If your fleet is growing, it means your business is too. However, with the amount of paperwork you’ll have to deal with, it’s easy to lose sight of the basics.
When you need to make sure you know where your vehicles are, and when they need a service, keeping track can be daunting. Here are six ways to simplify the complexities of fleet management, and that you would keep your fleet on the road.
Set up a system that works for you so that you have all the relevant details of each vehicle in the fleet at hand, quickly. You can use paper, or software to help you make sure you have all the information at hand. Categorise your fleet’s documents in a way that makes sense – use plate numbers so you can easily find that Gauteng truck, or the one with an EC number plate. This will also make it easier to track vehicles if a member of the public complains – or lauds – your drivers. If you go with paper, make sure you have copies of everything. Keep logs, service records, and drivers’ details in the system. If you go with software, keep the same information in a file folder that you can find – all the relevant information – including drivers’ IDs and licenses, and back it up to the cloud, or a network. Download a log book here, to help you keep track of your fleet.
Although we are all increasingly reliant on software to keep a handle on important issues, sometimes we become overloaded with information. There’s nothing better than a visual cue to keep us on track. Set up a monthly whiteboard, so you can track each important aspect of every vehicle in your fleet. Use Post-its to indicate important dates: services, licence renewals, drivers’ licence renewals, which vehicles are in for work, and where they are on the road. Shuffle ongoing notes, such as services, to the next date as soon as you’ve completed the paperwork. Of course, keeping a pack of forms – either hard or soft copy on hand – will make your admin that much easier. You can also use the board to create a ‘to do’ list detailing important issues about vehicles that come up from time to time.
Whatever email system you use, it likely has a calendar built in. Use this to remind yourself of important events – as a backup to the visual cues. Does your vehicle need a service? Is a driver off on leave? Is a driver at a testing station renewing a licence? Schedule it so you can plan your routes more effectively, and help keep track of expenses. In addition, unless you’ve managed to get all insurance and registration renewals to coincide, this can help you keep on top of your game. But, make sure you have set it up so it’s on your visual cue board as well.
Keeping in touch with your driver’s daily is imperative. You need to know if they are running late, or if they’ve had a blow-out. Install a two-way communication tool so you know who is where, and when. However, whatever system you use, make sure it’s compliant with South Africa’s laws. The last thing you want is to add a fine to your list of ‘to do’ items.
There are a plethora of systems out there that you can install. It makes sense to go with one that meets your needs. Do you need a system that tells you if a vehicle has been idling for too long? One that lets you know if a vehicle has been over revved? How about oil and water levels? These all make sense because you can keep track of driving habits, fuel purchases and fuel economy, vehicle location, scheduled maintenance and renewals, on-board computer readouts and much more. All of this – of course – feeds into your visual and electronic calendars.
They say nothing in life is certain, except death and taxes. However, if you follow these guidelines, your life will be much easier when it comes to tax time. You’ll have a log book, and records of every expense for each vehicle.