Importance of Fleet Management
28 February 2010Fleet management is all about operating and upholding a fleet of cars or trucks with the objective of managing and controlling the cost associated with it. Fleets can often range from only a few vehicles to thousands of them in a commercial environment. Fleet management can be achieved in-house or it can be outsourced to companies who particularise in Fleet management.
The cost of maintenance rises as the fleet grows to satisfy business requirements. The need for sufficient place to house and uphold a fleet increases as it grows larger. More manpower is required to maintain and repair more vehicles, meaning more employees and more expenses associated with hiring and retaining them. Controlling overall cost is the most important reason to consider outsourcing fleet management.
Maintenance, tracking, diagnostics, fuel management and driver management are just some functions of fleet management. One of the major benefits of fleet management is business roadside assistance which offers fleet owners peace of mind. From the purchase of a company fleet vehicle to the disposal of it, fleet management can cover each facet and detail of each vehicle, including the driver.
A vehicle can be tracked either through GPS or cellular triangulation. The location, speed, and travel route of vehicles can be tracked and reported back to fleet owners. The onboard computing device of a vehicle can be accessed and the data collected to provide detailed reports on mileage and fuel consumption. When vehicle tracking and onboard computer data are combined, the profile of the driver can be established. Tracking and diagnostics can reduce delays due to vehicle breakdowns by minimizing the time needed to locate the vehicle and dispatch roadside assistance.
Fleet security and overall control can be supervised, offering fleet owners substantial peace of mind. One of the current technology advancements gives you the ability to remotely disable a vehicle while it’s in operation. These systems can slow a vehicle, stop a vehicle, prevent a vehicle from being moved, and even keep the vehicle from being started. This helps to prevent fleet vehicles from being stolen and assists in recovering them if they’re stolen. It helps to reduce the likelihood of cargo getting lost or stolen.
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