And here we are; we have finally reached the letter Z signifies the end of our A-Z series of fleet management. “The end” is going to be our topic for today as Z is the last letter of the alphabet. What are the different “ends” that fleet managers experience in their activity, and how do they face them?
#1 - End of life of a vehicle. It is definitely something fleet managers have to face. It doesn’t mean a vehicle is completely unusable if it has come to the end of its life: for fleet managers it is actually a phase when the spend for a vehicle is no longer justifiable, whether that be because it is underused or because of excessive wear and tear and it is no longer convenient for the fleet to maintain nor justify the fuel consumption. Fleet data made available from tracking software is an invaluable resource if you are thinking of replacing a vehicle with a new one or reallocating it.
#2 - End of a working relationship. It can be with a vendor; but quite often lately due to the shortage of specialised staff or to a decrease in vocational workers, it has become hard to retain drivers as the positions available have become quite numerous. But despite what could be the end of a working relationship, you can actually get to know if there is something you should change in your relations with staff. Make a wise use of exit interviews and make sure you enjoy open communication with your workers.
#3 - End of ... pen and paper. If this is something you still haven’t experienced, you might actually be invested too heavily in the old fashion way of doing things or you might spend too much time on tasks that could potentially be done in a different and quicker way. Pen and paper is no longer the tool used to manage fleets and the same is valid for spreadsheets. If you still aren’t at the end of the line regarding the pen and paper era and might need some motivation to let go ... come and talk to us.
#4 - End of the day. Well, this might actually sound obvious: every day you come to the end of the day, and you probably feel relieved that all the tasks have been performed correctly. But there is no real ... end to the duties of a fleet manager, and vehicles need to be protected as well as drivers, who need to drive safely 24/7—we know one pair of eyes that can always be kept on your assets!
Are there any other “ends” in your daily life as a fleet manager that you would like to add to the list?
