How to create a reliable commercial fleet

For any commercial vehicle
operation, reliability is essential. You need to have confidence that your
fleet is capable of carrying out deliveries and travelling across the country –
sometimes even the continent. If you are looking at making your fleet more
reliable and feel happy and confident about sending it on the road, we have
some tips on how you can achieve this.

Fleet management
systems

Technology has developed
massively over the years and now there are some very clever and advanced
systems available which give you vital information about your fleet. These
systems can not only make the job of a fleet manager more streamlined but can
improve the safety and productivity of your fleet too.

What you can look forward to by
investing in a fleet management system:

• Optimised routes

With full route optimisation, if
a new job appears, you can see which driver is closest and reroute them to the
new destination. With this kind of flexibility, you can improve customer
satisfaction immensely thanks to the quick response the system allows for, as
well as being more cost-effective by using a vehicle and driver already out on
the road.

• Real-time tracking

You can rest assured that your
vehicles and drivers are safe thanks to the live, real-time tracking available
on fleet management systems. This will not only allow you to see when a driver
has reached/left their destination, but you will also be able to divert them if
they encounter traffic – increasing productivity.

• Save money

Investing in a fleet system can
help save the business money in a range of areas. In fact, according to fleet
management system provider ABAX, you can
save up to 18.5% of your typical costs with one in place. Having the ability to
plan drivers’ routes and provide a reroute solution, the business can save on
fuel costs thanks to smarter planning. Not only that, but the system also
allows managers to monitor a driver’s behaviour, meaning you can see where
harsh braking or accelerating and speeding is occurring. By monitoring
behaviours, you can see which drivers may need additional training, which in
the long run, will reduce vehicle damage and fuel waste – saving even more
money for the business.

Invest in training

For a reliable fleet, you will
also require some assistance from drivers to help run a dependable operation.
At the beginning of every shift, the driver of the vehicle should perform a walk-round check.
These are essential and will determine if a vehicle is safe, legal and ready to
get on the road. The government notes 24 points that need to be checked on a vehicle before it can be driven. These include the
likes of mirrors, seatbelts, fuel leaks and tyres as well as many more. A
walk-round check not only ensures your vehicles meet the legal requirements,
but can also help to prevent injury and death – tyres can, and will, come off if they are not regularly checked and secured. Invest in
appropriate training for staff to ensure they know what they need to do to
safeguard your operation and stay reliable, dependable and compliant.

With a combination of technology and human
assistance, you can feel confident that your fleet can be operated to a high
standard.