Fleet management is a rapidly evolving industry, and it’s tough to keep up. Here are the 5 training courses you should put your fleet manager on that will hugely benefit your fleet manager in this fast-paced industry.
Fleet management is one of the most demanding jobs in the industry. It requires expert knowledge, continuous research and brilliant people skills. It’s also an ever-evolving industry – advances in vehicles and logistics systems are incredibly fast-paced which means fleet managers have to continuously adapt.
In addition to this frenetic environment, fleet managers have to manage a variety of people. Not only do they have to efficiently manage direct reports, but they also have to ‘manage’ across other departments such as sales or finance. At the same time, they need to know how to deal with top management in order to negotiate resources for the fleet – this is simply another level of management.
People management isn’t a skill that everyone is born with. In fact, those of us who are more logistics-oriented often don’t develop the best management skills (because if the logistics make sense, then what’s the problem, right?). Unfortunately, it’s not that simple and these days fleet managers need advanced people management skills in order to keep their fleets running smoothly. Thankfully, there are some cheat sheets available.
Fleet managers who are new to the game, or even veterans looking to sharpen their skills, should consider taking a management training course. In this ever-changing industry, you will always learn something new and valuable, so take the time to shop for a course that works for you. There are some excellent courses available that will not only help you hone your skills but can also be a good networking opportunity.
Below are some examples of relevant courses available in South Africa. The short courses are ideal for fleet managers who want to sharpen their skills, or for new fleet managers who want to get a head start in their new careers. The longer courses are perfect for those either considering a career in fleet management, or for new fleet managers who want to ensure their future. Some of the courses focus purely on people management, and these are perfect for fleet managers at any level – people are your most valuable asset and if you want to run a slick fleet you need to focus on your management skills.
TransAuto Academy
Online Fleet Management course
This online course is fantastic for new fleet managers who want to learn whilst they work. There are no fixed test dates or task deadlines and students work through the 12 modules at their own speed. Once the required modules have been completed, you need to complete an online test and, if you pass, you’ll receive a certificate. Content includes:
- Fleet management principles and concepts
- Fleet selection and acquisition
- Fleet finance options
- Fleet risk and insurance management
- Fleet operations management
- Fuel management
- Fleet Maintenance and tyre management
- Fleet telematics and tracking
- Fleet availability and utilisation
- Fleet replacement and disposal
- Fleet operations and administration
Visit TransAuto Academy to find out more about the online course.
TransAuto Academy
Lecture-based Fleet Management course
This course covers many of the same topics as those listed in the course above and is focused on fleet operations. Over a period of four days, students will attend numerous lectures and participate in a variety of scenarios designed to help fleet managers effectively deal with tough situations. A lot of emphasis is placed on recognising bad fleet management habits and how to improve your own management methods.
Visit TransAuto Academy to find out more about the lecture-based course.
Damelin
Short programme in Strategic Logistics Management
This course is extremely flexible. It runs over three days, but students can break this up into a few hours a week or even over weekends. It is perfect for new fleet managers, or even seasoned fleet managers who worked their way up without any formal training. In both cases, this course will provide valuable insight and methods for streamlining the way you work. It’s also an excellent accreditation to have on your CV if you want to further your career as a fleet manager.
Visit Damelin to find out more about the short programme.
Logistics Courses
Three-year diploma course in Fleet Management
This three-year diploma is a solid investment for new and existing fleet managers who intend to stay in this career. It’s a distance learning course, but there will be occasional lectures as well as test dates as well as task submission dates. It’s a long-term commitment, especially if you’re working full-time, but it is well worth the effort.
Visit Logistics Courses to find out more about the diploma.
UNISA
Programme in Road Transport Management
UNISA’s course is one of the most respected in the industry and offers an in-depth education in all aspects of fleet management. It’s also a distance learning course, with voluntary study groups and fixed test dates. The material in this course includes:
Introduction to Transport Management
- Introduction to transport management
- The transport management environment
- The transport process and technology
- General transport management
- Marketing management
Transport Operations Management
- Capacity planning
- Demand analysis
- Planning Capacity: Route planning
- Scheduling
- Planning the supply: Loading of vehicles
- Fleet planning
- Vehicle maintenance
- Planning the quality of the service
- Control over the operational activities
- Computer systems
Costing, Tariffs and Financing
- Road Transport costs
- Costing Road Transport Operations
- Budgeting and budgetary control
- Profit and tariff fixing
- Financial Management in Road Transport
Transport Policy and Regulation
- Transport Policy and Regulations
- Road Freight Transport Legislation
Visit UNISA to find out more about the programme.
The above courses are examples of the variety of options available to fleet managers in South Africa. As we’ve mentioned, fleet management is a fast-paced and growing industry and every year sees more options are added to the selection of courses. In addition, most institutions also offer courses in Business Management as well as People Management (often under their Human Resources departments).
The course you choose will depend on your level of experience and the skills you’re looking to improve on. Even if you’ve been in the game for twenty years or more, a refresher course is never a bad idea. There’s no such thing as too much information when it comes to fleet management!
Stay ahead of the curve and get updates, white papers and articles on the latest fleet industry trends, tips and news by joining our mailing list.
