Fleet Management

What Is Fleet Management Software?

What Is Fleet Management?

Fleet Management Helps You:

  • Streamline fleet operations
  • Enhance customer service
  • Improve vehicle safety
  • Lower fuel consumption and minimize costs

Streamline fleet operations

Fleet management is a fusion of different processes and actions that fleet managers implement to run their fleet of vehicles on time, ensure safety and maximize efficiency. Public and private companies worldwide typically use centralized fleet management software to effectively schedule, dispatch, track and maintain their fleets.

The fleet management process includes:

  • Overseeing fuel costs and consumption
  • Maintaining Vehicles
  • Utilizing assets
  • Managing drivers
  • Implementing productivity-increasing programs
  • Route planning
  • Minimizing waste production

Fleet managers can use various tools to track vehicle health, determine appropriate management costs, track loads and mileage, plan routes, and handle end-to-end tasks and vehicle maintenance. It helps reduce manual workload, automate processes, reduce human errors and accidents, and maximize profit.

Some other departments also benefit from using integrated solutions like inventory management, customer experience, ERM software, fleet tracking and service dispatch software.

Enhance customer service

Did you know there’s an 82% probability of gaining customer loyalty through successful value enhancement? This data shows how vital customer service is for your business’ sustainability and scalability.

With fleet management solutions, you can handle your company’s CRM and create a positive customer experience. They facilitate an easy feedback mechanism and let customers track shipments in real time. Customers have greater control of the situation and can stay updated throughout the journey, from order placement to completion.

Fleet managers can optimize schedules and address feedback to provide customized services. Enhance customer experience with the following features:

  • Order information
  • Dispatch ETA
  • Driver details
  • Live map view
  • Feedback dashboard

Improve vehicle safety

If you’re running a commercial transportation business, the safety of the public and your vehicle must be your top priority. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has enforced FMCSA regulations to keep the roads of America safe. Fleet management systems can help you remain compliant with these regulations.

It sends automated alerts for vehicle maintenance and driver rest breaks. You can monitor vehicle health status and driver performance to minimize the risks of accidents. The software helps:

  • Monitor driver behavior
  • Schedule vehicle maintenance
  • Comply with DOT regulations
  • Track vehicles in real time

Lower fuel consumption and minimize costs

High fuel prices around the world are making it difficult for commercial transportation, supply chain management, eCommerce and warehouse management industries to operate. Factors like inappropriate driver behavior, inefficient route planning and overspeeding can contribute to a vehicle’s poor mileage. This increases your business expenses and makes it difficult to sustain in the market.

Fleet management platforms help keep track of a vehicle’s fuel consumption and send alerts whenever any problem occurs. Fleet managers can check reports from vehicle sensors and make necessary adjustments to boost fuel efficiency and minimize costs.

FAQs

Who uses fleet management?

Any company that comes to your mind when you hear words like logistics, transportation or any other service that requires a fleet of vehicles uses fleet management to organize and structure its workflow. Examples of these industries are:

  • Logistics
  • Food delivery
  • Utility
  • Emergency services
  • Landscaping
  • Construction
  • Waste management
  • Public transportation

What’s the role of a fleet manager?

Fleet managers are primarily responsible for overseeing fleet management operations and ensuring that vehicles run smoothly. They continuously monitor reports and take necessary actions. Their duties include supervising drivers, planning routes, handling acquisition, and managing maintenance and safety.

What are the basic components of fleet management?

The five basic components of fleet management that ensure that the company is structured, efficient, balanced and safe are:

  • Acquisition
  • Maintenance
  • Budgeting
  • Safety
  • Monitoring

What’s the difference between fleet management and fleet maintenance systems?

Fleet management and fleet maintenance software may sound similar but are different systems. Fleet maintenance is a part of fleet management that specializes in maintaining and tracking the condition of your vehicles. It includes scheduling updates on your fleet’s status, sending automated alerts for maintenance and vehicle inspections, and storing maintenance records.

On the other hand, fleet management systems help manage every aspect of your fleet, from vehicle acquisition to disposal. It has integrated tools like fleet maintenance systems to handle different management operations.

How do I select a fleet management system?

We understand that selecting the perfect fleet management software for your business can be arduous. You can start by creating a requirements list considering your operational needs, preferred deployment method, company size and budget. Decide whether you need a third-party fleet management system or in-house fleet management like Verizon, PepsiCo, Coca-cola and UPS.

