6 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Managing Vehicle Fleets

A fleet manager has various difficult, complex tasks to deal with and keep in balance. And aside from handling employees and managing vehicle fleets, they often have many other day-to-day duties to attend to.

Furthermore, they have to keep the company running profitably while adhering to government regulations, planning vehicle maintenance, and developing safety measures.

So we’ve put together six common mistakes to avoid when managing vehicle fleets. These should help managers lighten their load and keep their fleets fast and efficient.

Poor Route Planning

Route planning is a core part of fleet management strategy.

It wastes time and fuel when you send your drivers on poorly panned routes, resulting in delivery delays. Using telematics in conjunction with fleet fuel management allows you to provide more reliable choices for your drivers.

The use of telematics alleviates your logistical pressures by allowing your drivers to take shorter and more efficient routes. It will ensure that your deliveries are made on time, and that your customers will remain loyal to you in the long run.

Lack of Communication

Provide your staff with the relevant information they need to know about operations and your expectations. Employees can act on their assumptions if messages aren’t clear, putting the company at risk.

A good idea is to hold regular meetings to hammer through any tricky information that your employees could be confused about. Also, try to have individual sessions with the employees to ensure they’re on the right page with things.

Whether it’s staff meetings or the individual sessions we talked about, give your staff feedback and listen to any questions they have.

Loosely Followed Maintenance Routines

As a fleet manager, you should maintain your fleet regularly. Before deliveries, be mindful of the condition of your trucks and trailers. 

To prevent vehicle breakdowns and supply chain delays, stick to your maintenance plan consistently. Then to maintain performance, use your telematics to help you identify issues and schedule any required maintenance.

Untrained Staff

It’s naive to think that your staff is all aware of their responsibilities. Your business’s productivity will suffer if your employees aren’t adequately educated.

When your company’s technology evolves, make sure you have training programs in place to teach workers new skills. In addition, check to see if their licenses and certifications are current as well.

Lack of Innovation

Customers’ demands will shift as technology advances. Customers want you to meet their needs, and if you don’t, they’ll go somewhere else. The key is to adapt to avoid falling behind your competitors.

It is your responsibility to prevent fleet management errors. A successful fleet management plan requires you to evolve with the times. Some fleet managers struggle to innovate, resulting in a decrease in fleet efficiency, leading to a lack of custom.

For example, choosing to install fuel dispensers in strategic locations could be an innovative way of saving loads of money. We recommend checking out a fuel dispenser from Dover Fueling Solutions if this is something you’re interested in.

Inventory Problems

It’s difficult to find goods and products when distribution vehicles are overcrowded. Therefore, good inventory organization will help you avoid any distribution mishaps.

To increase the efficiency of your enterprise, try to devise a system for loading and unloading goods that’s smooth and fast. This way, you can save fleet management costs and avoid good’s being misplaced and even wasted.

Managing Vehicle Fleets Effectively

Managing vehicle fleets can be fluid and almost effortless once all the correct provisions and planning are in place.

Organization and consistent evaluations of your fleets should keep them working at their optimum potential. And, communication is paramount if you want all your staff to carry out their roles well.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your fleet management. Also, please don’t hesitate to check out similar articles like this on our blog.