Fleet Performance Management Features & Benefits

Utilising a fleet performance manager can help automate and streamline operations, tackle common pain points for fleet managers, and deliver measurable results. Learn how this comprehensive telematics solution can transform your business operations. 

Learn how fleet managers can leverage advanced fleet performance management technology to overcome common challenges whilst analysing and improving fleet performance metrics. 

Managing fleet performance can help ensure that your fleet runs efficiently, timely, and within budget. This tool will make the fleet manager's job seamless, streamlining the decision-making process and enabling the organisation to operate optimally. 

Overall, telematics ensures a more connected fleet. Whether you need assistance with asset management, dispatch and routing or vehicle acquisition and disposal, fleet performance management will help to cover all your bases. 

Core Aspects of Fleet Performance Management 

The fleet management industry faces numerous operational challenges daily. At Powerfleet, we are dedicated to collecting and communicating information that gives fleet operators actionable insight into their fleet's performance. 

Fleet performance can be monitored with the use of tools like GPS tracking and in-cab and road-facing cameras. Used in tandem with telematics software, like Fleet Manager, fleet managers can have access to: 

• Live tracking 
• Driver Safety analysis 
• Real-time driver feedback 
• Route planning & management 
• Fuel usage monitoring, and 
• AI-powered video 

Implementing a fully integrated Powerfleet solution provides fleet managers with comprehensive, precise data that will deliver measurable results. 

Analysing Fleet Performance 

Fleet operators can analyse fleet performance by monitoring specific key performance indicators (KPIs) via the KPI Manager. Fleet managers can use this tool to set actionable organisational goals, track progress, and manage any problem areas that may arise. 

When examining fleet performance more closely and considering what makes one operate optimally, these are three core pillars to note. Within these sections, there are KPIs to further refine the analysis of your fleet's performance. 

Safety 

The safety and security of a fleet are key indicators to note when trying to gauge its performance. Negligence in this regard is dangerous for your drivers and can offset your fleet's productivity. Eventually, this can have a domino effect on your bottom line, requiring costly repairs or the acquisition of new vehicles to replace damaged ones. 

Considering this, fleet performance managers should keep an eagle eye on indicators of dangerous driving. Driver behaviours to take note of are: 

• Speeding 
• Harsh braking 
• Accidents and crashes 
• Poor corner handling 

Fleet managers can monitor these behaviours to help stop them in their tracks, correct any recklessness, and prevent future crashes. By prioritising the safety of your employees, vehicles, and assets, you're creating an environment where your fleet can flourish. After all, a safe fleet is an efficient fleet. 

Efficiency 

Regardless of which industry you work in or your business goals, being efficient is crucial. This is because efficiency equals productivity, saving you time and helping you cut unnecessary costs. 

Fleet performance management can help operators build and maintain an efficient fleet by providing clear-cut analytics on its performance. This visibility helps them identify where they're failing and recognise areas for improvement. 

KPI metrics fleet managers should track regarding fuel efficiency are: 

• Empty miles 
• Fuel consumption 
• Idling 
• Fleet asset utilisation 

An efficient fleet is conscious of fuel consumption, receives regular maintenance, and uses optimal fleet delivery routes and schedules. 

Compliance 

Fleet vehicles and their drivers spend days on end on the road, performing optimally despite the many obstacles that stand in their way—like terrible road conditions, bad weather, or traffic. Above all else, they must comply with the rules of the road. 

Hours of Service (HOS) is a central objective of the ELD. It aims to regulate the number of weekly driving and working hours drivers should adhere to and the amount of rest they should take between driving stints. All compliance KPIs relate to this. 

Compliance KPIs fleet operators need to monitor are: 

• Hours of Service violation reporting 
• Driver's available hours 
• Any unassigned mileage per vehicle 

Being compliant entails abiding by driving laws, regularly maintaining your vehicles or assets, and sticking rigidly to safety standards. 

Challenges Faced by Fleet Managers 

1. Fuel Management 

Fleet fuel prices are at an all-time high which makes fuelling your fleet an (expensive) nightmare. Moreover, these prices are constantly fluctuating, making it impossible to foresee how much it's going to cost to fill up your fleet from month to month. 

2. Managing Drivers 

Managing and maintaining a relationship with your drivers is an integral part of fleet management, although it can also be one of the biggest challenges. 

As you've put money into training your drivers and acquiring vehicles, you have a vested interest in them adding value to your operation and not damaging assets with hazardous driving or negligence. As drivers are constantly on the road, managers can't contact them by messaging or calling them. This can throw a real spanner in the works in terms of communication. 

Fleet operators are also responsible for fostering an environment where safety is a priority. This can be done by implementing a thorough driver safety programme and ensuring that all employees are educated on the rules of the road and all traffic and compliance regulations. 

3. Time-Consuming Admin 

Fleet management can be a time-consuming and expensive feat. Whether you're invoicing, keeping clients in the loop, dispatching or scheduling maintenance checks --- this is especially tedious if you're managing everything manually. Moreover, this can have a ripple effect on other aspects of your business, reducing overall productivity. 

4. Vehicle Acquisition and Maintenance 

Getting your vehicle serviced routinely can be a prominent pain point for fleet operators. Vehicle acquisition and maintenance are costly and play a central role in fleet efficiency. 

For example, a sudden breakdown or car crash can significantly disrupt productivity and lead to delays. Repairing the damage these incidents cause will also incur an additional cost, and if your vehicle has not been regularly serviced, the costs can add up. 

How Fleet Performance Management Can Benefit Your Business 

Considering the above factors, a fleet performance management solution can rectify and even prevent major challenges that fleet managers regularly face. 

Telematics solutions can automate tasks, like logging driver hours and issuing maintenance reminders. The automation of these typically paper-based tasks helps to avoid miscommunication and human error, helping to amplify customer experience and safeguard your brand's reputation. 

Additionally, it equips your fleet to help meet compliance requirements by transmitting data to the relevant enforcement officers and alerting drivers when compliance requirements aren't met. The fleet management system also records and captures trip data, making it simple for operations to review and analyse. 

Fleet performance management can help fleet managers keep an eagle eye on excessive fuel use and risky driver behaviours, like harsh breaking or unnecessary idling. This solution also assists in route tracking in real-time, helping to ensure optimal routes are being utilised. This wastes fuel, which in turn wastes money and leads to your efficiency plummeting. This can also have negative ramifications on driver and vehicle safety. 

By closely monitoring driver behaviour, operators can create a culture of responsibility and accountability among their drivers. This also gives drivers the opportunity to be rewarded or incentivised for quality performance. Alternatively, it could also identify areas for additional training, helping to build an optimised fleet and boosting employee satisfaction. 

Fleet management can improve fleet safety by monitoring and recording driver behaviour and compiling this information into customisable reports. Fleet operators have constant access to this data, allowing them to identify dangerous drivers on the roads. 

As previously mentioned, Powerfleet offers an in-cab video solution that records footage of trips. This gives fleet managers access to the cause and aftermath of any road incidents. 

Fleet management can also benefit an operation's security. This is due to the constant stream of information managers receive regarding asset details, such as which vehicles are overconsuming electricity and fuel or whether any vehicles are unaccounted for. This data is easily accessible via an online platform, simplifying the risk management process. This system allows for extra safety precautions with electric tagging, beacons, and geofencing. 

The above benefits indicate the holistic coverage and support a fleet performance management solution can offer. With Powerfleet, you know you're getting quality service that will return tangible results. 

Learn more about how fleet management can benefit your business here.