Choosing the right fleet management software for your business doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds. With a bit of research and reflection, you have the potential to find an option that gives you the tools you need now and in the future to get ahead in your industry.
In this article, we discuss the key features of good fleet management software (FMS) and how to select the right option for your team.
Key Features Of Fleet Management Software
1) Safety Reports
Safety on the road starts with implementing a fleet safety program and, perhaps, even having a member of your team get fleet safety certified.
After that, the software you choose serves as the foundation of all driver and vehicle safety. A good solution will allow you to monitor driving activity — often in real time — and generate reports that help you identify and prevent the leading causes of accidents on the road.
In some cases, you can automatically flag any harsh event data that comes in and assign each driver a safety score so it’s easier to separate the relevant information from all the noise.
2) Hours Of Service Tracking
Staying compliant with hours of service (HOS) regulations — those that limit the number of continuous hours your fleet operators work — can be a complicated and difficult job.
The right fleet management software can make it much simpler.
Some systems come with real-time vehicle monitoring that can help you supervise your drivers and ensure that they get the rest they need to stay compliant with all local, state, and federal regulations.
This feature may help your business reduce accidents, avoid fines, and preserve your license to operate so you can keep your fleet on the road where it belongs.
3) Fuel Consumption
Fuel costs are often the largest expense that your fleet-based business has to contend with. In many cases, those fuel costs are directly connected to vehicle idling time — instances when the engine is running but the wheels aren’t turning.
A good FMS solution can help you track and analyze fuel consumption for every vehicle (or driver) in your fleet.
With that data in hand, you can design procedures to help your operators plan more efficient routes, reduce idling time, and decrease fuel usage across the board.
4) Global Positioning
Whether your vehicles stay in town or travel across the country, global positioning (GPS) is an essential feature of the fleet management software you choose.
GPS tools can help fleet managers locate vehicles, monitor them in real time, and avoid traffic delays on their routes. Some FMS solutions even allow you to set geofences and instruct the software to notify you and the driver if the vehicle enters or exits a predefined zone.
Keep in mind that GPS is only as useful as the rate at which it updates. If the system transmits vehicle data every 20 minutes, it’s not going to be as useful a tool as a system that transmits vehicle data every 20 seconds.
5) Vehicle Diagnostics
When it comes to fleet expenses, vehicle maintenance often comes in a close second after fuel consumption.
A good fleet management software suite can help reduce vehicle maintenance costs by providing vehicle diagnostics for all your assets on the road.
In many cases, the FMS includes a component that plugs directly into the vehicle’s onboard diagnostic data (OBD) port.
Once there, the dongle automatically transmits all manner of engine and system data (e.g., coolant temperature, battery voltage, transmission temperature, etc.) to both the drivers and the home office.
Armed with that information, you’ll know when something goes wrong (or is about to) so you can prevent a small problem from becoming a large (and often more expensive) problem.
6) Route Analysis
The routes your drivers take play a significant role in fuel consumption, miles traveled, and engine wear and tear — all of which can be a drain on your bottom line if managed incorrectly.
The right FMS solution can help you and your operators analyze the routes they take (both past and present) to determine if a better option is available and plan accordingly
Such a feature can result in greater fuel and time efficiency as well as better departure and arrival times.
With those factors under greater control, your business will be able to manage expenses, driver compliance, vehicle use, and customer satisfaction with more efficiency and reliability.
7) Intuitive Interface
All the features in the world won’t help your business if the interface isn’t intuitive and easy to use.
If drivers can’t access the information they need quickly, and if you have to dig around in an endless line of menus to find what you’re looking for, the FMS can actually work against you and make things more difficult for everyone involved.
Look for software that is easy to install, easy to operate, and easy to navigate so that it doesn’t get in the way of the more important work that you and your drivers have to do.
8) Driver Tools
More advanced fleet management systems often come with driver tools that you can install on the mobile devices they take with them on the road.
Depending on the solution you choose, you may get:
- Hours of service tracking and management
- Pre- and post-trip inspection checklists
- Telematics
- Compliance tools
- Safety information
Look for FMS that allows you to customize the tools you roll out to your drivers so they have exactly what they need to do their job right.
9) Integrations
No FMS system does it all, nor do they operate in a vacuum. There are always other pieces of software your business relies on to get the job done.
For this reason, a key feature of any good fleet management solution is its ability to integrate with other systems you have in place (or might choose to put in place down the road).
For example, if you already use routing software to dispatch your drivers, the FMS you choose should allow you to interface with that data so you don’t have to start from scratch.
