Fleet Management Services Information
Fleet management services manage all aspects of a company's transportation fleet, which may include cars, trucks, vans, ships, rail cars, and aircraft. Services may include financing, maintenance, tracking, diagnostics, driver management, safety management, and others.
Vehicle fleet management may cover all aspects of fleet management, reducing costs and risks to the client associated with fleet ownership. In addition to general services, fleet management services can also provide information on driver behavior, such as average speed, breaks, and detour information. Fleet management companies which serve the marine industry concentrate on day-to-day ship operations such as maintenance, tracking, and crew management. Rail fleet management services can provide inspection, tracking, analysis, financial services. Aircraft fleet management services can provide crew management, maintenance, tracking, standards compliance, as well as hangar and support service.
Video source: MiX Telematics via YouTube
Services
Fleet management providers offer a variety of services to assist clients in handling fleet activities, including:
- Maintenance – establishes and manages regular maintenance schedules to keep assets in good condition and prevent unnecessary downtime and costs.
- Accident management – handles accident cases to get vehicles back on the road quickly.
- Licensing and regulatory compliance – ensures vehicles are compliant with all applicable regulations and handles titles, registrations, and insurance.
- Fuel services – allows fleet managers to monitor and control costs and saves fueling time by providing cards accepted at fuel stations.
- Acquisition – analyzes transport requirements and vehicle specifications to choose the best asset for the application, and handles ordering and delivery of assets.
- Financing – handles financing and leasing fleet assets to maximize profitability and minimize depreciation costs.
- Expense tracking – provides tools for logging and review of vehicle usage and fuel costs, facilitating administrative functions such as tax regulation compliance.
Telematics
Telematics refers to the integrated use of information technology and telecommunications to send, receive, and store data from remote objects. Fleet management services often make use of telematics to coordinate and optimize management of fleet assets. Wireless transmission of data from fleet assets allows managers to monitor operations from a central location. This technology can help fleet managers increase efficiency and productivity while minimizing the risks of vehicle investment.
Telematics allows managers to monitor vehicle location to coordinate transport operations or send help in an emergency. Important operational data can be collected such as operating hours, fuel usage, odometer readings, and diagnostics. Navigation systems are often a feature of telematics systems that allow fleet managers to upload destination coordinates, and enable drivers to make and navigate guided route plans using satellite GPS. Telematics can also enable emissions monitoring, scheduled maintenance alerts, manufacturer recall notices, and trouble code tracking.