In an increasingly busy world, it pays to have every tool at one’s disposal to make things easier. When talking about fleet management in Australia, not everyone knows the value of having management tools to help fleet managers gain real-time visibility into their operations. There are numerous benefits to using management tools, like decreasing fuel usage and increasing driver satisfaction.
If you’re a business owner wanting to learn about fleet management, then you have come to the right place. In this post, we’ll talk in-depth about fleet management systems and how small- and mid-sized businesses can benefit from advanced fleet monitoring and management technology.
What are the main challenges of operating a fleet and how can we avoid them?
All across Australia, fleets operate in highly-regulated environments full of complex challenges and risks. This is something we can’t control. However, there is a foolproof way to ease the burden of these risks and challenges—using a fleet management system.
All businesses that need commercial vehicles to function engage in some form of fleet operations and management. Fleet management is designed to oversee all fleet performance and maintenance to help a business run as smoothly as possible and increase its productivity. From high fuel consumption and costly maintenance requirements to driver safety concerns, the challenges of operating a fleet are addressed by implementing a fleet management solution.
What are the benefits of fleet operations and management?
With a fleet management solution, small to mid-sized businesses can improve their operations, performance, and even recordkeeping. They can also benefit in five key areas namely efficiency, performance, safety, security, and compliance.
This section will talk about more details about what you can expect, so read on.
1. Efficiency
A fleet management system can significantly improve a business’ operational efficiency as it helps with tracking all vehicles, monitoring their utilisation, and planning and scheduling as well.
Over the years, it has evolved into a more comprehensive structure that allows business owners to know where their vehicles are (whether they’re moving and how fast, parked, or idling), and also monitor scheduled and arrival times. One of its many goals is to transform maintenance from reactive to preventive.
Business owners can reduce costs through near-real-time diagnostics, notifying them if one of their vehicles is experiencing performance issues or needs maintenance. Having a fleet management system in place also means that they can optimise their fleet schedules based on hours of service availability. They can keep a close eye on driver performance from both safety and operational standpoints.
Most business owners want their home office to gain visibility. This is why they invest in fleet management so dispatchers know where the vehicles are and where they’re supposed to be at any given moment. So, if you wish to increase your business’s overall efficiency, it pays to have a working fleet management solution.
2. Performance
Better fleet management entails better awareness when it comes to knowing the status of vehicles and how they’re being driven, managing fuel use, and diagnosing the performance of the vehicle’s engine and other vital systems. When business owners have better awareness of and control over their fleet’s vehicles and drivers, they can guarantee to improve their business performance and cost-effectiveness. They have to know that a vehicle that is out of commission does nothing for their business.
They can add to the bottom line when they’re able to maximise the productive hours for their vehicles and extend their usable life. Business owners can get an early warning about the common symptoms that lead to a vehicle breakdown when their vehicles have sensors monitoring data such as tire pressure, fuel level, engine temperature readings, brake wear, and oil status. In turn, they can proactively manage any situation before it gets worse.
When business owners track both driver performance and vehicle status, they can also enhance fleet fuel management and reduce fuel costs. With access to data to monitor driver behaviour such as fast acceleration, speeding, and idling, they can implement some changes or improvements throughout their operations and ultimately save money.
3. Safety
The safety of their people and vehicles should always be the top priority of every business owner. By implementing a fleet management solution, like having in-vehicle sensors, business owners can monitor speed, erratic driving, or even lane changes. They can also monitor aggressive driving issues like excessive idling, rapid acceleration or hard braking, and unscheduled stops.
They can also track out-of-route miles as well as vehicle accidents or breakdowns. With access to this data, they can coach their drivers toward better behaviour, ensuring that all policies are being followed and safety is prioritised down the road. It has been identified that drivers who know that the vehicle they’re driving is monitored will likely follow policies, traffic laws, and industry regulations.
As a result, there are fewer accidents, liability claims, and traffic tickets. This also means lower insurance premiums. Business owners can rest assured that their vehicles won’t go out of service any sooner due to accidents.
4. Security
Fleet management also improves security as it seeks to provide real-time tracking of fixed and mobile assets. Business owners can get reports on timelines and information streams to tell them when their assets are unaccounted for, like when there is higher-than-usual fuel or electricity consumption. Fleet management systems also involve building personalised communication networks through electronic tagging, beacons, and geofencing.
Business owners can benefit from having in-depth asset details on an easy-to-access platform. This almost always guarantees increased visibility and risk management. Drivers can also get identification tags to restrict them to pre-defined vehicles, protecting assets from unauthorised usage.
5. Compliance
Another major concern is compliance, regardless of the size of the fleet. Fleet management ensures that drivers stay in line with the rules when spending their time behind the wheel. Required activity logs, inspections, fuel tax payments, and other regulatory requirements are also taken care of with a fleet management solution in place.
For Effective Fleet Management in Australia, Turn to Couriers by Demand Express
When it comes to fleet management, the good guys over at Couriers by Demand Express are the ones you can trust. As one of the top courier companies in the country, we have access to new technologies and vehicles to provide you with the most efficient solution. For enquiries on fleet management and other services, call us at your earliest convenience.