10) Data Control
FMS systems can provide a lot of data. In some cases, they can provide so much data that it overwhelms everything else you do.
A good FMS solution will allow you to control the data so you can find, view, sort, and analyze the relevant information quickly and easily.
When you have the data at your fingertips and under control, you’ll be better prepared to improve the way your business works.
How To Select The Right Fleet Management Software
1) Identify The Needs Of Your Fleet
Not every fleet-based business will need the same tools, features, and functionality. That’s why it’s important that you identify your needs before implementing an FMS system.
Take the time to analyze the way your business works to see if there are gaps in the process that need to be filled. With those needs in mind, you’ll be better positioned to choose the right FMS for your particular situation.
2) Consider Your Industry
As you search for the right fleet management software, keep in mind that they are not one-size-fits-all solutions.
A business in the private shipping industry will use a different set of tools than a business in the taxi and personal transport industry.
At the very least, the FMS you choose should allow you to customize everything to your industry so you’re not trying to force a round solution into a square hole.
3) Find The Features That Work For You
When you know what your fleet needs to improve and you’ve identified the unique requirements of your industry, you’re ready to look at the options available to you, narrow down the field, and find the features that work for you and your business.
As you compare products, keep in mind how your business might change as it grows or adapts to market influences. Will the FMS change with you? Or, will you have to implement an entirely new system when you reach a certain level?
The best software will provide the tools you need to succeed both now and in the future.
4) Test The Customer Service Before You Buy
Before you settle on an FMS solution, test the customer service to see if it works for or against your business.
The right fit will:
- Understand your business
- Allow you to connect with them on your terms
- Respond quickly when you ask a question
- Work hard to remove roadblocks that can restrict the way your business works
- Get you in touch with the right person right away
- Provide plenty of ways to get in touch (including text, email, and phone)
If the customer service team can’t provide these services, it may cause problems later on.
5) Look For Fleet Management Software That’s Easy To Use
Your fleet management software may be able to do everything under the sun, but if the interface you interact with every day is difficult and cumbersome, everyone’s job will be more difficult and no one will want to use the tools available to them.
How can you tell if the software is easy to use? Give it a try.
Experiment with the interface to see if the features you’re going to use on a regular basis are easy to activate and manipulate.
Additionally, consider giving your fleet employees — both in-office field team members — an opportunity to try the software as well. They’re going to be using it just as much as you (if not more), so getting their buy-in is extremely important.
6) Account For Integrations
At first look, you may think your fleet management software is separate from the other systems in your business. But that just isn’t true.
Tracking vehicles with telematics, monitoring fuel spending while drivers are on the road, optimizing routes for maximum fuel efficiency — all of these things (and many others) are intertwined throughout your fleet activities.
You want your fleet management software to integrate with the other aspects of your business as seamlessly and as efficiently as possible.
7) Implement Software That Helps You Understand The Data
There’s a lot of data out there. The real power comes from understanding how that data applies to your business. Fleet management software can help.
As you investigate the different programs, ask yourself:
- Can I customize reports so that I can see exactly what I want?
- Does the software make use of dashboards to help visualize trends?
- Can I segment and filter the data to give me the information I need?
Many fleet management programs can flood you with reams and reams of data. But only the best will come with tools that help you understand what all those numbers mean.
If the software can’t answer your common questions in just a few minutes, it might not be the best option.
8) Explore Mobile App Capabilities
When it comes right down to it, your drivers may need more than one mobile app to do their job well, but that’s OK. The convenience of completing all the necessary processes and procedures on the go can be worth it.
Before distributing these mobile apps willy-nilly, take the time to explore their features and make sure your drivers have exactly what they need while they’re on the road.
For example, the right fleet management app can help drivers complete pre- and post-trip inspections while in the field…but only if the app comes with those features.
Similarly, expense management apps can help you and your team capture purchase details like receipts, memos, and job codes…but, again, only if the app comes with those features.
You won’t know for sure unless you explore the capabilities before you roll them out for everyone to use.
9) Choose Tools That Can Grow With Your Business
There are few things worse than outgrowing the fleet management software you’ve used for years. The cost in time, money, and stress to switch programs can have a very real — and very significant — impact on your business.
You can reduce the chance that you’ll have to replace software after years of use by finding a fleet management program that can grow with your business.
For example, your fleet management software may track 10 vehicles right now, and that’s fine when you’re just getting started with four or five vehicles. But, what happens when your business grows to the point that you need to add another 10 or 15 vehicles?
Will your software be able to expand?
