consumption can show you which routes consume less time and resources while still meeting your performance goals. At the same time, you gain insight into individual driving behaviour. Workers who drive too fast or ignore road rules put your assets at risk. Armed with data, you have evidence to back up your decision to take corrective action.

Preventive Maintenance and Repair

Waiting for a problem to grow is an expensive way to manage assets. Disabled vehicles lower your operating capacity and endanger drivers as long as issues go undiscovered. Advanced fleet management systems offers fault monitoring to spot automotive problems early on and alert your team. Preventive features let you know when to perform routine maintenance, helping you keep your fleet in good condition. Repair systems detect changes in performance and pinpoint faulty parts. Faster detection enable you to send vehicles for repairs before mechanical flaws cause an accident, further damage, or a permanent breakdown. Detailed data is the key to measuring your efficiency and making purpose-driven changes to reach (or surpass) your performance goals. Streamline your approach to fleet management so you can free up time and capital to grow your business.