Fleet Management for Businesses
26 February 2010Fleet management is the ability to control the cost associated with operating and upholding a fleet of vehicles or equipment. Commercial business fleets can range from only a few vehicles to thousands of them. Fleet management can be achieved in-house or it can be outsourced to companies who specialize in fleet management.
The cost to sustain a fleet grows as the company fleet grows bigger. The need for adequate place to house and uphold a fleet increases as it grows bigger. Additional labor is needed to maintain and repair more vehicles, meaning more employees and more expenses associated with hiring and keeping them. Controlling overall cost is the most important reason to consider outsourcing fleet management.
Company vehicle management can amalgamate any number of functions including maintenance, tracking, diagnostics, fuel management, and driver management. One of the major benefits of fleet management is business roadside assistance which offers fleet owners peace of mind. From the purchase of a company fleet vehicle to the disposal of it, fleet management can cover every aspect and detail of each vehicle, including the driver.
One of the advanced tracking technologies is GPS monitoring. The location, speed, and travel route of vehicles can be tracked and reported back to fleet owners. Detailed reports on mileage and fuel consumption data can be gathered and accessed via onboard computing devices fitted on every vehicle. When vehicle tracking and onboard computer data are combined, the profile of the driver can be established. Tracking and diagnostics can reduce delays due to vehicle breakdowns by minimizing the time needed to locate the vehicle and dispatch roadside assistance.
Fleet security and overall control can be managed, offering fleet owners substantial peace of mind. Recent advances in management technology allow a vehicle to be remotely disabled while it’s in operation. These systems can slow a vehicle, stop a vehicle, prevent a vehicle from being moved, and even keep the vehicle from being started. This helps to prevent fleet vehicles from being stolen and assists in recovering them if they’re stolen. It helps to reduce the likelihood of cargo getting lost or stolen.
top