A quick litmus test to check if you really need a fleet manager on a full time basis is to say “but surely it’s not a fulltime job” to them.  If, after they’ve stopped bashing their head off the nearest desk, they try to strangle you, it’s a good pointer that you probably do need one.  With companies looking to cut costs in every area of their business, it’s not a surprise that many firms see the black hole that comprises repair, maintenance, tax, insurances and fuel costs of running a fleet as one that is ripe for a makeover.  Just don’t start with cutting your fleet manager’s hours.  The simplest way to streamline not only the management of the fleet but make life easier is to use a fleet management software system.  This enables your firm to manage, rather than cope with, the fleet, in the most efficient manner possible – it might even be a bit of a life saver.

Integrated Solutions
Fleet management software is available which can easily be integrated with other software and systems.  Important amongst these are HR systems and vehicle traffic systems, although many fleet management software systems will allow for integration with a range of other systems.  The time saving element – not to mention accuracy levels – that can be achieved will probably be self-explanatory to most fleet managers, but for business owners the simple fact is that integration with a range of systems cuts back on the time and cost of updating individual systems manually.

Right Vehicle, Right Place, Wrong Driver
Record keeping, cross referencing records and ordering maintenance or parts for vehicles in the fleet are all time consuming aspects of the fleet manager’s role.  Simply ensuring that the right vehicle is in the right place at the right time can be difficult enough to manage.  Having got all of this right, discovering that the only driver available has the wrong licence is one of those hair-tearing moments that we can all live without.  Fleet management software can match records to reduce the stress and the wasted time involved in the process.

Costing the Earth
The money management side of fleet management is crucial to most firms.  With many companies operating on reduced staffing levels, the benefit of fleet management software is simple.  The software streamlines the process to create a manageable workload for fleet managers, especially those with a limited amount of admin back up.  Software also helps to manage the costs of the actual fleet, monitoring fuel consumption and making it easy to ascertain where costs can be cut and which vehicles are costing the earth – in so many ways – to run.  With rising fuel prices and tighter regulation over emissions, businesses can take considerable advantage in terms of cost savings, from using simple functional fleet management software to identify problems quickly and ultimately cut costs.

Chevinfleet.com/gb offer an extensive, flexible range of fleet management solutions to suit business fleets of all sizes, helping to cut the costs and man-hours associated with effective fleet management.