Everything You Need to Know About Effectively Managing Your Fleet

If you’re a business owner who specializes in wholesale food delivery, having your own fleet can help you get on the right track. However, it’s not just about putting your merchandise into a truck and making a profit. The fleet itself needs to be managed as well, but it can be a little challenging at first. Luckily, managing a fleet has never been easier thanks to the innovation of technology and some of the most interesting business ideas can actually prove quite successful. Here’s everything you need to know about effectively managing your fleet.

Prioritize Driver Safety

One of the most important aspects of fleet management is the safety of your drivers. The road can be a very unpredictable place, especially for someone driving a large truck. If anything were to happen, like an accident on the highway, you’ll need to have an action plan in place. In addition, you also need a way to know how the incident occurs and who is at fault. Without any knowledge of the incident, it can negatively your company as a whole.

Your truck drivers need to know they’re in good hands while on the road. This means it falls on you to make sure each vehicle is outfitted with the appropriate equipment. Every vehicle should be equipped with an electronic logging device, which is something that’s attached to the onboard diagnostics. ELDs are perfect for ensuring the safety of the driver and the vehicle. If anything goes wrong and you need to file a claim, the information provided by an ELD can help your case tremendously.

This is where all the information including the date and time the vehicle is used, how long the car is active and even how the vehicle is turned. To further protect your drivers, there is an online guide for you to review about the next wave of safety technology, which is collision avoidance. This type of collision avoidance systems helps keep both your drivers and others safe on the road.

Have Routine Vehicle Maintenance

Having your fleet maintained is an absolute necessity. You don’t want one or more of your fleet vehicles breaking down or experiencing something life threatening as brake failure. The only way to catch any potential issues is to follow a vehicle maintenance checklist on a routine basis. You want to have each vehicle inspected every month or bi-weekly, depending on the vehicle and how often it’s used. Something we should bring to your attention is the importance of keeping an eye on the mileage. If a vehicle has gone past a certain mileage count, it’s recommended it remains off the road until it gets looked at by a mechanic. You want to have your fleet checked once they reach or surpass 3,000 miles.

GPS Transmitters

To ensure your vehicles are going where they need to go, installing GPS systems into your fleet is your best bet. Along with ELDs, GPS fleet tracking software and systems make a fleet manager’s job much easier. GPS systems transmit a constant signal that broadcasts the location of each vehicle. In addition, implementing a GPS is a great way to prevent theft and other unwanted mishaps.