The performance of your commercial fleet is crucial in running your trucking business. It helps resolve transportation problems like slow delivery times, missing parcels, and unexpected delays.
However, some challenges affect fleet performance. There are instances when you need more drivers, which causes delays since only a few are available for delivery. You might also deal with issues like high fuel expenses due to driver idling. You may also have drivers with aggressive driving behavior, such as exceeding the speed limit or tailgating.
Some drivers may even drive under the influence (DUI), causing road accidents. They often lead to costly fines or license suspension. If this happens often, your company suffers from a poor brand image and lower productivity.
Finding ways to improve your commercial fleet’s performance is essential. It involves educating your drivers and using cost-efficient fuel alternatives. Some companies compare Paccar engines vs Cummins when searching for the proper vehicle manufacturer in the heavy-duty trucking industry.
To learn more, here’s an in-depth guide to ensuring your commercial fleet performs at its best.
Table of Contents
Enable Route Optimization
Route optimization is about using data analytics to find the shortest route for your fleet. It can reduce the chances of your drivers getting stuck in traffic, often causing delivery delays. Optimizing routes can increase their productivity and ensure customer satisfaction.
One excellent option is to use route optimization software. It includes features like real-time alerts and advisories on the traffic ahead, expective time of arrival (ETA), and fuel consumption estimations.
The software provides accurate information about alternative routes if there’s an issue within a specific road. It can save time and money by minimizing fuel wastage and unnecessary driving hours.
Provide Tags On All Assets
A common problem in fleet management is the loss of assets. It could be due to theft, vandalism, or a team member misplacing an item. Sometimes, your drivers opt for a scenic route between stops for personal errands. Unfortunately, this issue might threaten the safety of the vehicles and the parcels or equipment in them. Most importantly, it causes fuel wastage.
One technological solution is ensuring that every asset always has a tag. With the help of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, asset tagging allows you to track down any missing items. Alternatively, you can use a global positioning system or GPS tracking devices like a GPS-activated automatic vehicle locator. This way, you can monitor the movement of your fleet, especially once they leave for delivery.
Enhance Preventative Maintenance Practices
Fleet maintenance is essential as it checks whether your vehicles need urgent repairs or replacement. The reports will show hidden issues before they cause costly repairs. Consequently, you can ensure your fleet is safe on the road as it won’t malfunction. Maintaining your fleet prevents accidents while increasing the life span of your vehicles.
The following are tips for fleet maintenance:
- Look for a fleet maintenance provider who can deliver reports, such as vehicle mileage and average fuel consumption. You may also include engine hours, oil changes, lubrication intervals, service history, and the warrant period details of replaced parts.
- Schedule preventative maintenance to prepare your fleet during a routine inspection once or twice a year.
- Monitor the levels of fluid to reduce fuel consumption and prevent overheating problems.
- Check tires regularly for maximum efficiency. It helps you determine if there’s a need for emergency replacement due to a blowout or flat tire.
With preventative maintenance, your vehicles are more reliable. It helps prevent breakdowns, resulting in costly repairs and lost revenue.
Consider Sustainable Fuel Options
Your fleet’s fuel consumption affects your bottom line. Paying more for fuel reduces your return on investment (ROI). Nowadays, trucking companies turn to natural gas, biodiesel, sulfur-free petrol, and other sustainable fuel options. That way, they can save money while reducing emissions simultaneously.
Improve Fleet Driver Behavior
Some drivers commit idling while in traffic or loading and unloading parcels. Others are overspeeding while using their phones. In most instances, your driver’s behavior can affect the integrity of the packages or the quality of your service. These issues are all costs due to loss of fuel and productivity.
You can get through these problems by improving the behavior of your drivers with these three tips:
- Check driving patterns using their dashboard data to make them more accountable for their habits.
- Acknowledge drivers who are making improvements in their driving behavior. It encourages the rest to follow suit.
- Provide continual education for all your fleet drivers to help enhance their skills in using vehicles.
As you manage your fleet drivers, you can create a safe driving experience while improving their productivity.
Summing It Up
Boosting the performance of your commercial fleet is about finding ways to reduce costs and improve driver productivity. These include looking for cost-effective fuel alternatives to save money on gas and keeping track of your vehicle drivers.
You can also use route optimization software to help drivers find the best routes. And most importantly, schedule fleet maintenance to ensure all vehicles are ready for travel. This way, you can ensure that all parcels arrive at their destination safely without any issues.
