Nowadays, there’s a bespoke piece of technology – whether it’s hardware or software – to answer pretty much any commercial demand. With haulage being the backbone of British business, it’s no surprise that the development, and adoption, of fleet management software has grown massively in the last ten years or so.
Yet while huge companies have got to grips with tech that’s often tailored to their specific needs – and at great cost – what do smaller businesses and start-ups stand to gain from off-the-shelf fleet management software?
Here are some of the reasons we think you should really consider an investment, whatever your budget may be…
Fuel management
One immediate cost-effective benefit of fleet management software is that it can record the use of fuel between vehicles. It’s not just a simple, linear recording of litres used, however; it can analyse when a van or truck is being driven inefficiently (through hard acceleration or idling), or if a vehicle is underperforming (and may need servicing).
Location tracking
Having an overview of where your drivers are at all times is incredibly important, and fleet managers can have access to this with a lot of widely-available fleet programs. There are countless possibilities for how you use it, too:
For instance:
- If there’s bad weather inbound and you have high-sided trucks in the area that may need warning;
- If there’s an accident on the road and you need to know if anyone will be affected;
- A situation when you need to get your closest operative to an urgent job; or
- Simply being able to tell a customer when to expect a delivery.
Maintenance monitoring
At the touch of a button, fleet management software can give you data on every vehicle relating to when it was last serviced, when its tyres were replaced, how recent the last oil change was, and if a specific brake needs checking. Combined with an automatic alerts system telling you when you need to act, software can keep your fleet running more efficiently, for longer, and with lower safety risks to your drivers.
Stock and delivery notifications
If you’re in the business of delivering or distributing goods, it’s always good to know what’s in the van and what isn’t. Now, it’s possible to have this data built into fleet management software, so you’ll always know where your goods are.
On-board diagnostics
While this option is much more towards the luxury end of the market, on-board diagnostics can tell you when (and why!) a vehicle’s "check engine" light comes on. It can be so efficient that a fleet manager may know a problem before a driver’s even realised the warning has popped up on their dashboard.
You can get software as a service
While many people may fear that a huge upfront cost may hamper their chances of installing fleet management software at their workplace, think again. The popularity of subscription-based software has meant that what was once hundreds of pounds to buy – only for it to go out of date, or lose support – can now be bought on a per-vehicle, per-month basis, meaning you can amend a subscription to match your business needs. What’s more, it’s updated automatically by its creators, meaning you’ll always have the best version to hand.
