When your business relies on a fleet of commercial vehicles, you need to ensure that they’re operating efficiently and safely at all times. Not only does a fleet of well-maintained vehicles help ensure the safety of your drivers, but it safeguards the contents of the vehicles and other drivers on the road. Keeping your fleet of vehicles operating at peak efficiency will also save you money.
While commercial fleet insurance companies like Rideshur are doing their part to innovate the industry and make things more efficient for businesses, there are plenty of steps fleet managers can take to keep their fleets operating well. Read on to learn six of the best ways to increase fleet efficiency in 2022.
Utilize Fleet Management Technology
Utilize fleet telematics and fleet management systems to gain access to a slew of centralized monitor analytics data, including:
- Driver behavior, performance, and medical records
- Fuel status
- Vehicle condition
- Route fuel-efficiency
- Incident reporting
- Location updates in real-time
- Geo-fencing
Telematics and fleet management systems use onboard diagnostics and GPS to relay all of the above information in real-time. These systems allow fleet managers to track data efficiently, reduce paperwork, and minimize delays in communication.
Plan Fuel-Efficient Routes
Increasing cost-efficiency is perhaps the most crucial element in increasing fleet efficiency, and increasing fuel efficiency is probably the most critical element in maintaining cost efficiency. Therefore, the focal point for increasing fleet efficiency in 2022 lies in reducing fuel costs. Planning fuel-efficient routes by creating custom maps allow drivers to avoid traffic congestion, closed roads, accidents, natural disasters, and seasonal factors that render a route inefficient.
Follow a Preventative Maintenance Schedule
Keeping up with regular maintenance on your fleet of vehicles helps reduce the cost of repairs and potential downtime. If you have a larger fleet, consider using fleet management software to help you be proactive about maintenance and replacements.
Monitor Driver Behavior
Your vehicles aren’t the only things you should be keeping a close eye on. Ensure that your drivers are mindful and conscientious about reducing traffic accidents, legal problems, injuries, liability insurance costs, and expensive vehicle repairs. Ensure that your drivers understand how to control fuel consumption, follow the preventative maintenance schedule, and keep aggressive driving under control.
Keep Track of Deductible Business Mileage
Save your business a significant amount of money on tax returns by using a fleet management system to track business mileage effortlessly and accurately. Mileage trackers and other fleet management software systems will help calculate your fleet’s deductible mileage, achieve better fuel economy, and can even help improve your drivers’ performance. At the end of the fiscal year, export a mileage report and send it to your accountant for maximum deductions.
Consider Downsizing
Sometimes a fleet may include vehicles that aren’t utilizing all their space. In such cases, downsizing can help reduce unnecessary costs by optimizing space management and fuel consumption. Downsizing also leaves room to add newer models to the fleet, optimizing vehicle safety and fuel consumption.
Whether you have a large or small fleet, maximize the efficiency of your vehicles in 2022 by following the tips above. Once you’ve put a plan in place for increasing your fleet efficiency, contact Rideshur to learn more about the innovative ways they can help you put together an efficient insurance policy that covers your company’s most valuable assets.
