Owning or managing a fleet company has a unique set of challenges since who/want you are managing is logistically spread apart. The nature of this business not only means you lose some face time with you team, but you may lose their locations too if you are not on the ball and working with talented people who you can trust. Having said that, by using IoT effectively to find the right software for your needs, automation can significantly reduce some of the main stressors that exist with satellite management and allow you and your other administrative team members to spread your focus around with the time you gain from using software and gadgets to increase efficiencies.
What it Does
Automation essentially removes the traditional pencil and paper aspect from your day-to-day tasks to create more time for you to apply your focus to more necessary areas. Additionally, certain software will increase the connectivity between you and your drivers so you can better monitor progress, location, and driving habits. Fleet tracking is something with a high return on investment, have access to your vehicles’ location without having to distract the driver to find out is a welcome modern improvement to the way the industry works.
From a business owners standpoint using a fleet management platform lets you focus on growing your business with improved efficiency. Deciding to invest in GPS fleet tracking will also help you reduce overall spending from a payroll standpoint because you have likely cut down administrative tasks eliminating the need for a person to fill one, or more roles. Real-time fleet tracking is a modern element to this industry that is quickly becoming the standard which means that getting ahead of the curve can give you a competitive edge.
Training and Development
Unless you ride shotgun with every driver, every day, it is almost impossible to have a firm handle on their road habits and skills as a driver. Of course, you can pull their MVR, you can have veteran employees train them, you can do surprise ride along’s, but none of that compares to tangible real-time data that you can get from automation software. Practices like installing dash cams in your vehicles and tracking software both lend themselves to the opportunity for teachable moments. Giving management the tools they need to watch their team in action means you have also given them an opportunity to spot a small problem before it becomes a larger issue.
One huge disadvantage of this business is you must rely heavily on the word of your team members and unfortunately there is always the potential for there to be some bad apples. Automation can help identify the bad apples in a more efficient and documented manner. Suffice it to say the purpose of automation is not to catch your employees going against protocol, quite the opposite. Ideally when you implement this software you will have the chance to see your team in action, demonstrating the training they were given, and practicing safe driving methods. Data is an undeniable way to train new employee and also a great addition to any ongoing efforts to employee reviews that occur with your existing staff.
