Challenges and Solutions for Government Fleets

Fleet management technology helps cut costs and streamline maintenance

Government fleets, with the sheer number of vehicles they operate and the vast number of citizens they serve, will face management challenges in the coming years, including¹:

• funding of timely vehicle replacement
• achieving a centralized fleet management program
• reconciling outsourcing opportunities with internal resource optimization
• better understanding of indirect costs

In addition, fleets will continue to grapple with the impact that poor maintenance can have on managing costs. The majority of modern government fleet vehicles come standard with advanced capabilities, which increase driver convenience but also increase repair bills when systems fail.

Consider this: “According to AAA research, vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can add on average an extra $3,000 to the repair bill after a crash due to pricey sensors and their calibration requirements.”² And truck electrical systems, in particular, have “become highly sophisticated, with multiple micro-processors controlling many truck systems.”³

Without the ability to detect mechanical issues or schedule regular preventative maintenance, costs related to repairs and unplanned downtime can balloon out of control. Modern fleet management and asset tracking solutions seamlessly integrate with other enterprise systems and to provide government fleets with an automated way of staying ahead of the maintenance curve. In addition, these solutions can address other management challenges by providing valuable insight into:

• Productivity: Easily spot inefficient routes and know when drivers make unnecessary stops to improve scheduling efficiency.
• Safety: Keep an eye on unsafe driving behaviors, such as speeding and harsh driving, and provide near-real time driver coaching to help avoid accidents and costly fines.
• Fuel: Improve factors that affect usage and costs, such as idling and speeding, to streamline efficiency and decrease spend.
• Utilization: Know vehicle status and availability; identify underused vehicles
• Claim mitigation: Access data to verify vehicle location and speed; mitigate costly claims

Is it time to upgrade to fleet tracking and asset management technology?

Organizations already using fleet management systems may find themselves questioning the true value of the platform they’re in and whether they’ve made the right choice. Here are some questions to consider to determine whether it’s time to upgrade your system:

• How do you currently track engine hours for equipment from varying manufacturers?
• How do you know if a piece of equipment is being underutilized?
• How do you currently track preventative maintenance issues and necessary equipment replacements?
• How are you currently tracking fuel usage to ensure you’re managing fuel costs appropriately?
• How can you tell if piece of equipment has been stolen or is being used after hours?
• Are you able to get anytime, anywhere access to critical data, alerts and reports?
• Are you able to easily gather and analyze historical reports to uncover insights and trends?

Start down the technology purchase road: A Buyer’s Guide

From smart dashboards to driver education tools, GPS tracking and asset tracking can dramatically improve fleet management and ROI. These tools also help city managers, fleet managers, fleet technology managers and other public works officials address the issues that are most critical to fleet operations.

Choosing the right technology and effective implementation are key to the success of any technology. Making that right choice for your business can be tricky, but there are some key areas to investigate that will help you determine what that right choice is.

We’ve use our experience in customizing solutions and supporting customers’ implementation efforts to provide you with the 2019 Buyer's Guide: Fleet Management and Asset Tracking Solutions for Government. This guide includes advice on how to get the most out of demos and how to lead a successful implementation to set your organization on the road to success.

Learn how you can help your government fleet embrace the right technology to streamline operations, get ahead of maintenance issues and help improve driver safety by downloading it for free.

Sources

¹http://www.fleetanswers.com/content/challenges-public-fleet-management

²https://www.government-fleet.com/317683/advanced-safety-systems-cost-twice-as-much-to-repair

³https://www.government-fleet.com/321121/why-your-electrical-maintenance-program-is-more-important-than-ever