6 Fleet Monitoring Tips and Best Practices

“My company is too small. We don’t need fleet monitoring.”

“I’m clueless about technology. Fleet monitoring tools sound complicated.”

“My employees will think I don’t trust them. They’ll leave.”

Sound familiar? These concerns about fleet monitoring are very common. It’s hard for both managers and employees to adopt new technology, especially if “the old way” was working “just fine.” Most business owners prefer to keep things simple.

The truth is, fleet monitoring actually simplifies work processes. It increases team efficiency and empowers fleet managers. How? By giving them more control and visibility into their operations.

Equipped with better data, fleet managers can make faster, more informed decisions. These crucial decisions make a huge impact on a company’s bottom line.

As businesses grow, investing in fleet management software can significantly reduce operational costs. All these savings ensure the company stays profitable, competitive and continues to scale. Imagine paying less for fuel and wages but making more revenue!

Fleet monitoring benefits any fleet, whether it’s a local cleaning service or a large utilities provider.

But isn’t it difficult to set up and get started with this software?

No! Fleet monitoring starts with a one-time installation of a GPS unit onto each asset (whether it’s a vehicle, piece of equipment or a tool). Once this plug-and-play installation is complete, the device automatically starts transmitting real-time data.

Telematics is growing more popular every year. According to a 2018 Government Fleet Research survey, 75% of fleets used telematics on at least some of their vehicles!

Implementing fleet monitoring isn’t nearly as scary or as hard as you think. Here are 5 more tips to help your team get started.

1. Educate all your staff on how fleet monitoring works.

Worried about the staff?

Of course, no one likes big changes and no one wants to feel micromanaged.

But the truth is, fleet monitoring reduces micromanagement by increasing visibility into daily operations. Now fleet managers can see the locations of every vehicle, track their progress and ensure proof of service (without constantly calling the drivers). This ensures timely job completion and customer satisfaction.

It’s important to educate drivers and technicians on how fleet monitoring actually works and be transparent about why the company needs to implement this technology. To stay profitable and continue growing in an ever-changing, often uncertain competitive landscape, companies need to adapt. So do employees.

The truth is, fleet monitoring: 

• Helps drivers stay safer by reducing bad driving behavior 
• Enhances security and prevents inventory loss 
• Ensures employees stay accountable

Fleet monitoring can reduce accidents and injuries by up to 25%, which in turn increases the vehicle's efficiency by 15%. (Source: Mordor Intelligence) Implemented well, fleet monitoring also improves trust and communications between managers and their staff.

2. Create and enforce better company policies with fleet monitoring.

Fleet monitoring is much more powerful than just showing you a moving dot on a map.

Yes, GPS tracking of asset locations and movement in real-time is important. But fleet monitoring tools can also help managers enforce company policies on idling time, speeding and vehicle maintenance. Cutting down on idling and speeding is the law. It’s also beneficial for the environment and significantly reduces fuel costs.

Fleet monitoring can reduce trip times by up to 68%. It also contributes to lower carbon emissions and fuel costs. (Source: Mordor Intelligence)

Telematics technology monitors:

• Fuel levels and fuel consumption
• Vehicle temperature
• Vehicle maintenance needs
• Route optimization and more!

(Interested in seeing these features in action? Check this out.)

Staying on top of vehicle maintenance prevents downtime, costly repairs and unexpected service disruptions/delays. Odometer and mileage information is always available and gets updated automatically. With telematics, managers get a full overview of each vehicle (and status updates) without needing to physically visit it.

Most importantly, fleet monitoring tools can help managers enforce safer driving behavior. The technology tracks aggressive driving activity (i.e. harsh braking, cornering, speeding) so managers can address these behaviors before they cause accidents or fines.

3. Use data to improve staff training and performance reviews.

Fleet monitoring makes it easy to visualize and analyze every vehicle trip.

How many vehicles left the gate? When? Who took which vehicle and for which site/job? Which drivers are available and when?

All these questions and more can be answered with fleet monitoring. Greater visibility improves dispatch and route planning. But to improve team productivity, staff need training on best practices and regular performance reviews. This builds trust and improves communication between managers and their employees.

Fleet monitoring helps managers identify good drivers (and reward them with incentives and/or their appreciation) as well as poor drivers (who may require discipline or termination). GPS and telematics data can help managers build stronger teams in the long run.

4. Improve your asset management with fleet monitoring.

When there are dozens of vehicles and hundreds of tools to keep track of, it’s easy to make mistakes. Mistakes can lead to unnecessary rentals or purchases, asset damage, loss or even theft.

Fleet monitoring prevents these problems by displaying all tagged assets and their locations (in real time). Fleet managers will no longer waste valuable time and energy tracking down vehicles, equipment and tools. Companies can reduce their expenses, too!

5. Use fleet monitoring to stay on top of maintenance.

Coordinating scheduled and preventative vehicle maintenance is easy with fleet monitoring. No more scheduling conflicts and headaches!

Telematics keep track of each vehicle’s mileage, usage and maintenance records. The software sends out alerts when it’s time for routine checkups. It also notifies fleet managers about potential issues so they can prevent minor tweaks from turning into major repairs. Keeping up with maintenance can extend the lifespan of your fleet vehicles and improve resale value too.

Fleet vehicles come with high fixed and variable costs. By consistently taking care of these assets, companies can get the most value out of their investments.

6. Pick the best fleet monitoring system that fits your needs.

The best fleet monitoring systems are easy to understand, install and use. Robust, autonomous hardware means companies can “set it and forget it”. After all, you shouldn’t need to keep track of “the tracker”! The best fleet monitoring system is one that will save you money and deliver immediate ROI. It should show you the data you need to make informed decisions (without overwhelming you). Features should be advanced but user-friendly. Of course, amazing customer service support is a must! (Hint: Logifleet checks all these boxes.)

Great fleet monitoring systems prevent headaches, not causes them.

When choosing the right fleet management system for your business needs, keep these questions in mind:

• How big is my fleet and how much have I invested in these vehicles?
• What types of vehicles are in my fleet?
• How am I currently evaluating drivers’ work performance?
• Am I worried about equipment, vehicle or cargo theft and damage?
• Am I anticipating future business growth and fleet monitoring needs?
• How do I provide proof of service or delivery at the moment?

In Conclusion

Yes, change is difficult. However, it is also necessary. As a fleet grows, it also needs to evolve. Fleet monitoring helps companies reduce fleet costs, increase team productivity and enforce better workplace policies. Investing in a high quality fleet management system ensures companies stay profitable and competitive, during good times and bad.

Is Logifleet a good fit for your needs? Speak with one of our team members today to find out!

Learn more about how Logifleet can improve your fleet management processes here.