The practices of managing your fleet by a manager play an important role to contribute to your value chain company. If your fleet is well-managed, you will be able to serve your customers in the shortest amount of time and cut down on costs associated with managing the fleet.
Although it may seem like hiring an employee to manage your fleet is an additional expense for your business, the value an employee can bring to your business could be worth it when in comparison to the money you could have avoided.
In the simplest terms fleet managers can streamline their roles within your business which results in noticeable improvements and more profit.
Table of Contents
Duties Of A Fleet Manager
Here are the six responsibilities of a fleet manager is in charge of while collaborating with your fleet
Collaboration
In earlier times, the role of a fleet manager was to manage the everyday schedule of your fleet.
But, the fleet managers in today’s world are intelligent experts in fleet management who manage and coach not just the fleet, but also the drivers and a myriad of levels of management.
Fleet managers can help guide the team to achieve the same goal or vision. In the case of a small-scale business the fleet manager could serve as the office manager or service manager, which puts additional responsibilities on their shoulders.
A good fleet manager develops an efficient, collaborative relation with all domestic operations within the business and the personnel who work for it.
- Technicians and drivers: They instruct drivers on safe driving practices and ensure that they are aware of how to respond to a safety inspection from the Department of Transportation.
- Dispatchers and back-office: This body guarantees that all vehicles are at dispatchers’ disposal all day long. It also improves the dispatching and routing of vehicles.
- Business owners and managers: They focus on the issues of insurance and compliance and suggest ideas to improve business performance and profits by reducing expenses.
- Service mechanics and managers: They verify the downtime of vehicles and monitor vehicle purchase and disposition.
A fleet manager is responsible for each of these bodies and plays an essential part in each of these positions whenever a body requires additional supervision.
Information sharing
A fleet manager must have an aptitude for interpersonal communication besides the traditional industrial expertise and organizational skills accompanied with this role.
It is a team effort that requires many people with many different talents to run a fleet, so collaborating across disciplines could mean the difference between on-time and late as well as profits and losses.
Fleet managers have to deal with divergent personalities every day and are often faced with those who don’t have the same values.
The position of a fleet manager isn’t the most ideal, so it is crucial to be persuasive but sensible and capable of convincing people into doing things that they would not like to do, or within the timeframe you’d prefer.
Fleet managers keep management up-to-date on fleet performance budget requirements, the latest programs, and products.
Fleet managers are aware that the majority of executives do not have a deep understanding of the management of fleets. They only give them the details about their fleet that are crucial to making the right decision.
One method to apply this concept is to ensure that fleet reports are clear of jargon and formatted to allow for seamless review and understanding by upper management.
Associations with Suppliers and Partners
Fleet professionals deal with suppliers and other partners to upgrade their performance.
Fleet managers employ supply chain methods of management, for example having suppliers work together to encourage communication, and providing effective as well as low-cost services for the fleet.
Fleet managers also determine the standards for safety and maintenance for the fleet. They also handle all administrative tasks.
Maintenance and Cost Control
Catering to maintenance schedules can be tedious when you have other business roles to handle. Ignoring fleet maintenance is a recipe for disaster, from failed orders because of vehicle failure to road casualties.
A fleet manager can attend to the management of risk in the fleet by attending to every maintenance request that prevents the vehicle from running to ensure that vehicles function at peak performance.
You can also count on a seasoned Fleet manager who can negotiate maintenance rates and make arrangements with different service centers.
Cost control is among the most crucial duties of an administrator of fleets. If you don’t have enough control over the factors that affect the cost of your fleet, you may be spending more than your fleet demands.
There are a variety of factors to consider, including the price of fuel and the vehicles you drive, leasing or purchasing your vehicle, the route you follow, as well as the maintenance schedule that you follow.
A fleet manager can understand the underlying assumptions of all these variables and can help in making decisions that are budget-friendly.
The long-term benefit of hiring an experienced fleet manager is earning an excellent rating from clients and also reducing the cost of managing your fleet.
Record Keeping
It is easy for different records that come with owning business automobiles to get forgotten or lost.
But, it isn’t a reason to excuse not having the most current information like driving licenses. The absence of most of these documents could lead to huge losses for businesses due to penalties.
Employing a fleet manager to hire can ensure that all the records are well-organized and under control. They can also make sure you adhere to the various laws of your state and also have important documents to show.
There are specific requirements from the International Fuel Tax Agreement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and an employee of the fleet can assist with any of these.
Driver Behavior Monitoring
Poor driver behavior can destroy your fleet’s health and your reputation as a business.
There is also the possibility that a driver may elope from your vehicle when working. The hiring of a fleet manager could aid in controlling these elements of your business by providing excellent control.
Telematics has made it easier to monitor vehicles using the screen. These devices are able to identify problems with maintenance and the actions of drivers driving.
If a driver makes sharp turns, is over the speed limit, or is driving in an erratic manner, fleet telematics can alert a manager of the information in real-time.
Final Words
A fleet manager plays an indispensable role in overseeing company wagons available for the transportation of freights or products.
The managers work with other managers to ensure that deliveries and distributions take place at the right time and the necessary vehicles are in place and functioning as planned.
A fleet manager is also responsible for the delivery schedule and ensures that the department is operating within the budget approved by the department.
It is important to select the best telematics company as the fleet manager will oversee your fleet through the software for managing fleets to improve efficiency.
