When you are running a fleet, whether this is a large scale, or smaller scale trucking business, you will want to ensure that you are as productive as possible. Streamlining your operations, being efficient and forward planning will help you face the future positively, and it will ensure that your business has staying power in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Of course, to make your fleet that bit more productive and potentially even more profitable you have to progress, and you have to push forwards, and one of the ways you can do this is to utilize fleet monitoring software. Software that is used correctly can help drive and grow your business and it can help increase your profitability, so how do you use it well and effectively to ensure maximum success?
1.Use a Reputable Brand of Monitoring Software
You need to know you can trust the brand that you use and this is why brand, name, and reputation are so important. If you do not go with a reputable brand name, or trusted name then how can you guarantee that you will get the success or results you need? Using a cheap or unreliable option can jeopardize your business and your fleet so do not compromise. Always go with a brand that is reputable and recognized. When it comes to finding a reputable brand, see what other fleets and businesses are using, and see which software is getting well-reviewed and recommended.
2.Get All Employees and Drivers On Board With the Changes
Not all of your employees or fleet drivers will be on board with changes, advances, and developments. A lot of employees do not readily welcome change, and this is something you will have to deal with head-on. Getting everyone within your business on board and up to date with the software you are using is the only way to go. If you see that some employees or drivers are dragging their feet then this will ultimately affect the success of the software when in use. To get the most out of any new fleet software you use you must regularly organize training sessions, and you must listen to any concerns or issues that are being raised.
3.Use GPS Tracking
Within your business, and your fleet of drivers, you will want to be as productive as you possibly can be. One way you can use fleet software to aid you with productivity is to use a dash cam with live GPS tracking as this will allow you to track which route your drivers are taking, and it will allow you to plan out routes to ensure that they are fuel-efficient and time-efficient too. Utilizing dash cams with live tracking will allow you to keep on top of what your drivers are doing, and it will allow you to keep customers, suppliers, and other end-users of ETAs, which are always appreciated in any industry.
4.Simplicity is Key
When using monitoring software you mustn’t overcomplicate processes. Software is there to make your business life easier, so remember to keep it simple. Use the features within the software that will benefit you and your business. For example, if you want to focus on productivity then use software to highlight productivity reports and data from the last month or last quarter.
5.Use One Piece of Software at a Time
It can be tempting to try out lots of software applications or packages all at once, especially if you are trying to improve the way that your fleet and business are run, but this can be unproductive and can leave you with unclear results and data, which will, in turn, be hard to disseminate and work with. So, where you can focus on using and installing one piece of software at a time. Get everyone on board with one package and then look at other options.
6.Utilize Reports to Make Improvements
To improve and develop your fleet you must look at the reports compiled within your software. Monitoring what is happening for 6 months to a year will give you a clear picture of where you need to make changes and improvements. If you only use live data and not a combination of living and historic then you will struggle to get an overview of what is happening within your fleet, and at this point, you will struggle to make the changes required.
Fleet software will be beneficial to your business, and your fleet and to get the most out of it you must use any new software methodically. Decide what you want to achieve out of your software from the minute you implement it.