Running a fleet of vehicles can be a logistical nightmare if you’re not careful. When your vehicles are on the road, you are making money. However, many things can go wrong in the process.
Therefore, it’s essential to know what errors in fleet management to avoid and how to handle incidents when they arise. Fleet management errors can result in losses worth thousands of dollars. It’s estimated that businesses waste 5-10% of their money due to fleet management errors.
This blog post will highlight eight common errors business owners make when managing their fleet. By avoiding these errors, you’ll keep your vehicles running smoothly and minimize the chances of costly breakdowns:
- Overusing and Underusing Your Vehicles
Everyone cannot use all the vehicles in your business. Sometimes, you may find that some vehicles barely leave the garage while others are being used constantly.
If you notice that one or more of your vehicles aren’t being used enough, consider reassigning them to another department within the company. On the other hand, if one vehicle is overused, consider rotating it out with another one in the fleet. This will help to avoid excessive wear and tear on any one vehicle.
- Not Planning Routes or Allocating Enough Time for Jobs
This error can be especially costly if you’re running a delivery business. Without prior fleet route planning, your drivers may end up going out of their way to make a delivery, costing you both time and money.
In addition, not allocating enough time for jobs can also lead to delays and missed deliveries. To avoid this, be sure to plan your routes ahead of time and give your drivers adequate time to complete each job.
- Not Maintaining Your Fleet
Regular fleet maintenance is one of the most important aspects of fleet management. Without regular fleet maintenance, your vehicles will eventually break down, leading to additional repair costs.
Furthermore, failing to keep track of oil changes, tire rotations, and other routine maintenance tasks can result in bigger problems later. Make sure you have a schedule for fleet maintenance and stick to it.
Take your cars for service regularly. You should also have a fleet maintenance manual that outlines the proper steps to take for each vehicle in your fleet.
- Not Tracking Mileage and Fuel Usage
Keeping track of mileage and fuel usage is essential for budgeting purposes. By tracking this data, you’ll be able to see which vehicles are costing more in terms of fuel and adjust your fleet accordingly. This helps you calculate your expenses and reduce wasted fuel.
You can use software or apps to keep track of this information. Tracking your fuel usage and mileage using a software program can save you time and money.
Alternatively, you can keep a handwritten logbook in each vehicle. However, this is only feasible for smaller fleets. For larger fleets, it’s best to use fleet management software.
- Failing to Track Driver Data
The fleet isn’t the only thing that needs tracking. You should also track your drivers’ data to keep your operations running smoothly. Some of the data you should track includes:
- Driver’s delivery time and date
- Their schedules
- Driver’s safety score
- Fleet performance
By tracking this data, you’ll be able to identify any issues with your drivers and fix them before they become bigger. You can use fleet management software or apps to help you keep track of this information. Tracking your drivers’ data is key to smooth fleet management.
- Allowing Unauthorized Drivers to Use Your Vehicles
This one should be obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning. Only authorized drivers should be using your business vehicles. Allowing unauthorized drivers to take control of your fleet can lead to all sorts of problems, from accidents to theft.
Keep in mind that insurance companies may not cover you if an unauthorized driver is in control of your fleet. Before using a fleet vehicle, drivers should be properly licensed and trained to operate the vehicle.
If need be, consider installing GPS tracking devices in your fleet so that you can keep track of where each vehicle is at any given time.
- Failure to Keep Your Fleet Clean
There is nothing more unprofessional than a messy fleet of vehicles. Not only will it hurt the reputation of your business, but it can also lead to safety hazards.
Make sure you have a regular schedule for fleet cleaning and stick to it. In addition, ask the drivers to clean their vehicles before returning them to the fleet. This will help keep your fleet looking its best.
An essential part of keeping your fleet clean is ensuring they are parked in a clean parking lot. Fortunately, businesses like Total Clean offer high-quality commercial floor and parking lot cleaning equipment for all your cleaning needs. Check out this article for tips on keeping your parking lot sparkling clean.
- Not Planning for Emergencies
No one can predict when an emergency will happen. However, it can cause big problems for your fleet if you’re caught unprepared. Make sure you have a plan in place for emergencies and that everyone involved knows what to do.
In order to keep your fleet running smoothly and avoid any possible disasters, you should think about how to deal with emergencies before they happen. You can use your fleet management software to plan for any emergencies. This ensures that your team responds to emergencies quickly.
The fleet management software you use should have features like real-time alerts that notify the fleet manager when there is an issue and offer suggestions for resolving it.
If you don’t have fleet management software, you can manually plan for emergencies. All it takes is a little bit of time and planning on your part to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the event of an emergency.
Avoid the Above Errors in Fleet Management
Errors in fleet management can be costly to your business, but they’re completely avoidable. Make sure you know what not to do when it comes to managing your fleet and follow the tips outlined above to keep your fleet running smoothly. You can use iCompario that will save your time and money as well.
Are you looking for more fleet management tips? Check out our blog for more information.
