Car Fleet Management Explained to Help You Grow Your Business
Managing a fleet of cars is no easy process. Many managers now use software to analyse the performance of the fleet, improve driving performance and generate reports.
Read on to understand the benefits of car fleet management software, exactly how managing a fleet can work, when you use it and what systems are best.
What is car fleet management?
Fleet management means is the process of overseeing and managing a fleet, including cars, trucks, vans, and other vehicles. A fleet manager’s role is to keep track of the maintenance of the fleet and driver performance.
Company car fleet management is critical for businesses that rely on their vehicles, as it helps to ensure operational efficiency, save time and money, and reduce the risk of accidents.
How fleet management works
Fleet management works by providing a business with detailed data on their vehicle fleets for further analysis. This data is essential information, including the location of vehicles, travelling speed and the amount of fuel the vehicles are using.
These management solutions provide real-time communication between the fleet and managers that would otherwise not be possible. Data such as live location updates and speeding alerts can help managers make informed decisions about their next steps.
Without managing this data, fleets greatly risk running up higher costs for fuel and maintenance.
What do fleet managers do?
Car fleet managers are responsible for day-to-day management tasks. This includes scheduling, maintenance and monitoring of the fleet.
- Common tasks a car fleet manager may need to perform are:
- Check all fleet vehicles are compliant with applicable laws and regulations
- Organise and monitor the optimisation of routes for vehicle journeys
- Schedule journeys and communicate responsibilities to the drivers in the fleet
- Update dispatchers, clients and customers on the fleet’s performance or vehicle location
- Check all vehicle insurance is up to date and monitor costs
Is electric car fleet management different?
Electric car management is different to managing a fleet of petrol or diesel vehicles, although the purpose is the same – to monitor a fleet and improve efficiency.
If a fleet includes electric or hybrid vehicles, a manager must be aware of:
- Battery maintenance
- Optimising routes for charging points, dependent on electric vehicle range
- Acquiring suitable fuel cards for electric vehicles as needed
- Training and communicating with drivers about how to use the vehicles effectively
The main difference with electric vehicles is route planning. Some managers may use software to find the most optimal routes and nearby charging points to fit to avoid range anxiety.
Others may ask drivers to use a smartphone app to find nearby charge points to ensure they can always charge if needed on the road.
A mix of using software for route planning, public charging points and having workplace charge points is recommended to manage an EV fleet at maximum efficiency.
Which solutions a manager chooses may depend on the budget, suitable software available, and the types of plug-in vehicles within the fleet.
What is car fleet management software?
Car fleet management software solutions are tools designed to streamline the management of a vehicle fleet. The software often includes tools for the following, among others:
- Vehicle tracking
- Maintenance scheduling
- Driver performance reports
Driver software is usually used on a computer but can be accessed on a laptop, tablet or phone for ease of access depending on the software used.
What car fleet management systems should you use?
Choosing which car lease fleet management tools to use is a difficult choice many managers face.
When choosing fleet control systems, there are several factors to consider. Follow these three steps to narrow down your options:
- First, decide which features are most important for your business. Do you need car tracking, timesheet management, route optimisation, or maintenance logging?
- Second, consider the cost of the software and compare the telematics management systems on offer to find the best option within your budget.
- Finally, read expert reviews to see the differences between the options available.
Managers have many options available to them. Popular fleet car management systems include Samsara, Kinesis, Verizon Connect, Master Go, Fleetio, AUTOsist and others.
Why use software to aid fleet car management?
Some of the key reasons to use fleet management software are the alerts and updates the system providers in practically real-time.
Managers of fleets use these alerts as their eyes on the road for immediate information in certain events such as drivers speeding or to check unauthorised vehicle use.
Here are three reasons why more fleet managers are using software:
1. To improve fuel efficiency
One of the main drivers behind the rising popularity of car rental fleet management software is to improve the efficiency of a fleet. The fleet can be made up of owned or hired vehicles as well as a mix of fuel types.
Improvements can be made in the following ways:
- Tracking the performance of the vehicles and drivers
- Using software to optimise routes for shorter distances or less congested roads
- Providing feedback for drivers on performance and monitoring improvements
- Checking the maintenance of vehicles, making repairs and updating as needed
2. Combining software with dash cameras for a full overview
Fleet managers may use dash cameras to check driver behaviour and any incidents reported, such as a crash.
Combining visuals with data can give managers great insights. The software can keep a log of driver behaviour and help to improve it over time with feedback and reports to prevent other incidents.
The software can also help managers to respond quickly to problems. In the event of an accident, the software may alert the car fleet manager. This way, they can contact all relevant parties such as the insurance provider immediately.
Having software and dash cam footage also provides further evidence of a driver’s innocence in some cases.
How to find the best car fleet management solutions
No fleet is the same as another. Finding the best company car fleet management solutions starts with understanding your business needs and budget, then filtering through the options available.
We filter the options for you and deliver you the best system based on your fleet’s needs. Compare and reach out to us today to find your top fleet solutions.
