In our new video series, experienced fleet vet Walt Thompson walks you through some of the challenges that come with being a fleet manager.
Whether you’re new to the fleet management game and need a little guidance, or if you’ve been around the block a few times and you’re just looking for some fresh perspective, our new free educational series Masters of Fleet can give you some actionable tips for upping your game and taking your fleet productivity to the next level.
Walt Thompson, a fleet manager with over 20 years of industry experience, will take you through different topics of fleet management and provide some context and examples for how to work through some of the most common roadblocks in fleet management. In 15 minutes or less, you’ll get real tips and tricks that can help you in five core areas of fleet management:
1. Asset and Team Management
– When you become a fleet manager, you have two main responsibilities – manage your fleet’s assets, and manage the people that use and repair them each and every day. That can be easier said than done.
In Lesson 1, we’ll cover what it means to really be a fleet leader, as well as:
- How to calculate Total Cost of Ownership
- Metrics you should be tracking
- Personnel management
- Process implementation
2. Fleet Maintenance
– Maintaining your fleet’s assets is one of the most important aspects of actually running a fleet, both operationally and financially. While all those spreadsheets and work orders can seem a little overly complex, there’s a lot you can do to set yourself up for success and avoid as much expensive downtime as possible.
In Lesson 2, we’ll look at how to streamline your maintenance processes, as well as:
- Maintenance data tracking
- Proactive vs. reactive mindsets
- In-house vs. outsourced maintenance
3. Fuel Management
– Budgeting for fuel can be the bane of every fleet manager’s existence, but it doesn’t have to be. Taking the right approach to alleviating your fleet’s fuel costs can make a huge dent in one of your biggest expenditures and even extend the life of your assets.
In Lesson 3, we’ll touch on how to address some of your fuel woes, as well as:
- Bulk purchasing
- Fuel cards
- Alternative fuel options
4. Data and Reporting
– Data reports sometimes get a bad rap for being too procedural or boring, but being able to accurately reflect your fleet’s successes (and shortcomings) in numbers can give fleet managers a lot of power in decision making for their operation.
In Lesson 4, we’ll take a look at what goes into good data reporting, as well as:
- Fleet management software
- Internal communication and data transparency
- The benefits of automated reports
5. Fleet Technology
– Fleet is a constantly evolving industry, and new innovations are always hitting the market. So how do fleet managers figure out what they need from their tech, and once they’ve found the right thing, how do they get everyone on board with using it?
In Lesson 5, we’ll explore how to implement new technologies, as well as:
- Onboarding and support services
- Team trainings
- Collecting feedback from your team
The first episodes are out now with new episodes releasing weekly through July 12, 2022, so check them out today.
