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What is fleet management and how could it help your operation?

Fleet management is a sweeping term that covers everything from vehicles, drivers, planning, safety, even compliance. Where to start you may ask? Let’s take a look at the basics of what is fleet management and the key responsibilities of a fleet manager.

Fleet management is the way companies look after and manage their vehicles.

A fleet of vehicles could be made up of cars, vans, trucks, HGVs, forklifts, or any other type of vehicles needed for your specific line of work. 

Vehicle fleets come in all shapes and sizes, each presenting their own challenges and levels of complexity. From safety and compliance to managing the health of your vehicles, there are lots of variables that effect the successful management of a vehicle fleet. 

So, whether you run 5,000 or 50 vehicles, efficiency, optimisation and safety are always top priority.

fleet of white lorries

What does a fleet manager do?

Behind every fleet is the fleet manager and their team. Also known as fleet operators or coordinators, these roles depend on the business and its requirements but is mainly centred on the management of the vehicles themselves.  

Another important role is that of the transport manager, where they manage more of the logistics side of a business. 

Depending on the size and needs of a business, these roles and responsibilities will differ and potentially merge. But both fleet and transport departments must work together in sync, as deliveries simply cannot happen without the vehicles or the drivers in place. 

A varied role, here’s a few examples of a fleet manager’s responsibilities:

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Vehicle acquisition and disposal

Does a company need more or fewer vehicles? Fleet Managers will be constantly assessing the operational requirements of the business and buying, selling and leasing assets where needed.

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Vehicle maintenance

To ensure vehicles are safe and compliant, regular fleet maintenance is a must. Regularly serviced and healthy vehicles do wonders for your fleet efficiency, reducing downtime and keeping your vehicles functioning and on the road.

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Driver management

From recruitment to managing timesheets, driver debriefs and training, fleet managers will look after drivers and help them to instil the best behaviours and performance.

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Budgeting

Fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance – all cost money. Managing these costs and spotting cost-saving opportunities is an important part of the day-to-day management of a vehicle fleet.

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Safety and compliance

A safe and compliant fleet is a happy one! Whether it’s checking for any tachograph infringements or making sure all your vehicle and licence checks are current and up to date, a fleet manager is responsible for keeping their drivers and vehicles safe.

five strategies to future-proof your fleet

Technology: making life easier for fleet managers

With lots going on, fleet managers need a helping hand to keep track of what’s happening with their vehicles. That’s when technology becomes a fleet manager’s best friend!

Fleet management software vs transport management system

Fleet management software will primarily look after your vehicles and your drivers and includes things like vehicle management and tachograph analysis. Whereas a transport management system (TMS) will manage your transportation and supply chain processes, such as route planning, vehicle tracking and fleet telematics.  

Modern systems may do both or are set up to talk to one another so data can be transferred, collated and analysed to unlock extra fleet efficiency and optimisation. Today’s fleet management software is also adaptable and scalable so you can add on and grow your system in line with your operations. Some systems are completely bespoke and built to match a business’s fleet requirements.  

Here’s a list of features you can find on our fleet and transport systems:

Fleet Management Transport Management
Vehicle checks
Vehicle service and maintenance scheduling
Workshop management
Driver licence checks
Tachograph analysis
Working time Management
Tracking and telematics
Driver performance
Fleet safety/incident management
Remote tachograph download
Trailer telematics (temperature monitoring)
Route planning and optimisation
Schedule execution and route adherence
Electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD)

This is by no means an exhaustive list! There so many more ways to manage your fleet – from AI cameras to hazard warning systems.

How can fleet management software help your business?

Time and money are the two big ticket items any businesses would like to save; technology can help with both. 

In terms of time, using a fleet management system can keep track of all your vehicle and driver information in one central place. That includes all your documentation and dates, with alerts and reminders to notify when something is missing, or action is required.  

When it comes to compliance, embracing technology is essential. Collating all your fleet data digitally will streamline and future-proof your operations, leaving an audit trail and enabling you to manage fleet performance in new and more sophisticated ways.

How can it save you money?

Of course, upfront investment is required but the potential cost-savings in the long run could be huge!  

Take a look at our case studies to see technology in action and understand how this works in real life scenarios.

Understand how Carslberg achieved a 6% reduction in fuel usage in just 2 years or how Polypipe reduced age-old debts by over £1.5m with faster, more efficient electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) software.  

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Finding the right solution

Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

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Do your research

Hit the web and look around to see what’s available in the marketplace. Look closely at the values of a company to make sure your businesses are alignedit’s a partnership after all!

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Ask for recommendations

Look to your peers and contacts to see who is recommended. If possible, look at your competitors to understand what they are using and why.

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Speak to an expert

Reach out to fleet technology specialists who can help you understand what you need for today, and for the future. Highlight to them the areas you need most support with and ask for their expert advice.

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Request a demo

See the system up and running – this is your opportunity to ask lots of questions and get a feel for what’s on offer.

Need help right now?

For support on any of these topics, please reach out to a member of the Microlise team. Either speak to us on 01773 537 000, or drop us an email at enquiries@microlise.com.

Speak to an expert about fleet management

Find out more about how Microlise fleet management software can help you to maximise the efficiency of your operarion.

Request a demo