Published on : 03 April 20203 min reading time

The management of a transport company requires the resolution of several problems specific to the sector. Among these problems, fleet management takes a predominant place as, on the one hand, it concerns the main activity of the company, and on the other hand, the monitoring and control of the fleet requires adapted means and procedures. No wonder that most professionals prefer to use a fleet management service.

Fleet management in companies

Depending on the sector of activity of a transport company, these needs in terms of fleet management will be different. If it is involved in freight transport, the online management service will need to focus on fuel consumption, route improvement and customer satisfaction. The priorities are not the same if it is a fleet of express transport vehicles where the focus will have to be on accidentology, activity planning and checking hours worked. In the case of passenger transport, the company manager will rather have to measure the road risks, the satisfaction, comfort and welcome of the customer. For a transport company that specialises in providing a commercial fleet, its management will have to focus on maximising routes, raising awareness of the risks on the road and checking itinerant employees.

Due to a number of key factors, it becomes simpler to use a fleet management service. It simplifies your daily life in two ways:

Vehicle-centric management

Vehicle centric management is one of the advantages offered by a fleet management service. It can be summarized under two essential components which are geolocation and technical diagnosis.

Geolocation meets the need of the company manager to be informed, in real time, of the situation of his fleet of vehicles. Thanks to the advanced functionalities offered by online management services, you get much more than just the real-time position of your vehicle. Indeed, the software will show you the route the vehicle has taken, it will tell you where the car has been and how long it took. You will also be informed when a vehicle did not follow the prescribed schedule or route. This helps prevent employees from wasting time and using the car for personal use, thus optimizing fuel management.

The technical diagnosis focuses mainly on the condition of the vehicle. This includes all data on the mileage travelled, the drivers who have used it on such journeys, and the status of periodic maintenance. Overall, it allows an analysis of the performance of both the vehicle and the drivers. It is also possible to set up a notification to inform about the expiry of insurance, technical inspection, etc.

Driver-centric management

With a more advanced fleet management system, you can equip vehicles with an identifier. Therefore, the driver will have to present his identifier and code in order to start the car. This system prevents disputes and ensures the identity of the driver in the event of an accident, theft or otherwise. In addition, the system serves as a guarantee against theft and dangerous driving, as it informs the authorities and the company if these situations occur. With greater freedom of action, the system can even block the car’s ignition or force braking to prevent an accident. The data collected on each driver also gives the company the opportunity to evaluate its employees. In some cases, it will be possible to identify bad trends, such as a request for tire repairs or extra fuel every time X drives.