Fleet management in simple words is managing fleet operations. It involves a series of tasks and operations associated with the businesses which rely on transportation. It aims at controlling costs, increasing productivity and efficiency, lessening the risks in vehicle acquisition, fuel management etc. Businesses in which vehicles are used involve fleet management in some quantity or the other. This applies to both the scenarios; one in which vehicles are owned and the other in which vehicles are rented.

Who is a fleet manager?

Fleet manager manages all the fleet operations of the business organization and therefore he/she plays a pivotal role in the success of the business. They deal with the vehicles, drivers, logistics, company fleet insurance and every other area that falls under fleet management. Here is a brief about the responsibilities of the fleet manager:

Selecting the right vehicles:

Fleet managers decide the type of vehicle required for a particular task. They also decide the number of vehicles that are required. They are the ones who choose the vehicle, according to the requirements of the task.

They negotiate the pricing during the buying process as well as during technical errors. After the utilization of these vehicles, they also decide whether to keep them for further use or resell them.

Fleet Insurance

Get the right level of company fleet insurance is important and with so many options it is advisable to start with comparative web site such as compare fleet insurance or the aa.

Fuel management

Another important aspect of the fleet manager’s job is fuel management. Fuel forms a major part of the expenses in a fleet budget. The manager has to choose a profitable fuel network and manage on-site fueling.  He/she also has to negotiate the fuel prices with the fuel suppliers and try to get the fuels for minimum cost per mile.

Driver selection and management

Choosing drivers who are reliable becomes important for the successful completion of the task. Fleet manager has to choose good drivers and avoid the poor ones. They should also monitor their behavior.  If the driver exceeds the speed limit or goes against any other lawsuits, then the business firm has to face the loss. Most of the times, fleet managers embed GPS trackers on the vehicles to monitor the behavior of the driver. They are responsible for recruiting the new drivers when any old driver leaves. They also bear the responsibility of maintaining a team of good and reliable drivers.

Maintenance of vehicles

The fleet manager has to make sure that the maintenance of the vehicles is done at minimal cost. In order to make the transportation efficient the vehicles must be checked on a regular basis. Along with that the manager should efficiently solve the other technical problems or repairs which arise with the regular repair. The vehicles should be in optimal and ready to use condition so that they can be used whenever required.

Profit and loss

At the end of the day all the efforts of fleet manager go into decreasing the costs and increasing the profits.

Record keeping

They maintain all the required records like the license of the different vehicles and record about their maintenance. They also keep records to show that the company is maintaining all the rules of the law.