With the trucking industry projected to grow through the rest of the decade1, so will the need for secure and easy ways to manage them.
Keeping track of trucks is just the beginning of what a fleet manager does. Great fleet managers keep the company advancing by capitalizing in key areas of a trucking business. Using autonomous software they can balance fuel management, routing, and reporting to generate a productive operation.
Because semi-trucks get an average of 6.5 miles per gallon of diesel2, maximizing fuel economy is one of the fleet manager's top priorities. Obstacles some fleet managers run into is being overloaded or needing to re-route a driver. There's software that can now alert them to who is running heavy and which detour is most efficient.
Knowing exactly where each driver and vehicle is located increases the efficiency of routing and re-routing. Seeing what's ahead with fleet visibility and traffic features enables fleet managers to make quicker, smarter routing decisions. Fleet managers can now use their drivers' available hours data coupled with location data to keep trailers full and maximize their shift time.
Accountability and compliance with regulations should be simple and easy. Productive fleet managers need software that delivers when it comes to organizing and tracking truck drivers' International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) miles and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandate for Hours of Service (HOS) logs.
IFTA data is now manageable with a few clicks giving drivers and fleet managers the ability to see overall miles traveled in each state as well as state-by-state miles for each truck. Fleet managers can also edit HOS logs and avoid out-of-service situations.
Safety of both the truck driver and those they share the road with come with reliable tools fleet managers can depend on. By helping drivers keep up on their daily vehicle inspection reports as well as getting alerts to see which trucks are having issues with fault code readings fleet managers can instantly take action to eliminate unplanned downtime.
Fleet managers can also use hardware and software solutions to address one of the industry's largest issues: driver turnover. By having answers at their fingertips, all in one place, fleet managers can keep their team organized and connected.
Fleet managers need a software and hardware system they can depend on. Navigation between the amount of fuel their drivers are burning, where their drivers are in their deliveries, potential violations, along with HOS logs and information for quarterly fuel tax reports should be hassle-free and drive a business forward.
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/heavy-and-tractor-trailer-truck-drivers.htm (visited July 06, 2021).
2. Schoettle, B., Sivak, M., & Tunnell, M. (2016, October 17). ATRI Releases Findings on Fleet Fuel Economy and Fuel Usage. American Transportation Research Institute. https://truckingresearch.org/2016/10/17/atri-releases-findings-on-fleet-fuel-economy-and-fuel-usage/.