Two Ways To Better Manage Your Company's Fleet

When you first bought a truck to use for your company's deliveries, you might not have expected your business to flourish so quickly. If you have been buying additional trucks over the months or years, you may just be realizing that you have a tidy-sized fleet you'll need to keep track of. Managing multiple trucks and drivers can be challenging, but the advice below can make it more manageable.

Investigate Trucking Software

A great tool for any company that has a number of trucks that are in motion at any given time is to start seeking suitable trucking software. While you might already have a system in place, software can make that system better and provide additional benefits that can make you, drivers, dispatchers, and clients happy. For example, software can help better track the hours each driver is working, help clients know where a driver is in relation to their own location, and allow you to check on multiple trucks at the same time. Some software can even design more efficient travel routes and estimate fuel usage for the months ahead.

Before purchasing a particular software platform, make sure that you and others test it out. You might find that you prefer certain interfaces to others or that you need more tools than a particular platform provides. It's also a good idea to ensure that the software vendor can provide some kind of training so that everyone can use the program right away.

Provide Additional Training to Drivers

To drive the trucks in your fleet, you may already be recruiting drivers that have already earned a commercial driving license (CDL). You might be confident about their ability to handle the vehicles, and your insurance agent may be comfortable that you're hiring qualified individuals, but the training shouldn't stop there. To be certain that the truck drivers you're working with conduct themselves well and represent your business properly, it's advisable to provide additional training.

The training you provide is up to you, but it might include communication skills so that they are excellent representatives when they come into contact with your clients. Training may also include attention to their personal and professional conduct while on the road. You might also want to emphasize how to recognize signs that drivers need to pull off the road and get rest, and how best to log their hours and use available software and tools. If desired, you may want to provide basic training about how best to proceed when the truck needs repairs.

The details above give you more information to help you effectively manage the trucks in your company's fleet. Keep looking for trucking software vendors, truck mechanics, and others things that can provide you with the level of efficiency and service that you need to ensure that all your trucks can perform their duties and keep your company growing.

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