In the logistics industry, fleet managers have an important role to play. They need to ensure that the fleet is running smoothly, and goods and materials are delivered on time and without any interruption. Also, did you know that fleet managers can speed up the logistics process using the right fleet management tools and techniques?

By implementing the right strategies, fleet managers can improve their company’s fleet efficiency twofold. When the planning and transportation process is sped up, more productivity and profit can be achieved.

This is made possible with the aid of a fleet management system, which many fleet managers rely on to reduce time spent on route planning and driver monitoring, as well as to track and lower fuel and maintenance expenses.

What is fleet management?

Fleet management is a process that focuses on optimising all aspects of your fleet operations, from maintenance and compliance, to vehicle monitoring and driver management, among other things.

In fleet management, the main goal is to optimise an organisation’s fleet operations by improving the utilisation, reliability, and efficiency of its vehicles. Good fleet management can result in a clear understanding of fleet performance, reduce high operating costs, minimise the risk of accidents and breakdowns, and improve the planning and coordination of vehicles.

How does fleet management speed up logistics

1. Real-time tracking

Fleet management systems are equipped with GPS vehicle tracking devices and can do everything from tracking individual vehicles in real-time to managing fleet. With GPS tracking, fleet managers can easily locate drivers wherever they are in minutes, instead of having to manually contact each driver or make assumptions on their estimated time of arrival.  

2. Effective route planning

Fleet management software allows fleet managers to plan routes ahead of time and optimise how to cover the most ground possible in the shortest amount of time. Plus, it enables them to track fuel usage and measure it against their fleet performance, which is necessary in order to achieve the highest fuel cost savings.

3. Enhanced security

Besides real-time tracking of the entire fleet, fleet tracking systems also provide driver ID management and live vehicle alerts. Using these features, fleet managers can immediately know if there are cases of unauthorised vehicle usage, or noncompliance with safety and regulations.

4. Advanced analytics

Fleet analytics give better insights into driver behaviour, allowing fleet managers to address safety issues and prevent accidents. Using fleet analytics, they can identify drivers who are prone to reckless driving behaviour such as speeding, and also track whether their driving safety has been improving or worsening over time.

5. Fleet maintenance monitoring

Other than tracking vehicle utilisation and fuel efficiency, fleet managers can also use fleet management systems to track vehicle health and servicing dates. Doing so will lessen the chances of unexpected breakdowns and enable fleet managers to forecast vehicle replacements while reducing hefty emergency repair bills.

How are modern fleet management technologies improving delivery efficiency?

Fleet management systems have taken over the world of logistics and transportation industries for a reason. They have not only made the procedure easier, but they have also increased delivery efficiency as a result of the many benefits they provide.

1. Dynamic real-time routing

Route optimisation for efficient planning is called real-time dynamic routing, which allows fleet managers to use real-time insights and data to find the best possible route for vehicles. It considers various factors such as customer location, fleet resources, weather conditions and traffic flow.

It improves the organisation’s capacity to stick to demanding logistics deadlines. Additionally, it aids drivers in saving time, allowing them to complete more deliveries in a single day.

2. Interoperability with legacy systems and IT infrastructure from third parties

Traditional logistics systems are known for being incompatible with other systems. Due to this lack of interoperability, logistics operations are often plagued with poor visibility, erroneous insights, and inefficient use of resources.

Fortunately, modern fleet management solutions are not affected by this issue as most are fully compatible with traditional systems and third-party IT infrastructure, therefore data synchronisation is quick and simplified. It allows data retrieval from numerous sources into a single dashboard, enabling fleet managers to manage their operations with ease, while ensuring data is transparent and dependable at all times.

3. Real-time visibility from beginning to finish

Having fleet data accessible in real-time at your fingertips across the supply chain allows for improved decision-making and overall performance improvement.

In current fleet management platforms, data is readily available in a simple click, allowing fleet managers to easily plan fleets and allocate drivers, and track vehicles from a single place.

With convenient data access, automated reporting, and real-time insights into fleet operations, fleet managers can improve transportation productivity in the supply chain. They can also improve budgeting and planning, which will not only benefit the company, but also their customers and partners.

4. Goods transportation visibility

When numerous modes of transport are involved, things can quickly become complicated as it is challenging for businesses to locate shipments whenever they are passed from one vehicle to another.

Thankfully, transportation visibility has improved with the aid of fleet tracking systems, which help fleet managers to coordinate their vehicles efficiently. It also improves transportation capabilities and guarantees that shipments are handled with  high standards.

5. Electronic proof of delivery

Compared to physical delivery receipts, digital ones are more beneficial as it drives sustainability, while allowing fleet managers to track delivery proof in real-time.

Fleet managers will no longer have to spend time on manually entering delivery data into the system, or have to deal with mistakes from wrongly keyed data. And because digital receipts are instantly retrievable, it also saves them a lot of hassle when managing shipments.

6. Automated delivery

Fleet management systems automate the delivery process in the logistics chain, helping to reduce the time needed to track and manage vehicles.

By decreasing inefficiencies in manual and repetitive operations, tasks such as scheduling, work allocation, and route planning can be automated to reduce costs. This decreases delivery turnaround time and eliminates the possibility of human errors.

7. Accurate key performance indicator (KPI) benchmarking

Only by tracking critical KPIs regularly and correcting any inconsistencies promptly can efficient delivery operations be accomplished.

A modern fleet management system gives organisations the necessary tools to smoothly perform their operations and assess their KPIs based on their business goals. From picking optimal routes to ensuring on-time deliveries, fleet managers can make better decisions with the help of a fleet management system and increase customer satisfaction.

8. Contactless delivery

Fleet management software can notify customers when their items have been delivered and confirm the delivery using electronic signatures, therefore minimising points of contact in the supply chain, while complying with social distance standards amidst current health regulations.

It also allows fleet managers to keep their customers and important stakeholders informed throughout the delivery process by enabling them to better estimate goods arrival timings with real-time vehicle tracking.

The bottom line

Improving delivery efficiency is a key aspect of modern fleet management. Companies can utilise state-of-the-art technologies to manage their fleet, allowing them to optimise vehicle routes and driver schedules for greater performance than ever before. 

The fleet management solutions we offer at V3 Smart Technologies can help you achieve all these goals. Plus, they’re customisable to fit the specific needs of any business.

If you want to learn more about how we can help your business streamline and speed up your transportation process, contact us today.