April, of course, brings spring temperatures and the first thoughts of summer. But perhaps most importantly, April brings the first days of the second quarter of the year. And that, of course, means that it’s time to reflect on the first quarter.
So, how was your first quarter? How did your fleet do on maintenance and fuel usage? How smoothly were your fleet operations conducted? What could have been done differently? What did you excel at?
Looking ahead to Q2 and Q3, here are some things to keep in the back of your mind about your fleet and ways that a high quality fleet management software suite can help.
First and foremost, don’t forget that a properly maintained fleet is a smoothly running and effective fleet. Your preventative maintenance routine is the single-most important thing you can do to keep your fleet on the road and operational. It will cut down on repair costs, improve vehicle efficiency, and help ensure that your drivers are driving the safest and most reliable vehicles possible for the job at hand.
Use your fleet vehicle management software to set reminders and automate the process of tracking when vehicles are due for routine maintenance. And, when that maintenance is performed, use the software to immediately schedule the vehicle for its next service run.
Q1 should have also given you a good look into how your fleet was going to perform this year and, as such, should have also shed some light on any shortcomings or gaps in your areas of coverage. Use Q2 to develop a plan to grow your fleet and ensure that deliveries and other fleet operations are unencumbered by an inability to get where you need to go in a timely manner.
Use fleet management data to analyze vehicle time on the road and mileage. Make sure that your vehicles are taking the most efficient routes possible and that each mile driven is making the biggest return for the company. Analyze data over time to try to spot any trends and make corrections as they become necessary.
Lastly, make sure that you’re using the right vehicles for the jobs at hand. If your fleet consists of a mix of cars, trucks, and vans, then each vehicle should be used in such a way that maximizes its effectiveness. Again – it’s all about efficiency in the fleet management game. Don’t send a van to do what a car might be perfectly capable of accomplishing.
Using these three goals as a foundation for the coming quarters may give your fleet operations the boost they need to make up for any shortcomings you encountered in Q1. And, if your first quarter was already a success and you’re just looking to expand on that success for the rest of 2016, then use your fleet management software to identify ways to increase your lead.