Tips to Keep Your Fleet on the Road
Managing a fleet of vehicles is time-consuming and difficult. You want to approach the management of your fleet with economy and efficiency in mind. Here are some issues that make managing your fleet more difficult.
Failure to Assess Your Preventative Maintenance Schedule
Preventative maintenance for your fleet vehicles is one of the best ways to keep your fleet in top shape. You must evaluate your preventative maintenance schedule for tasks and the time intervals between them. Failure to do so can leave certain maintenance tasks outstanding for too long, leading to vehicle downtime and expensive repairs. Consider re-evaluating your preventative maintenance schedule every 6-12 months to be sure your fleet is always ready to go.
Set Routes for Your Drivers
Allowing your drivers to choose their routes is not necessarily going to give you the best fuel efficiency or time management outcomes. It’s better to choose the routes for your drivers with their input than to allow them to choose their own. Considering your driver’s input will help them feel they are a part of the process but will let the fleet manager have the last say.
Doing Nothing About Unsafe Driving Habits
Many fleet management programs allow you to track the driving habits of your fleet drivers. Suppose you notice certain drivers are accelerating and braking too quickly but do nothing to change their habits. In that case, you’re allowing those drivers to affect the efficiency and safety of your fleet. It is better to address driving habit issues when they arise rather than allowing them to go on and on without being addressed. Your fleet will operate better when your drivers use safe driving habits.
Poor Communication
It’s critical to the health of your fleet to have open and honest communication with your fleet drivers and fleet mechanics. Drivers and mechanics need to feel comfortable approaching the fleet manager when there is a problem, suggestion, or complaint. As a fleet manager, it’s important that you’re open to listening to your drivers and mechanics as they have first-hand knowledge daily on how your management of the fleet affects their ability to do their jobs. It’s up to you to listen and share with them the “whys” of policies regarding the fleet vehicles.
Rocco's European Garage - Atlanta's Premier Shop for Fleet Service and Repair
Fleet management is a tough job. It can be even tougher if you make some of these mistakes. Failure to manage your fleet can result in higher-than-usual fleet repairs and downtime. As a fleet manager, it may be in your best interest to talk with the mechanics and technicians at Rocco’s European Garage since they’re fleet repair experts. Give them a call to make an appointment to talk about your fleet repair needs and get their experience on your side. You’ll be glad you did.