Operating a commercial fleet can be extremely challenging, and there are issues which can arise for companies operating in specific sectors. However, there are also several key issues which can have severe impacts on companies regardless of the industry they operate in.
Fleet tracking software and solutions can offer a significant number of benefits to companies that operate a commercial fleet.
Rising fuel costs
One of the biggest issues that commercial fleets face is rising fuel costs. For companies operating their commercial fleet without fleet tracking, it can be challenging to track the amount of fuel used daily quickly and accurately. When employing fleet tracking, to view every vehicle across a fleet individually or as a whole, a very accurate figure for the amount of fuel used can be generated.
By tracking the amount of fuel used by individual vehicles, fleet managers can identify patterns which could highlight specific drivers who may need training on more economical driving. There are even in-cab systems which provide direct and instant feedback to the driver based on their driving behaviour. These systems alert drivers to actions which contribute to high fuel usage, such as harsh braking or accelerating, allowing them to self-correct their driving style in real time.
Fleet tracking lowers fuel costs
Overall, installing fleet tracking can reduce the amount of fuel used, this results in lower fuel costs for the company. With the cost of fuel accounting for a significant expense for companies operating a commercial fleet, having a clearer idea of how much is used and where savings can be made is highly beneficial.
Lower fuel usage also reduces the harmful emissions produced by a commercial fleet, which is more important than ever considering the environmental impacts of pollution.
Another critical issue for all commercial fleets is the safety of their drivers. It can be very difficult to track how drivers are behaving behind the wheel without fleet tracking. The in-cab systems mentioned above, while also alerting drivers to high fuel usage actions, provide feedback to drivers based on dangerous actions such as speeding or harsh cornering.
Making drivers aware
Making commercial drivers aware of these dangerous actions allows them to correct them, and this not only makes driving safer for them but all other road users. While the benefit to everyone’s safety is the most important issues, there can be other benefits to having a safer commercial fleet. When it comes to the insurance for a commercial fleet, being able to show the improvement in safety for the fleet’s drivers could result in lower fees.
The third issue which transcends industries is an ability to view the live locations of all vehicles within a fleet at any time. Without this ability, locating vehicles for emergency jobs or providing customers updates on, for example, delivery times can be very challenging.
Through fleet tracking, accurate location data can be viewed by a fleet manager to help them make decisions on where to send vehicles for jobs or to advise drivers about areas they should avoid for traffic reasons. Another benefit is that by collecting this location data over time decisions can be made as to the best course of action regarding new environmental regulations.
City restrictions have affected trucking companies
The introduction of Ultra Low Emission Zones in cities such as London has caused issues for companies whose vehicles do not comply with emission regulations. These regulations have forced companies to either pay the entry fees or upgrade their vehicles to meet the regulations.
By looking at historical travel data, fleet managers can calculate if their vehicles enter these emission zones regularly enough to make upgrading the most cost-effective solution.
Overall installing fleet tracking can make a significant impact on these three issues which the majority of companies operating a commercial fleet’s face.
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