Power Up Your Fleet’s Efficiency with These 6 Tactics

Today’s fleet managers are looking for ways to increase their efficiency and maximize the return on their investment. Luckily, there are some practical strategies that can help achieve this goal. Also, with the advent of technology, there are some software solutions you can use to keep your fleet on track and on time. Take a look at these ways you can use strategy and software to stay ahead of the game.

Shift Optimization

Nowadays fleet managers are dealing with a variety of challenges, which range from fuel economy to driver retention.

One challenge that fleet managers often face is managing the work schedules of the drivers in their fleet. Given the number of vehicles under management, there are a lot of moving parts to optimize. The need for optimizing driver shift schedules is high so that the organization can gain more control over its operations and reduce its costs. For example, an organization may have a fleet of 20 trucks that it needs to dispatch over the course of a week. If the company uses manual scheduling, it will take a lot of time and effort to schedule each driver’s shift. If the company uses an automated scheduling solution, it can reduce the time and effort needed to schedule each driver’s shift.

Fuel Management 

Fuel management can be a tricky thing. It’s important to keep track of the many factors that influence fuel consumption, including speed, temperature, engine condition, and vehicle load. Fuel management is a very important aspect of fleet management. Many fleets tend to overlook the importance of fuel management and therefore end up incurring losses in terms of efficiency, cost and time, etc. 

The first thing you should do is make sure that your forklifts are properly maintained. This will help them perform better and last longer as well as reduce fuel consumption. Next, you should check for leaks in the fuel system. Small leaks can add up over time, increasing fuel consumption. 

Also, companies have started applying 24/7 reefer fueling solutions to their fleets. This can save money and reduce fuel consumption by eliminating the need for a truck to idle while it waits to be fueled.

These tactics are simple, but effective in increasing efficiency for your fleet. Once you put them into practice, you will see a big difference in the way your drivers handle their daily tasks.

GPS Tracking and Cameras

GPS tracking and cameras are two technologies that can help your fleet become more efficient. They allow you to monitor the location of each vehicle and their behavior while they are on the road. This allows you to spot issues in real-time and quickly address them. It also gives you the opportunity to create reports on fleet performance and identify patterns that could be improved upon.

These technologies have been around for a long time, but it’s only recently that they have become affordable enough to use for all sizes of businesses. This means that any company with a fleet can take advantage of these tools to improve their business. You don’t want to pick out the first system you see, though. You’ll want to get reliable fleet dashcams and tracking devices and software from a reliable vendor. The initial cost of the products is nothing compared to the safety they ensure and the money they will save you in the long run.

Using Fleet Management Software

Fleet management software is a web-based tool intended to help fleet owners better manage their fleet and related businesses. It provides detailed information about the vehicles in the fleet, including fuel levels, maintenance needs, scheduled services, and more. With the help of mobile apps, fleet management software helps drivers work more efficiently. It provides information such as directions and route planning. Drivers can also use GPS tracking to locate their vehicles at any time.

Engine Performance Tracking

There is a huge opportunity to save costs and increase fleet efficiency with telematics. Fleet managers can monitor vehicle performance, including fuel consumption and maintenance schedule adherence. This helps identify areas of focus to drive down costs while increasing productivity. Telematics also allows fleet managers to leverage proactive alerts and notifications to ensure that vehicles are being used as efficiently as possible.

The sooner you catch engine problems or failure, the faster you can solve the problem and keep your fleet on track. With telematics, you can track engine health and pinpoint the cause of any issues. This means you can resolve problems before they impact your fleet.

Reducing Idling Time

Every driver knows that idling is bad for the environment, but it’s hard to keep drivers from sitting in their vehicles. The next time you want to catch your employees doing something that’s bad for their health, tell them to stop idling.

Every year, most fleets lose nearly $100 per vehicle because of idling. There are several reasons why drivers idle: they don’t know if they have a long wait ahead of them, they forget about it and continue the habit, or they simply enjoy running the engine. That last reason is the one that can be eliminated with a device called an Idle Air Controller (IAC). The IAC controls the amount of air that goes into the engine, and when it senses that the engine is idling, it restricts the airflow.