Fleet management is an essential part of running any business that relies on vehicle fleets. The ability to track vehicles and monitor performance is crucial for many companies, but it can be difficult to know which fleet management solution will work best for your business. Fortunately, there are a variety of technologies available to help you manage all aspects of your fleet’s operation—from telematics and tracking software to fuel cards with expense management software. Together, these technologies make up the pieces called a “smart fleet.”
Advanced Telematics
Telematics is a system that collects and analyzes data from a vehicle. This includes speed, location, odometer readings, fuel efficiency, and more. Telematics devices are installed in vehicles to track the information being collected by the telematics system. The device can be either physically attached to the car or it can be an app on your phone.
The data gathered from these devices are used for many purposes such as safety compliance, like speeding, asset management to track where your fleet is at all times, managing employees to ensure they are driving safely, and marketing campaigns aimed at specific demographics who drive certain types of cars.
Smart Gas Cards
Smart gas cards are the next evolution of fleet card technology. They can be used at either a pump or inside a convenience store and have many features that make them ideal for fleet businesses. They offer improved safety and security measures, including remote shut-off capability to prevent unauthorized access to account information. Ease of use when employees are on the road, as they can be programmed with specific locations where they can get fuel at corporate-approved prices.
Additionally, many of them can generate reports automatically to help you to keep track of mileage driven by each vehicle in real-time, which helps you better manage your budgeting needs. These business gas cards can only be used to purchase fuel which limits the risk of your staff accidentally buying unapproved items on them.
Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
Electronic logging devices (ELDs) are a technology that’s been around since 2017 or so. Some of these requirements for fleet vehicles include ELD functionality on every vehicle with no exceptions, GPS functionality on every vehicle, and an integrated data recording capability.
As of now, ELDs must be capable of recording location information at least once every 5 seconds, which can then be used to create a map of your driving patterns. This requirement provides increased safety and more efficient operations by allowing companies to monitor driver compliance with regulations, including speed limits and logbook hours worked.
Mobile Dispatching and Messaging Apps
Dispatching apps help you keep track of your drivers, routes, and deliveries. Messaging apps allow you to communicate with customers and drivers in a more efficient way. They are also useful for scheduling and tracking deliveries. By leveraging mobile apps, you can get a clearer picture of how long deliveries will take and be able to give customers a more accurate picture of how long it will be until their delivery is made.
Real-Time GPS Tracking and Fleet Mapping Software
GPS tracking software allows you to monitor the location of your fleet in real-time. This can be used for a variety of purposes, such as managing fuel usage by tracking how much fuel each vehicle is using and how that compares to expected results. It can also manage driver behavior by monitoring speeding, hard braking, and other unsafe driving habits. These software solutions also help fleet businesses by managing driver hours by tracking when they start their shifts, take breaks, and end shifts so that they’re working within legal regulations.
Automated Maintenance Reminders and Work Order Management Software
As a fleet business owner, you want your vehicles to be in top condition at all times. You also want them to be safe and reliable for the drivers who operate them. How do you ensure that your fleet is operating at its best? You maintain them.
One of the most important aspects of maintaining your vehicle is regular maintenance. Regular maintenance checks can help prevent small problems from escalating into bigger ones down the road—and they can even save lives by ensuring that vehicle parts are working properly and safely before committing a driver or passenger to travel in one of those cars or trucks.
Automated Maintenance Reminders Software
An automated maintenance reminder system will help you keep track of when each vehicle needs its next inspection, allowing you to know when it’s time for an oil change or tire rotation, or any other work. Automated reminders also make it easier than ever before for busy managers to track when these vehicles need to be out of commission to get worked on.
