Fleet managers are facing an issue when it comes to their fleet operations. The majority of fleet managers use a combination of data and technology to get the most out of their assets, but it can be difficult to know what solution is the most effective.
Making sense of the data available
What should fleet managers analyse?
Today’s fleet managers have access to detailed information about their vehicles, staff and equipment due to advances in technology. For instance, most fleet managers use onboard cameras to monitor their drivers and their journeys, as well as fuel cars and connected cars to make each trip easier and more efficient. This is handy as it can tell you when the car, bus or truck needs to get looked at with the local garage or mechanic. Fleet managers should also keep a copy of all the MOTS and services the vehicles have had to note what regular occurrences have happened. You could your MOTs Gloucester company at links like 123carandcommercial.com. All of this technology is designed to provide information that makes life easier for the fleet manager, but in reality, many fleet managers are unsure what data should be looked at and what can be left. As there is now so much data that they can access, looking through all of it is a waste of time. But how does a fleet manager decide what information is important and what isn’t?
Why tracking devices pay for themselves
Tracking devices
One piece of data that is invaluable is the tracking system, as this means that managers can track exactly where their drivers go. This reduces the chance of time wasting or unexpected stops, helping to make the trip more efficient. A tracking system can also help the company to save money. According to Street Directory, some insurance companies offer a 30% discount to companies who put GPS vehicle tracking systems in the vehicles of their employees. This is because the tracking system encourages safe driving (for instance, a driver is less likely to speed if they know that they are being monitored), and it also makes it easier to recover the vehicle if it is stolen.
Onboard cameras are also very useful for fleet managers as they provide video footage of any errors or misdemeanours.
If you are a fleet manager and you are not sure what data you should be analysing, focus on the priority for your company. If your company values efficiency and safety, tracking devices and onboard cameras can be used to monitor employees to make sure that they are staying safe while making time-efficient trips.
Safety features in modern cars and what they record
Vehicle technology has moved quickly, and much of it is aimed at safety. Brakes and throttle are now controlled electronically, so the car’s computer can step in during an emergency. Adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking use front-facing radar to keep a safe distance and avoid low-speed collisions, and they now appear on fairly modest cars. Cameras can also spot lane markings, warn when a car drifts and, in the latest versions, brake one wheel to steer back into line.
Other systems help after an accident. A vehicle linked to the mobile network can call the emergency services and give its location, or summon a breakdown service. Cameras record events, and cars may soon send the details needed for insurance reports automatically.
Black boxes record how a car is driven. Younger drivers in particular use them to keep insurance costs down, and they can help locate a vehicle if it is stolen.
What connected vehicles can tell a fleet manager
Cab-based connected devices, often described as the Internet of Things, already give fleet managers plenty to work with. A simple in-cab console can report where a vehicle is, how long the engine has been idling, whether the driver is speeding, the miles per gallon achieved and the distance actually driven. It can also point drivers to cheaper fuel outlets and send traffic alerts.
Fuel cards show why that location information matters. They are a good way to stop unauthorised spending, but to use them well you need to know where vehicles refuel and how routes and driver choices affect cost.
Maintenance benefits too. If a vehicle’s performance starts to slip, the service schedule can be brought forward rather than waiting for a breakdown. The longer-term promise is vehicles that share their position and condition with each other, which could help prevent accidents and flag faults early. Fleets that connect their vehicles sooner gain an advantage over those that wait.
Records and compliance for heavy vehicles
Fleets of heavy goods vehicles have extra paperwork to manage. Tachograph software is a must for keeping records of vehicle and driver activity, and every driver should understand the rules around tachographs. Older vehicles from before 2006 may use analogue tachographs, in which case you need a scanner and a digital card reader to read them.
A reliable filing system matters just as much. Analogue tachograph charts, vehicle defect sheets, MOT certificates and tax documents all have to be stored in an orderly way so they can be found when needed.
Vehicle tracking is not essential, but it is useful for both customer service and day-to-day management. Knowing where each vehicle is helps you answer customer queries, keep an eye on fuel usage and use the fleet more economically. Together, good records and tracking make a larger operation much easier to run.
Planning and people in fleet management
Technology helps, but much of efficient fleet management comes down to being organised. Have clear plans ready for the problems you know will happen at some point, such as a breakdown, an accident or a vehicle taken off the road at short notice. Knowing who to call, which vehicle can cover and how customers will be told saves a lot of stress on the day.
Fuel cards make it easier to control spending and keep accurate records, as purchases are logged automatically rather than reclaimed through receipts. Driver training is just as important. Regular refreshers on safe and economical driving, vehicle checks and changes to the rules keep everyone working in the same way and reduce wear, fuel use and incidents. The data from tracking and telematics is most useful when it feeds back into these plans, for example by showing which routes could be shortened or which drivers would benefit from extra support.
Summary
This article looks at how fleet managers can use technology such as onboard cameras, fuel and connected-car systems, and GPS tracking to run their fleets more efficiently, while noting that many managers struggle to work out which data is actually worth analysing. It highlights GPS tracking as particularly valuable, since it can reduce time-wasting, lower insurance premiums and help recover stolen vehicles, and suggests managers focus on data that matches their company’s priorities.
Questions this article raises
- How much of an insurance discount can GPS tracking realistically secure?
- How do fleet managers balance driver privacy against monitoring for safety?
- Which fleet management data is most useful for a small company with few vehicles?
