Is your fleet management policy working for you?
23rd July 2018
Fleet management: are you adopting best practice?
6th August 2018
When you run a service transporting people from place to place in a bus or coach, customer safety should be your number one priority. Of course, you need to monitor your bottom line in the same way as any other business. However, you need to consider all of the human elements, whether that’s your staff or customers. Ensuring that everyone arrives safely and that your customers are happy is vital to the ongoing success of your business.
If you’re not already using coach tracking software on your vehicles, you could be making extra work for yourself. Read on to discover how increasing your software use could improve your coach fleet management in 2018.
Lower costs and higher productivity
Many business rely on their drivers to come up with the best routes. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with using your drivers’ experience, there could be a better way. Using coach tracking software will provide you with an optimized route. You’ll also have the flexibility to tailor the route, for example if there are designated pick up or drop off points along the way. You can also use the software to allocate work more efficiently. That means that you can increase productivity and cut costs by reducing vehicle idling time.
What’s more, simply installing coach tracking software could reduce your insurance bill across the fleet. Most major insurers offer a discount of around 10% to 15% to operators that use software.
Less time stuck in traffic
Optimized routes don’t just increase productivity. They can reduce your fuel consumption too. Coach tracking software allows you to monitor your vehicles and identify any potential problems on the road. If a vehicle is heading for a traffic jam you can take action in real time to help your driver avoid the jam. They’ll spend less time stuck in traffic which reduces their fuel consumption and emissions which is great news for the environment and local residents.
In addition, helping your drivers to avoid delays can reduce their stress levels. You won’t just be reducing your costs, you’re looking after your people as well.
Better safety standards
Coach tracking software can improve safety in a couple of different ways. The two major factors to consider when it comes to improving safety are driver performance and vehicle reliability. Coach tracking software allows you to monitor how a vehicle is being driven and whether there are any potential maintenance issues. Some systems will alert you if vehicle issues are detected or if a routine check is due. You can also monitor whether time idling in traffic could impact on the vehicle. For example, your driver may have spent extra time on the clutch. They may also be prone to heavy braking.
What’s more, a stressed driver can be a dangerous driver. Helping your people to avoid excessive time in heavy traffic can lower their stress levels. That means that they’re less likely to make mistakes that result in an accident.
Improved customer service
If you want your business to grow, you need happy customers. Coach management software can help to make your service more predictable so that your customers know they can rely on you. It can also help when problems arise. If one of your vehicles does get stuck in traffic, you can let your customer know at an early stage. That way they’re not standing looking at their watch wondering where on earth you are.
If you’d like to know more about how coach tracking software can benefit your business, get in touch.
