FLeeT MAnAgeMenT
FIve TIps For IMprovIng FLeeT eFFICIenCy F
By Keith Watson, country manager UK and ireland, Astrata
leet efficiency is the art of optimising every aspect of your fleet, be it trailers, vehicles, containers, drivers and even office staff. everybody in the
industry is talking about improving fleet efficiency in order to increase profitability. While this sounds like a long term strategy, it may not be immediately clear what steps should be taken to achieve the best possible results. There are several reasons why improving fleet efficiency
will become increasingly important over the coming years. The first is that it can help to quickly begin saving money and increase margins by focusing on the small details. As margins remain under pressure and transport as a whole is facing rapid changes, optimising your fleet will be the key to becoming or remaining profitable. sustainability is the second reason governments are pushing for businesses to increase their environmental performance. The transport and logistics sector is one of the most important industries to consider in this regard. Fleet efficiency is the key to becoming a “greener” company. Last but not least, when the fleet operates more efficiently, employees will experience less stress and driver retention will improve significantly. All of the above should be reason enough to optimise fleet efficiency. one way to improve fleet efficiency is to ensure cargo
security, particularly for condition-sensitive and high-value cargo. video telematics systems can help with that. These are camera-based solutions deployed in commercial vehicle fleets, either as standalone applications or as a subset or extension of conventional fleet telematics. When an advanced incident camera is specified, it will record exactly what happened before, during and after an incident – all from the driver’s perspective. Using rear, side and trailer cams that monitor both
critical events that could cause damage, and the movement of cargo during loading, transport and unloading greatly reduces the risk of cargo damage and cargo theft of high-value or condition-sensitive cargo, and ensures the safe delivery of cargo. Accidents can be avoided because visibility for the driver – particularly the visibility of blind spots – is improved. video telematics systems also help to provide evidence
and legal protection for businesses and drivers, reducing accident investigation costs and protecting against staged accidents, false or exaggerated claims, conflicting reports of incidents, and allegations such as speeding, traffic signal violation or swerving. Last but not least, video telematics systems also help
improve fleet efficiency by helping drivers improve their driving style – e.g. by using a driver-facing camera. Coaching drivers with visually consolidated driver behaviour KpIs will ensure safety on the road, reduce accidents (and thereby delays), and help companies get better insurance rates.
Astrata
www.astrata.eu
Five Tips To improve FleeT eFFiCienCy The relevant metrics can be broken down to three categories: safety, efficiency and compliance. Here are five tips that will help make your fleet more efficient and profitable:
Tip 1: Be aware of your assets
Always be aware of what and how all of assets, drivers, trucks, containers and trailers, are performing. Where are they? What are they doing? Is there empty space to use? Do drivers have enough driver time left?
Tip 2: save on fuel (cost)
Leverage (existing) fuel network and guide and support drivers on how to optimise their driving style to minimise fuel usage as much as possible.
Tip 3: Give feedback on driver behaviour
Assist drivers by analysing their driving style and providing them with tips and feedback to improve it. For example, when used in the correct circumstances, cruise control can be a great benefit for the efficiency and ease of driving. Using driver behaviour tools to reward drivers for their driving style will also improve driver retention.
Tip 5: Focus on open and direct communication
Make sure that both the internal office staff and the drivers are on the same page through direct and open communication. This helps companies to be more proactive and respond better when something exceptional occurs. Being able to manage exceptional situations better allows a more specific focus on structured planning for the daily routine. It is vital that drivers and the back office communicate with each other in a structured, safe and clearly defined way to solve these ‘problems’ as quickly as possible.
Tip 4: Conduct regular asset maintenance
Conduct regular maintenance on all your assets to optimise their performance and avoid unnecessary roadside breakdowns. Keeping vehicles in the optimal condition will prevent costly repairs and provide the driver with the best possible working environment. This helps to save money and improve employee wellbeing. For example, keeping tabs on tyre pressure will lower fuel costs, reduce wear and tear and increase safety compliance.
60 sepTeMBer 2021 | FACTory&HAnDLIngsoLUTIons
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