While we reconfirm our best wishes to you for the New Year, we unfortunately have to remind you of something that may be a little unpleasant for some of you: it is time to go back to work and, most importantly, focus on your New Year’s resolutions and start to work to fulfil them for the wellbeing of your fleet.
If you are still digesting all the food, the celebrations and the toasting, you might appreciate a slow comeback to the office—this post would like to positively inspire by considering some useful resolutions but also in seeing them through. Let’s go through the list!
Resolution 1: Not having New Year’s resolutions. While this might sound odd, there are actually reasons why having New Year’s resolutions can be perceived as negative. If you are among those that every year resolve to exercise more or quit smoking, but never do, that’s precisely the point we’re making. Also, if you have to address important issues within your fleet and business, consigning it to a resolution made at the end of the year—in accordance with a corny tradition—is surely not a professional approach. In short: if making resolutions is just habitually pointing out the need for change without actually following up with any commitment, then you should definitely stop doing it!
Resolution 2: Embrace outside-the-box thinking. It is dangerous to be held back from change simply because ‘we have always done it this way’. If this is true for your fleet but is not producing good results, you should look into experimenting with different solutions, even if you feel sceptical about them. Overcome some of your resistance and base your judgement on measurable results: only if you do that will you be able to establish whether a fleet strategy is good or not. Even something not looking particularly doable or that different from the usual remedies can make the difference; you just have to test it.
Resolution 3: Never forget about maintenance. Despite making prefect sense and being one of the all-time best practices to follow, fleets still minimise maintenance or look at maintenance spend meanly when it comes to cutting expenses, notwithstanding that not having an appropriate maintenance regime can easily turn into safety and compliance issues. You typically realise maintenance shouldn’t have been skipped when you have a problem or something has happened—by then it is too late. Make maintenance routine in your fleet and you will see how your vehicles, team and global business will benefit greatly.
Resolution 4: Think about your staff. Think where your business would be without your drivers. Involve them in the important decisions you make concerning your fleet and they will be eager to help. Some information about vehicles or particular aspects cannot be established without communicating with them—don’t forget that drivers are those out on the road with your vehicles every single day. You might also consider getting in touch with your customers. Make sure you value all their opinions as they are a key part of your success.
For more information, see our blog post: 3 great new year's resolutions for fleet drivers.
