We can never emphasise enough how challenging it is to be a fleet manager; there are so many responsibilities and tasks involved, as well as handling all the risks that come with driving for work, both for the drivers and other road users.
In this blog post we concentrate on the fleet vehicles and their location—a major source of worry for those responsible for running a fleet.
Of course a fleet manager assumes his drivers and their vehicles are operating correctly, and on track to the destinations they are supposed to be heading for; but is he absolutely sure the driver is using the vehicle correctly? What might a delay really be due to? Is there a way of knowing quickly if a driver might have run into a problem?
Company vehicle misuse is usually the first thing that comes to the mind of both companies, who are new to vehicle tracking, as well as drivers. Detecting personal use of a vehicle is improperly seen as the only reason that might lead employers to choose telematics, but the question “where are your vehicles driven?” actually opens up different scenarios.
Fleet managers are responsible for the vehicles and want to make sure that in their fleet there is a system able to:
#1 - Prevent theft: if one of your vehicles is stolen, it is a huge loss for the company and, depending on the size of it as well as financial resources available, it might not be possible to replace quickly. Technology is able to provide you with the location of a vehicle immediately, thus reducing the risk of theft as well as the bother of insurance claims and rocketing premiums.
#2 - Check if a driver is in danger: if a driver is in a risky situation, chances are that he won’t be able to let you know with a simple phone call. Weather might be very unpredictable in some areas or a driver might have been involved in a collision. With our fleet management software you could easily check movement patterns and see if they suggest the driver is in difficulties or even danger. In the unfortunate event of a collision, you may have useful data to help prove that your employee wasn’t necessarily to blame.
#3 - Verify if there has been a breakdown: again, the location, in real time of a vehicle might suggest if there is a problem with the vehicle and the driver has not been able to notify the company.
#4 - Check the time of dispatch: you can easily locate where the vehicle is and inform your customers accordingly and, importantly, without the need for a phone call that might distract the driver as well as putting him under extra pressure.
#5 - Make sure private mileage allowed on a company vehicle does not lead to personal use: eventually, yes, this is also one of the added benefits technology provides, making sure company vehicles are used correctly.
