Those who are ineffective have a lot of untapped potential, and this is true for fleet managers as well. Becoming a more effective fleet manager can help you grow your career in this industry. There is a lot of potential to improve daily operations and grow your profits if you are effective. Implementing a few habits can make a difference in your company’s safety and bottom line. This can lead to career growth as a fleet manager.
Save on Operating Costs
Look for ways of cutting down your spending. Keeping up with maintenance on a regular basis ensures your vehicles last as long as possible. Ensure inspections and reporting are required, and make them as easy as possible. It’s common for smaller companies to use hand-written notes to keep track of the information, but moving this information to the cloud can help you keep your vehicle maintenance program on track. When maintenance is automated and mobile, anyone you wish will be able to access it.
Another area you can save on is fuel costs, especially with the rising cost of gas and diesel. Consider implementing fuel cards, which can help you control how much is spent and even get fuel discounts. If you’re interested in fuel cards for truckers, you can learn how they work and what you should look for when you are evaluating the best ones for your fleet.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
When you decide on the right career for yourself you are being proactive towards your future. Applying that same way of thinking now definitely makes sense. There are many potential safety hazards and distractions for fleet drivers, so it’s important to stay ahead of possible issues. If you don’t react until there is an accident, your employees and company could end up paying for it. Installing a hands-free behavior monitoring device could help you keep an eye on your drivers as they are on the road. You can have the data integrated into your fleet management system, where you can analyze how their behaviors are affecting your vehicles and your drivers.
Use Metrics to Track Data
Metrics can help you keep an eye on your progress, although if you do not use them right, they can seem like just a lot of numbers. If you want to stay on top of your job, you’ll need to ensure you are measuring useful information so you know what you need to improve upon. Consider monitoring operating costs, cost per mile, and overall trends in expenses. You can track the information with a fleet management system or even use a spreadsheet that can do the necessary calculations.
Create Goals for Driver Performance
Consider offering additional incentives to drivers when they do a good job. This might be showing strong driving performance, keeping up with regular inspections, or just demonstrating overall professionalism. It might not be feasible for everyone to offer these incentives, but it’s still important to hold drivers to certain standards. Creating actionable goals for each employee will help them meet your goals. When your drivers meet your standards and improve their driving habits, the savings can add up across the team.
