Many people do not realize how important logistics is for almost every sector of the economy. Among its many branches, truck fleet management is one of the most demanding and complex processes. It entails numerous challenges related directly to the vehicles to be managed as well as the data collected at each stage. The success of the business will depend on the effectiveness and efficiency of all operations. Fortunately, nowadays, modern technologies are a great ally and even play a fundamental role in truck fleet management. They maximize business opportunities by automating tasks that would be ineffective and slow if performed manually. They can observe every aspect and collect all the data, which they then analyze. Delve into the topic of effective fleet management a little more.
What is truck fleet management?
Fleet management is a logistics process consisting of the allocation and flow of means of transport, human resources and other supplies in association with other logistic processes. This process is carried out through an orderly set of activities such as planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It takes into account the criteria of time, effectiveness in meeting the organization’s goals, costs and location. The purpose of fleet management is to organize activities aimed at achieving the desired results as well as performing tasks with the optimal use of the fleet. Fleet management can include a range of functions such as vehicle leasing and financing, vehicle maintenance, licensing and compliance, supply chain management, accident management, vehicle tracking and diagnostics, driver management, fuel, vehicle health and safety. It is practically necessary to use appropriate software for effective fleet management.
How to organize a truck fleet?
Logistics is a very important segment of the economy. Fleet management is therefore essential to the processes in almost every sector of the fleet. For this reason, achieving high efficiency, the perfect condition of vehicles and supervising every possible process is crucial. Safety is equally significant, as is customer satisfaction. The amount of data that needs to be processed is huge, so manual work does not achieve the required efficiency. Managers are employed to manage the fleet who are responsible for all supervision. Fleet managers need to monitor data, analyze it and develop clear action plans. Nevertheless, many companies choose to digitize some or most of these processes to operate more efficiently. Fleet management software can help you efficiently route routing, vehicle maintenance, driver management, vehicle tracking, real-time reporting and more.
Read also: What is Blockchain in Transportation? How is it Used?
How software can help better truck fleet management?
The use of modern technological solutions in the logistics industry certainly brings many benefits. Fleet management software can help businesses improve their business processes on many levels.
Increased efficiency and lower costs
Fleet management software helps you achieve greater efficiency. By providing detailed information and reports for fleet managers, they can collect and process data to optimize processes. It gives you in-depth, detailed knowledge of vehicles, their locations, routes, drivers, etc. This provides insight into all areas, allowing you to avoid unexpected expenses and make improvements.
Streamlined fleet maintenance
Fleet maintenance and the life cycle of vehicles are often areas that weigh heavily on a company’s finances. Fleet management systems provide all the tools and processes that are needed for efficient vehicle management. Thanks to it, you can easily develop a preventive maintenance schedule, regularly check the condition of vehicles, fuel consumption, engine condition and kilometers traveled. Fleet management software also allows you to track vehicle downtime caused by breakdowns, towing or repairs. The collected data can help to identify potential problem areas and better adapt the schedule to the needs. Ultimately, this could translate into time and money savings in the future.
Greater driver safety
The safety of drivers is one of the top requirements in fleet management. Monitoring their work and efficiency will be helpful in this process. Fleet management software can generate real-time alerts about driving hazards. It can do it with the use of cameras or sensors, and in the event of dangerous behaviour, speeding, etc., send information to the system. Thanks to this, it improves not only the safety of drivers but also on the roads in general.
Optimizing fuel consumption
By analyzing the behaviour of drivers, their stops and driving style, the system receives information that it can use to generate reports. Based on them, companies can make thoughtful decisions and introduce changes and regulations aimed at optimizing the work of drivers and, consequently, lower fuel consumption.
Updates in a real-time
By using GPS, fleet management software enables fleet tracking in real-time and manages vehicles as needed. Accurate insight into vehicle locations, conditions and estimated route time helps managers to react regularly. This increases efficiency and eliminates the need to call drivers for updates.
Read more: How to Build a GPS App? Tips and Best Practices
Better customer service
The fleet management system helps to effectively shorten the delivery process and thus the waiting time of customers. Hence, with the use of software, you can provide more efficient and effective customer service. This increases loyalty and retention because people are more likely to return to a company that offers high-quality services.
Future and trends in fleet management software
The global fleet management market is growing all the time. According to Marketsandmarkets’ research, it is expected to increase to $34.0 billion by 2025. The availability of technology and software supporting fleet management also has a great impact on this. This goes hand in hand with the need to optimize fleet operating costs, reduce costs, as well as the growing demand for operational efficiency. Among the most noticeable trends, we can distinguish several. The gradual integration of voice functions, the use of artificial intelligence and extensive data analytics are at the fore. Modern fleet management software will use innovative solutions for vehicle telematics to increase productivity, safety and reduce costs. An interesting trend in fleet management is the growing capabilities of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. Using GPS, 5G, and WiFi tracking, more and more fleet vehicles will begin to connect in the virtual cloud through data sharing and constant communication. Market researchers also say Mobility as a Service (MaaS) will make a big difference in logistics. For users, being mobile and having all the available tools and functions in one place is very important.
Conclusion
It is safe to say that when you decide to invest and implement fleet management software, you are investing in the future and development of your company. Currently, it is almost impossible to achieve efficiency and success without appropriate software to support logistics processes. Fortunately, the number of solutions available is huge, and the progress is very fast. It is good to know the trends and react to them properly so as not to fall behind the competition. At BinarApps, we have experience in developing software for the logistics sector. If you need a technology partner, contact us.
May 27, 2021