We recommend you look out for fleet management features shortlisted by SelectHub in the software you want to implement. To make the process easier, consider using our free comparison report that compares leading vendors based on features, pricing and other criteria.

Have a question about which software vendor is right for you? We’d love to help! Contact our team for individualized recommendations by messaging [email protected] or phone at 855-850-3850.

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Fleet Management articles are written and edited by:

Zachary Totah

Content Manager

As SelectHub’s Content Manager, Zachary Totah leads a team of more than 35 writers and editors in their quest to provide content that helps software buyers find the right system for their company.

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Pooja Verma

Content Editor and Market Analyst

Pooja Verma is a Content Editor and Market Analyst at SelectHub, who writes content on Endpoint Security and Supply Chain Management.

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Tamoghna Das

Content Writer

Tamoghna Das is a Content Writer and Market Analyst at Selecthub, who delivers content on endpoint security and fleet management.

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Fleet Vehicle Maintenance: A Comprehensive Guide

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August 14, 2024
Unplanned downtimes and compliance violation penalties are the most significant financial burdens that can affect your fleet business. The only way to avoid these expenses is by incorporating preventive maintenance in fleet management. While timely inspections and repairs are crucial parts of the fleet vehicle maintenance plan, there are other equally important components to consider. Read on to find out!

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Freight Dispatcher: A Comprehensive Guide

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If you’ve ever wondered how online orders arrive at the right place on time, you have a freight dispatcher to thank. Think of them as logistical wizards who, like the game of Tetris, fit all the pieces of the supply chain puzzle together with their expertise in logistics and fleet management. They coordinate and handle all the movement of goods from manufacturers to shippers.

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Collision Avoidance Systems: A Comprehensive Guide

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August 8, 2024
Remember the spaceships precisely dodging asteroids in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”? Your fleet of vehicles can dodge collisions the same way using a collision avoidance system. Let’s understand its components, benefits and how it can increase safety and streamline fleet management.

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What Are ELD Devices? A Comprehensive Guide

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If you’re operating a fleet, implementing an electronic logging device (ELD) is mandatory by law. However, apart from compliance mandates, ELD devices offer several advantages for streamlining your fleet management process. In this guide, we’ll spill the beans on the ELD mandate, explore its benefits, analyze associated costs and more.

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DOT Inspection: A Comprehensive Guide

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A trucker’s heartbeat during an unexpected roadside DOT (Department of Transportation) inspection can become faster than the engine of a Boeing jet. If you’re a driver or a fleet manager, this guide might calm you down better than yoga as we discuss how you can stay on top of inspection levels with proper fleet management, planning and training.

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Fleet Camera Systems: A Comprehensive Guide

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July 26, 2024
Remember the iconic scene from Mission Impossible II, where Tom Cruise uses a network of small cameras in his sunglasses to navigate a laser grid? Fleet camera systems enable the same level of hawk-eyed awareness for your fleet of vehicles. By integrating high-quality fleet cameras into your fleet management systems, youcan keep your drivers and vehicles safe and efficient.

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Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR): A Comprehensive Guide

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July 24, 2024
Staying on top of the health and maintenance of all your fleet vehicles is crucial to ensure zero accidents. A DVIR or driver vehicle inspection report is a document that lets you identify and record mechanical issues within your fleet. Besides maintaining compliance, DVIRs help streamline fleet management operations and reduce downtime.

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What Is A SCADA System? A Comprehensive Guide

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July 23, 2024
Unlike personal relationships, having control over your industrial processes can make you a better administrator and streamline your management processes. But how do you supervise and control such extensive and diverse operations locally and remotely? Enter SCADA systems that automate real-time data monitoring, collection and analysis, providing you with up-to-date information and the ability to control industrial equipment.

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What Is Telematics? A Comprehensive Guide

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July 12, 2024
Telematics might sound like Eleven’s ability to move objects with her mind in Stranger Things, but it’s not (you’re thinking of telekinesis). This fleet management tool allows long-distance transmission of data in real time. In commercial fleet businesses, it’s commonly used for managing fleets through GPS tracking and helps track vehicles instantly from the office.

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GPS Fleet Tracking: A Comprehensive Guide

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July 8, 2024
Tracking a large fleet of vehicles manually is akin to keeping an eye on fifty children on a school field trip. Without efficient tracking solutions, fleet management can give you severe headaches. That’s why you need GPS fleet tracking systems — a combination of data analytics and satellite technology to monitor vehicular movement and driver behavior and streamline scheduling, routing and dispatching processes.

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