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Things to consider when managing a fleet

11 July 2017

Effectively managing a fleet isn’t always an easy task. When dealing with a number of vehicles you have to consider not just the vehicles themselves, but also health, safety, and of course legislation.

However, fortunately, a little bit of purposeful planning can bring in some significant results.

Here are 8 things to consider when managing a fleet.

1. Stay in control of your data

One of the quickest ways fleet managers can get overwhelmed is when getting bogged down by data. Make sure you have a way to centralise your information so when you have to consider maintenance and repairs or check routes and drivers licenses, you can do so quickly and easily.

2. Choose the right car

Don’t send a lorry through the city to do a job that could be done in a mini cooper. Make sure you have a structure and policy in place that helps you pick the right car for the right job!

3. Manage your fleet size

This seems obvious, but to do it well is inevitably going to take some trial and error, particularly if you have a big fleet and are running a number of different operations. Understand that you need to revisit this regularly so you are not unnecessarily paying for cars that you don’t need.

4. Budget effectively

This ties directly into managing your fleet size, but budgeting is actually surprisingly complicated. If you have the resources, consider outsourcing some of this to an accountant, if not, at least try and get some consulting advice. Make sure you have a spreadsheet that allows you to look at all important factors in one place.

5. Delegate responsibility

It’s important to share responsibility among your team. This is because if you become too indispensable this can be damaging for the company. You can do this by taking the effort to train your staff to be competent enough to support you if need be.

Remember that though you may want to make sure you are valued, if you aren’t replaceable, it may limit your opportunities to move up into another role.

6. Choose the right software

Fleet management software can help you coordinate with your team and manage everything from vehicle acquisition to disposal. Some software’s allow driver and vehicle profiling, as well as remote control features, so you can really get into the nitty-gritty of effective fleet management.

7. Be meticulous with compliance

There is a lot of legislation to consider when it comes to fleet management. With duty of care, it’s absolutely vital that you have 100% compliance to avoid messy lawsuits. Since the Corporate Manslaughter Act of 2008, police now treat every road death as an unlawful killing, so they have the power to seize company records and computers.

8. Consider going green

Going green is not only good for the environment; it’s good for your brand image.

Look to have a strategy in place that targets eco-friendly vehicles, and leverage that as a marketing tool when working with clients.

If you’d like to find out about our fleet management service or our other leasing options, leave us a comment, send us an email at info@marshall-leasing.co.uk, or call us on 01480414541.

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