Fleet Compliance
Today’s businesses are seeing increased business costs, challenges keeping up with local and federal transport regulations, and difficulties in finding good drivers for their fleets.
Here are some fleet management best practices to help reduce costs, improve driver and customer satisfaction, and keep up with every changing regulatory and tax requirements.
Compliance
Let’s start with some basics. We know from our client base that keeping up with government regulations is one of their biggest challenges. Small fleets are especially concerned with compliance as they probably have less automation and tools than their larger counterparts.
However, the investment in an ELD platform to capture the basic requirements of the FMSCA (vehicle motion status, duty status, miles driven, engine hours, etc.) is well worth the investment. Drivers and fleet managers alike can be alerted to total on-duty time and ensure they are taking the appropriate breaks as required for safety.
Fuel Economy
Part of the increasing business costs today is the cost of fuel which has been steadily rising this calendar year. As fuel prices rise, taking measures to maximize economy is a good safeguard against rising costs.
The two most wasteful driving behaviors that can be addressed with telematics are excessive idling and aggressive driving. Heavy duty trucks consume 0.8 gallons of fuel per hour when idling which can certainly add up when considered annually. Telematics can provide real-time coaching for drivers with aggressive behaviors, tracking fuel improvements after corrective actions made. These 2 features alone can produce enough return on investment (ROI) to make a strong case for fleet management solutions such as telematics.
Maintenance
What does is cost your business to have a fleet vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly out of service? Most fleet managers will tell you that it can be anywhere from $400-$750 per day and that does not include the disappointed customers and the actual cost of the maintenance performed. Preventive maintenance should be the goal with your fleet management and telematics tools. When you look at the downtime costs, you can quickly realize the benefits and savings of predictive maintenance tools in your fleet management arsenal.
Customer Service
What sets many companies apart from their competition? Customer Service. It is no wonder that many fleet managers are seeing the less obvious but more important aspects of fleet management technology.
When we focus our attention of customer service and the importance of customer retention for your business, we can see that the implementation and tracking of deliveries can contribute a significant boost in customer experience.
Here are a few of the highlights of how a fleet management software can contribute to a customer-centric business approach:
- Efficient fleet dispatch – with real-time visibility into fleet vehicle position, you can easily and most efficiently select the closest and most convenient vehicle for the job.
- Accurate delivery estimates – predict the delivery time with a high level of confidence with your fleet monitoring software. Don’t disappoint your clients; delight them with your accuracy and efficiency.
- Real-time notifications directly to the customer – notify your client of an impending delivery when the vehicle reaches a journey checkpoint. Visibility and accurate estimates will make your business truly shine as compared with the competition.
- Accountable delivery model – accurately schedule jobs and hold your drivers accountable for on-time delivery. Data collected from fleet vehicles can be used to make sure that your estimates are solid and your drivers are working to meet your deliverables.
Boost your reputation, customer satisfaction, and minimize cost with a carefully selected fleet maintenance and management tool. VLC has been helping clients with the right tools at the right price and helping them to extend as grow when the timing is right. Your transport partner is here to help…
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
https://im4trux.com/
530-384-3884
Team Building
The latest installment in our VLCeed is number 20 called “Slacking”, and comes to you in the form of a video. Enjoy!
VLC
A fleet maintenance solution is a great way to boost driver productivity and control fleet repair costs. For every vehicle failure, time is lost replacing the vehicle. When the breakdown occurs on the road, towing costs soar and driver productivity plummets. Using fleet maintenance management can keep your vehicles on the road and out of the shop, except when planned.
Managed Fleet Vehicle Maintenance
Using web-based tools to monitor and manage your fleet vehicle maintenance will give you one consolidated location for all your vehicle information. You can see a complete picture of when one vehicle will need to be taken off the road for schedule downtime, as well as have good handle on repair costs over time.
Being on top of your vehicle maintenance needs means you can purchase parts in advance, potentially saving money and definitely saving time. Instead of an emergency repair and waiting for a part to arrive, you can plan the maintenance and have the necessary parts on hand to minimize downtime.
Minimize Cost and Maximize Productivity
Every hour that your fleet vehicle is idle means cost vs. profit. Boost your vehicle and driver performance by considering a fleet maintenance solution that keeps you on top of all repairs and in control of all your fleet costs. Be in the driver seat, not running behind trying to catch up. Your business and your profitability will far exceed the return on this investment!
Contact us today for more information.
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
https://im4trux.com/
530-384-3884
FMCSA
Commercial drivers license holders might finally be able to stop giving their medical cards to the state. The FMCSA is proposing June 23, 2025, for the new deadline. That date will also affect when motor carriers will be able to stop verifying that their CDL drivers are seeing a certified medical examiner.
No changes for now, but once the delay is finalized, motor carriers and drivers will need to continue following current practices for the foreseeable future. This means:
- Motor carriers must continue to get a copy of each CMV driver’s medical card.
- Motor carriers must verify that their DOT medical examiners are actively listed on the National Registry for all CMV drivers.
- CDL/CLP drivers must submit their medical card to the state within about five days of each exam and then carry a copy for at least 15 days following the exam.
- Motor carriers must obtain an updated driving record (MVR) for each CDL/CLP driver within 15 days of each medical exam.
Changes that were scheduled to arrive to the medical certification and licensing processes on June 22, 2021, are being delayed yet again. If the delay is finalized, recordkeeping practices will not need to change until June 2025.
VLC is here to help with all fleet and driver compliance and licensing matters.
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
530-384-3884
VLC
Deploying a software solution for managing your commercial registration is an important step in your business growth. Here are a few recommendations from our professional staff on what makes their job easier and produces the best results for clients.
IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement)
IRP (International Registration Plan)
Connections
If asked to describe just one key element of a commercial registration system, it must be connections. To manage the volume of customers and assets for our registration services, we must be connected to:
- Devices (such as telematics) providing us data
- Clients (to help them manage their required registration and taxes)
- Team Members (each who specializes in particular aspects of registration)
- Vendors and Agencies (for automatic processing and filing)
These automated connections are extremely important for information sharing, coordination, creating a central repository of data, and for accurate reminders and filing.
User Roles and Permissions
When choosing any software solution, it is important to understand the different types of users that will need access to the system and their roles. Giving everyone who touches your important commercial truck data full administrative permissions is risky, so it is crucial to understand what features are needed by each role and properly assign them the access they need to complete their tasks.
Efficient
When investigating a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) IRP/IFTA solution, the tool should offer efficiencies unattainable by manual or copy/paste/semi-automated procedures. Our Gateway Connect platform pulls in all the data necessary, sorts the data for easy retrieval, and even when a form must be printed and signed, it allows for you to complete dozens of perfectly completed forms in record time.
Scalable
The commercial vehicle registration system needs to be scalable to allow use by larger organizations which will store much larger amounts of data and have a larger workforce needing access.
Ease of Use
When evaluating a commercial registration solution, you should make sure that in addition to meeting all your basic requirements for registration and tax reporting, data collection, and communication, the system needs to be intuitive. Users who struggle with the interface will be tempted to revert to their old habits of hand-filled forms or one-off spreadsheets. It should be imperative to use the platform, the sharing capabilities, and all the automated features for which you envisioned its use. Ease of use is paramount in process of adoption and use of a new tool.
Gateway Connect
If you are considering a commercial registration solution, VLC has demo that we would like to share with you! Our Gateway Connect is an excellent platform that we continue to grow and maintain to meet the demands of fleet management and commercial vehicle registration.
Vehicle Licensing Consultants
A Virtual Projects, LLC Company
Fleet & Driver Compliance…Fleet Tracking Software
530-384-3884
