1 – Hiding their head in the sand
Fleet managers, or those responsible for fleets, sometimes have the kind of worries that lead to sleepless nights; some will actually hide their head in the sand, putting off researching into their fleet’s activity from fear of what they might discover.
In other words, they are seriously concerned about
becoming aware of issues that could bring on more work, new policies to implement, or
unpleasant conversations with drivers on how they should operate vehicles, equipment or safety devices. Pause for a moment… and consider
what would be riskier...
2 – Being unable to adapt to changes
A fleet manager’s role has changed so much in the last decades, with the advent of outsourcing and the development of technology, that it has become necessary for fleet managers, as well as for others involved in the fleet operation, to adapt to these changes. The visionary manager treats this as an ambitious challenge, an opportunity to grow, learn more and run their fleet with greater success.
Others are resistant to further development or adopting new ways, even if these methods could eventually improve their job performance; for some reason they are unwilling to make the initial investment of their time.
3 – Procrastinating
If it is true that some aspects of businesses can benefit from procrastination—it is wiser to spend time checking for the best prices for purchasing vehicles, for example, or looking for the optimum insurance policy or service provider—it is also true that sometimes you are best not to dally if an issue is spotted and the chances are that it is going to become more and more serious if it isn’t addressed.
Focussing on the important things, scheduling in some extra time, being a good decision-maker and acting at the right time are attitudes that all serious fleet managers should cultivate.
4 – Making assumptions on their fleet and drivers
Are drivers doing their
daily walk-around checks? Are vehicles used correctly? Are safety features adequately employed? Do all company personnel share the same information? Is everyone aware of all the policies in place? If you are a fleet manager, you should
not take anything for granted. It is not a matter of trust only, it is also about how making incorrect assumptions could cost you and your company in the long run.
Although it can be tempting, do not wait until the end-of-the-month servicing bill to get really expensive… wondering why your vehicles need so much maintenance or why a van was stopped by the police to check if everything is as it should be...
Images credits: picture 1 taken from biggerpockets.com, picture 2 taken from pixabay-username geralt, picture 3 taken from Don Moyer via Compfight cc, picture 4 taken from blogs.aaslh.org