Top 7 challenges enterprise fleet managers face

Large enterprise companies grapple with unique fleet management challenges. They face a complex logistical puzzle due to their vast area coverage, thousands of vehicles and huge numbers of drivers across several states or even different countries. 

Seven challenges faced by enterprise fleet managers include:

1. Needing accurate and simplified reports, as well as timely alerts
2. Keeping up with vehicle maintenance and supply chain disruption 
3. Tracking use of high value assets and vehicles
4. Managing a geographically dispersed team
5. Controlling fuel spend and preventing misuse
6. Incident mitigation and video evidence
7. Promoting a culture of safety

1. Accurate, simplified, timely alerts and reports

Problem: A fleet of thousands generates a huge amount of data for fleet managers to review. The larger the fleet, the more information generated. Enterprise fleet managers need easy access to critical insights gleaned from their telematics data. 

Solution: Enterprise fleet management software provides simplified reports and timely alerts by filtering all the information that's not important and only showing the data that matters. Alerts can be set up and customized to monitor specific vehicle activity (such as idling, harsh driving, etc.) and, if breached, managers can receive an automated email (which could also be sent to a mobile device). 

Using these insights, fleet managers can get both a thousand-foot view of their fleet in a comprehensive and accurate dashboard as well as useful and usable reports about critical business data like fuel use, safety monitoring and maintenance. 

See how you can turn data into an operational asset with these 23 reports.

2. Vehicle maintenance and supply chain disruption

Problem: Without regular upkeep, fleets risk costly breakdowns, interruptions in service and a shorter vehicle lifespan. To stay on track with business goals, enterprise fleets need to keep their vehicles and assets as fully operational as possible. Maintaining equipment and limiting downtime, while prioritizing utilization is a consistent challenge. Plus, with supply chain disruptions becoming more commonplace, unexpected maintenance can take longer than anticipated due to backordered parts. 

Solution: Fleet management software enables fleet managers to implement preventative maintenance strategies and helps reduce the likelihood of costly repairs. Many built-in OEM solutions offer rich engine data to improve preventive maintenance and overall vehicle health. By leveraging advanced engine diagnostics to gain deeper insights into the health of their fleet, enterprise fleet managers can use a data-driven approach to help vehicles perform their best. 

Keeping track of key maintenance upkeep with maintenance alerts, diagnostic trouble codes and scheduling with telematics can help fleets plan for maintenance and downtime while managing supply chain challenges.

3. Tracking use of high value assets and vehicles

Problem: Fleet managers are unable to monitor all assets effectively. Misuse of company assets, such as use of vehicles outside of work hours or outside of designated areas, can result in additional costs to the company as well as potential litigation risks.

Solution: Fleet management software helps to monitor all company assets around the clock. Information such as vehicle speed, location and usage are reported with alerts sent directly to a manager's mobile device or desktop. 

This information can be collected and displayed in reports or overview dashboard highlighting undesirable fleet activity across the entire fleet, allowing top-level managers to track overall fleet performance against pre-defined key performance indicators. The data can be broken down by teams or divisions to identify unwanted trends and can assist managers with deciding how problems can be addressed.

4. Managing a geographically-dispersed team

Problem: Large commercial fleet management not only involves mobile resource management (MRM), but also the management of assets across a wide geographical area. Fleets that operate across state lines, or even internationally, face difficulties communicating with remote drivers. Locating vehicles in each area may require endless zooming and scrolling across a map.

Solution: When a fleet is spread out over a large geographic area, managers need to be able to zoom in and out of the fleet map quickly and efficiently. Fleet management software is equipped with advanced mapping and spatial clustering to allow managers the ability to go from having a wide-angle view of their entire fleet to drilling down to a specific vehicle anywhere within the GPS network. Spatial clustering creates more meaningful maps, grouping thousands of assets intelligently and providing a clean and organized view of the fleet.

Fleet management software is vital for industries where every second counts, such as emergency dispatch. Clustering makes it easier for dispatch operators to drill down to the right vehicle fast.

A fleet management solution from Verizon Connect also offers international language and time zone support to help large fleets that not only span the world clock, but that also employ fleet managers who need information displayed in languages such as Portuguese, Spanish, French, etc.

5. Controlling fuel spend and other costs

Problem: With the cost of fuel on the rise, fleet managers must keep a constant eye on fuel costs to mitigate its significant effect on the bottom line. Other costs such as truck and trailer purchases as well as repair and maintenance costs are also on the rise due to factors like inflation and supply chain disruptions. 

Solution: Help identify fuel efficiency, monitor fuel consumption and manage efficient driving behaviors with a fleet management solution. With reports that help supervise fuel spend, fleet managers can track fuel efficiency and identify fuel slippage. By monitoring driver habits that waste fuel such as speeding and idling, a fleet management solution helps enterprise fleets address costs. 

6. Incident mitigation and video evidence

Problem: Enterprise fleets manage huge numbers of vehicles, and their drivers are the public-facing component of the business. If an incident occurs, fleet managers need to be able to determine what happened and who was at fault quickly and efficiently. 

Solution: Video telematics such as front- and rear-facing dashcams give fleet managers a seat in the vehicle. The cameras and sensors capture video footage inside and outside the vehicle, providing alerts of risky driving behavior.  AI video telematics analyzes the data gleaned from the video footage to prioritize unsafe incidents that require an enterprise fleet manager’s review. Video footage can also help protect drivers against a false accident claim if it occurs, helping streamline insurance claims.

7. Promoting a culture of safety

Problem: Prioritizing driver and vehicle safety is a top concern for all fleets. For enterprise fleets, this is a huge undertaking. Fleet managers need access to driver-specific information in a simple, easy-to-manage format to curb harsh driving habits such as speeding, harsh braking or distracted driving. 

Solution: Telematics is a critical tool for developing a safety program. GPS tracking and dashcams powered by AI give fleet managers speed, location and reports on harsh driving. Plus, real-time audio alerts can be delivered to drivers to mitigate distracted driving behaviors such as smoking, drowsiness or phone use. 

The data provided by a fleet management solution gives managers the tools to create personalized coaching for drivers, as well as set benchmarks for fleet safety. They can also track driver behavior over time to monitor for improvement. 

See how Precision Door Service utilized video telematics to advance their driver coaching program forward. 

Enterprise fleets run better when they have a fleet management solution

No matter what challenges they’re facing, Verizon Connect has the infrastructure to support the unique and challenging requirements of larger enterprise fleets, and we’re with them every step of the way. Our clients can enjoy the benefits and security of an ongoing relationship—all backed by the Verizon network.