As a fleet manager, you have many things to take care of in the business. You have to manage the drivers, keep track of the vehicles, maintain those vehicles, and pay your drivers, among a few things. Moreover, transportation and delivery services are the key industries in the modern world economy. It makes your job even more crucial. With fleet management, you are responsible for the successful delivery of thousands of packages in a day. Time tracking is a must. It is imperative that you keep track of your team at all times — for two reasons:
- to ensure smooth processes and timely deliveries and responses by your drivers; and
- to ensure the safety of your drivers and be able to help them in times of need and emergency.
What Problems Can You Face with Fleet Management?
As a fleet manager, it is not easy to keep a tab on the work and status of so many drivers in a fleet. To do this manually is yet another mission. Hauling has become very rare, which makes work hours lesser and the workload more, especially in the service industry. On the other hand, interference with the supply chain industry and emergencies makes drivers work for longer, odd hours. These issues complicate your job. Moreover, they make simple work harder than it needs to be.
Always Knowing Your Vehicle’s Location
Thanks to GPS tracking, you always know your fleet vehicles’ locations. This feature helps see where your asset is and where it is going in real-time! Because of this feature, you communicate with your driver and relay instructions or any last-minute improvisations. You also identify route inefficiencies and plan better routes for your fleet. Since you know where all your drivers are at all times, you also see which drivers are closer to pick up points and assign them accordingly. Additionally, the geo-tracking features come in handy during an emergency. You will know exactly where to send your emergency dispatch team and not waste time finding your fleet.
Ensuring That Your Drivers Don’t Slack Off
With geo-tracking, you get an update about how long the drivers are operating. You keep a log of their working hours. It also makes scheduling tasks easier. You will be able to organize tasks and see who is doing what and where. All of this is done by automated technology, reducing the pressure of manual work. You also automatically inform and notify your team of drivers of any changes in schedule or detours that they need to take. The process is much easier when converted online. You ensure maximum productivity and resource utilization by using geo-tracking.
Tracking Time from Any Time and Anywhere
Time tracking for your fleet management streamlines your operations and makes room for improvement. Your employees also easily keep their eyes on how many hours they work in a week and prevent overworking. They do this easily through a mobile application. Most GPS Trackers come with apps that are easy to use and have a user-friendly interface. Time management also helps you manage labor costs and employee roles.
Accurate ETAs
Time management helps you predict accurate Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) for your delivery services. It keeps your customers at ease and results in high-quality customer service. Suppose your customer is not available at his/her residence during the ETA given. The customer can reschedule the delivery with you as per convenience. This way, you would not have to carry out unnecessary business when the customers are not available to pick up their orders. It also takes care of safety issues that come with delivering parcels. By giving an accurate ETA, you build a bond of trust between the customer and your delivery service.
This ETA also works in the context of school buses. You can inform your school and parents community when your buses leave school and when they are expected to reach a house. It serves as a relief for most parents.
Loading and Unloading
Accurate time tracking also accounts for the duration of loading and unloading goods into a vehicle. It gives you reliable logs of your delivery van/truck. Sometimes your vehicle makes multiple stops for the purpose of loading and unloading goods. You need to keep a record of all these events. Recording this time gives a more authentic picture of the time actually taken for delivery and transport.
Final Comments
Time tracking is imperative for you to have smooth operations in your business. It is as vital for you to track your employees’ work, as it is for them to track their own hours. Opt for an efficient and affordable fleet management system to help you out. Only then will you be able to delegate work responsibly and make the best out of your fleet.
