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Fleet management is one of the most challenging tasks you can encounter. From the tracking and record-keeping to maintenance, it includes all. And above all, you have to monitor your driver’s behaviors and ensure safety. All this, when combined, becomes too hectic to handle. However, efficient Fleet management is all about cutting down operational costs and working on the budget to increase the profit ratio.

Nonetheless, in the modern era, you can easily handle these processes to make the whole system more effective. Interested to know how? This article will cover the most critical challenges fleet managers have to face during operation. Moreover, it contains the most modern and efficient ways to overcome these issues. So, continue reading to pull your socks up before actual loss.

Challenges to Fleet Management

Fleet management is one of the essential functions of an organization. The role is to maintain a highly productive, efficient, and safe fleet. It includes fuel consumption, maintenance, and other fleet expenses while ensuring drivers are well equipped and have the skills to deal with any problem. The best way to deal with such challenges is to incorporate technology into the system. Let’s discuss the most common concerns faced by fleet managers and how they tackle them.

Record-Keeping Is A Big Mess:

One of the most critical challenges one faces is record keeping. By keeping and maintaining all the records paper, you need a fair amount of time and labor. And still, when it goes wrong at the first step, you have to trace it back till the very beginning. Any kind of negligence or missing is difficult to trace and can also create a lot of trouble in the end. So, we are labeling record keeping as the top challenge faced by fleet managers during their operation.

However, the best solution to combat this challenge is by incorporating electronic logging devices in the system. ELD’s are electronic devices that can estimate the driver’s hours of services automatically. For instance, keeptruckin eld is one of such devices. With highly automated and user-friendly features, this device can record videos, reports, and logbooks and record drivers’ hours of service. It ensures that the vehicle is working efficiently on its route and monitors drivers to know if they need further training. No doubt ELDs stand out and are one of the most mandatory devices to invest in to ensure efficacy. 

Maintenance Process Is Always Risky:

Maintenance is one of the essential processes in the whole system to improve your vehicles’ lives. However, it would help if you were very cautious about the budget you will spend on your system. Technology can help in this too! Multiple fleet management software can record history and discover recent cost trends. However, to keep your fleet functioning for a reasonable amount of time, you should also focus on preventive schedules for maintenance. It will help to keep your assets functioning for a long time at a low cost.

You can incorporate service reminders along the set period during the service. For example, after every week, you get a notice to go to the ‘x’ place to maintain the ‘y’ part at the ‘z’ cost. Now you know when to take action by saving much of your budget.

Driver Shortages

Another top concern of fleet managers is the driver shortage. As freight transport’s importance increased from the past decade, the number of drivers started to stagnate. This shortage of drivers will mount to be 250,000 in the next two years. You can also never recruit inexperienced drivers because transporting goods is not child’s play. There are hundreds of safety issues only senior drivers understand and can handle.

Moreover, if you recruit an inexperienced one, you need to invest a lot of time in driver training and monitoring. The best solution is using software to track driver response and safety protocols. Moreover, ELD devices still are the most straightforward and cost-effective way to manage this issue.

Fuel Costs

Depending on the type of vehicle you are working with, you have to tailor the cost a lot. Some vehicles consume extra fuel than others. Even slight fluctuations in the fuel cost can have an immense effect on the total budget—the cost of fuel affects companies’ financial situation till the very bottom. Maintainance teams have to stay updated and manage these fluctuating fuel costs. Moreover, you need to tailor fuel usage by discovering the most economical and safe routes in the area. Look for preventable issues. Sometimes more fuel consumption also equates to a lack of maintenance. So, stay alert to all such problems.

Environmental Controls

New clean air standards have been circulating the world due to the current disastrous environmental conditions. The cause is usually the traffic that burns organic fuel to emit huge smoke in return. It all led to the restrictions put by ecological legislation that made fleet managers face tens of mandates worldwide. Authorities have made following these mandates a strict compulsion, which has resulted in a fair amount of pressure on the companies’ budget. It was all done to phase out the continuous and excessive use of combustion engines that could not estimate reserves. A fleet manager should stay up to date with all such regulations to formulate their highly personalized strategic plan. Moreover, contact such service providers to support and minimize such problems.

Security

Security is yet another challenge faced by any fleet manager. For the best safety of the goods, vehicle, and driver during the whole process, the best is incorporating technology in the system. As the fleet becomes automatized and the digital powered control station can easily track them and signal every activity. Moreover, an alarm system is also useful in calling for an emergency. Always ensure to install a backup plan and safeguard system.

Conclusion:

No doubt, fleet management is the most demanding task in the system. All the products and efforts of months rest on its manager’s shoulder. Moreover, you have to look at a lot of dimensions simultaneously. And still, unpredictable challenges are waiting for you. Here is a list of the most probable challenges any fleet manager can face during his operation. Look into them and manage them with the solutions presented. Remember, the world is moving towards the incorporation of technology in every single step. You have to do the same to avoid any loss and manage the same thing on a much lower budget.

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