Not all fleets are the same, not all vehicles are the same, not all routes are the same; but for all companies who employ drivers—driving being the primary work activity—the advantages of using fleet management solutions are numerous. From a small fleet of even just one vehicle to one that is much larger, technology can bring advantages to all of them.
Today we are considering the example of passenger transport companies; going on to explain, in a few points, how a fleet management system like SynX could be of benefit.
#1 - Enhance safety management
Transportation fleets are tasked with conveying their customers from a starting point to a destination point, safely. Companies which base their business on this basic concept need a workforce comprised of reliable drivers and, furthermore, have to ensure that these drivers practice a safe driving style on every trip.
By monitoring driver behaviour it is possible to track the safety of your drivers and customers by checking if the drivers are slipping into unsafe practices such as speeding, harsh braking and rapid accelerations.
On other occasions we focused on how costly incidents can be both in human terms and from an economic point of view, so having safe drivers and good Health and Safety practices in your workplace will have a positive impact on both costs and on your team.
#2 - Make maintenance more efficient
A vehicle that is off the road is always a source of cost if we think in terms of repair bills and loss in potential revenue—more so if profits are based on fee-paying passengers. Maintenance, therefore, definitely needs to be preventative and almost never reactive.
Another point to consider is the possibility of an unforeseen breakdown. This is a big enough problem for all businesses in the transport industry, but what if you have passengers on board… think about the reputation of your company and any compensation that may need to be paid out to disgruntled customers.
With the help of a fleet management tool like SynX, maintenance is always under control and you can stay on top of it very easily.
#3 - Cut on costs
Again, this is the number one worry for all kinds of fleets. It may not be obvious where you can reduce costs, but an analytical tool can certainly point you in the right direction.
You can comprehensively monitor various events, even the apparently innocuous ones such as idling time. If drivers are waiting on a group of passengers to return they might leave the engine running, for example, or be in the habit of cruising around in the interim. Having all your fleet metrics at your fingertips will definitely help you coach your team on how not to waste fuel and cut on costs.
Want to learn more? Check out our blog post: Fleet and transport trends: predictions for 2017?