As you look around at the options available, don’t just focus on the ones you need right now. Look at what the software can do for larger, more distributed fleets so that when your business reaches that point, your operation can flow freely from one milestone to the next.
Variables To Monitor With Fleet Management Software
Vehicle Weight
The heavier the vehicle, the harder the engine has to work to maintain forward movement. The harder the engine has to work, the more fuel it uses. The more fuel it uses, the more often your drivers will have to fill up and the more money your business will have to spend.
You can control this potential drain on your bottom line by using FM software to monitor the weight of all the vehicles in your fleet.
To lighten the load of any given vehicle, do a walk-around of the outside. Are there components you can remove (e.g., unused ladder racks, brush guards, trailer hitches)?
Then, do an audit of the inside of the vehicle. Are there extra tools and supplies that you can remove?
Keeping only the minimum necessary to get the job done in and on the vehicle can help you reduce weight, increase MPG, and control the fuel costs associated with fielding that asset.
Tire Pressure
Like weight, tire pressure can have a dramatic effect on the efficiency of your vehicles. How dramatic? Consider this:
In a vehicle running on tires that are just 10 psi off their correct inflation, that vehicle can use 1% more fuel. That may not seem like a lot, but it can mean that drivers have to fill up more often and spend more of your hard-earned money.
And that’s just one vehicle. If all your vehicles are running on underinflated tires — and filling up more often because of it — the cost for your business can quickly add up.
The solution is to monitor tire pressure with your FM software, give every driver a pressure gauge, and make it a mandatory procedure that they check the tires when starting out and at every stop during the day.
Route Traveled
Optimizing routes with fleet management software can help you reduce miles traveled and fuel used.
A good fleet management app coupled with an effective monitoring program will allow you to identify fuel-efficient routes that maximize vehicle activity along the way, avoid high-traffic areas and rush-hour delays, and stay off rough roads that can damage your vehicles.
Vehicle Size And Use
Would you assign a semi and trailer to a driver who was scheduled to service a leaky faucet? Of course not!
Obviously, that example is a big exaggeration, but the same logic holds for using any vehicle that is larger than its intended purpose. For simple calls, your techs may only need a small tool bag that can fit in a car, minivan, or compact truck.
Use your FMS to match the vehicle to the job in order to increase fuel efficiency and reduce the overall cost of the service call.
Fleet Trends
Another powerful feature of fleet management software is its ability to analyze historical trends within your business. This data can give you valuable insight into the way your fleet operates and help you improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance overall performance.
Variables that you can and should monitor include:
- Vehicle utilization
- Vehicle maintenance
- Routes taken (and which ones work best)
- Incident data
- Driver behavior
With all of that information in hand, you’ll be able to make more informed, data-driven decisions that can have a positive impact on your fleet activities.
Key Performance Indicators
Fleet management software isn’t only useful for looking into the past. It’s also good for examining the present.
With the right software, you’ll be able to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for all the vehicles in your fleet (sometimes in real time).
Those numbers can then help you control spending, stay within budget, use vehicles more efficiently, prevent catastrophic breakdowns, increase driver productivity, and much more.
For more information on what data you should be looking at, check out these articles from the Coast blog:
- 16 Crucial Fleet Management KPIs Managers Should Track
- Fleet Management Analytics: A Guide For Owners And Operators
- Fleet Data 101: A Guide For Managers
Potential For Aerodynamic Improvements
The right aerodynamic improvements can help increase vehicle efficiency (i.e., miles per gallon) and reduce the total cost of keeping that vehicle running.
If you’re unsure about whether an add-on will work for all the vehicles in your fleet, experiment with aerodynamic improvements on one vehicle, and then use your FMS to monitor their effectiveness and analyze their potential for fleet-wide roll-out.
Running Your Fleet Efficiently
When it comes to running your operations efficiently, fleet management software plays a big part. When your fleet is small, you can probably get by with simple tools like spreadsheets and text documents.
But, as your fleet grows, you’ll need to factor in compliance, safety, cost control, vehicle maintenance, and telematics (for a real-time view of vehicle systems and driver behavior), just to name a few.
Fleet management software helps you stay on top of all that.
And when you integrate your fleet management software and your telematics with a smart fuel card, you ensure that you have a real-time view of fleet and fuel spending.
With the right fuel card like Coast, you can take things a step further and tie all of your fuel and fleet payment data into your fleet management system so that you have the most accurate tracking and budgeting possible.
When that happens, you’ll have the entire fleet in the palm of your hand and have full visibility of every dollar spent.
For more information, visit CoastPay.com today.
