Other than staff and drivers, vehicles and equipment constitute the biggest asset for a company whose main business activity involves driving.
Fleet managers are continuously looking for ways to cut costs whilst also ensuring the fleet is kept safe. When it comes to protecting the assets themselves, one can obviously rely on insurance in case of theft, accident or third party claims, but there are other aspects that are purely down to managerial skills and expertise when it comes to cutting costs such as fuel misuse or theft, driving that is not planned, improper use occurring during working/non-working hours and incidents resulting from unsafe driving or due to improperly trained staff.
Let’s have a look at some possible sources of fleet costs and how best to manage them!
#1 - Cost of time spent locating equipment
This is a common problem in small, but especially in large, fleets. In the construction and public/government sector, fleets are quite heterogeneous—comprised of different types of vehicles— and, according to the purpose and usage, vehicles might reside in different depots or locations. You can imagine how time consuming it can be, locating hundreds of vehicles belonging to the same fleet? With the help of technology it is a much, much simpler task, whether they are close or scattered over some distance… And think of the precious time you will not only save, but are able to invest in promoting your business!
#2 - Cost of unnecessary maintenance due to random maintenance planning
For your fleet maintenance planning, you can obviously follow best practice guidelines from vehicle manufacturers, or reference servicing trends, but do you really know what is happening to your vehicles? Are they being used correctly, i.e. within the parameters of what they are designed to do? If not, are vehicles being unnecessarily subjected to increased wear and tear? Are speeding drivers causing needless damage to equipment or tyres? Is maintenance scheduled appropriately, according to the use and performance of the vehicles? Get the right metrics with SynX and you will be able to plan for your maintenance far more effectively!
#3 - Cost of accidents caused by unsafe driving or equipment
The cost is not only financial, but always human, first and foremost… nevertheless, there are inevitably economic costs incurred such as insurance premiums hikes and the expense of vehicle replacement or repairs. If you have complete control over your fleet with technology, you can prevent unsafe driving and enhance fleet maintenance. These often unconsidered sources of costs can be controlled and ultimately converted into an opportunity for your business.
