Fleet management is extremely diverse and ranges from vehicle procurement and damage management to compliance with legal requirements. Even with just a few vehicles in the fleet, the workload can quickly become enormous. Digital solutions provide support here, relieving the burden on fleet managers and ensuring a better overview.
In this article, you will find out what fleet management actually means and what tasks are involved in managing vehicles. We also give you tips on how fleet digitalization can succeed.
Table of Contents
What is vehiclepark management?
What tasks are part of fleet management?
How do I digitize fleet management?
How does fleet management software support me?
Digital fleet management: what are the disadvantages of Excel?
Who is responsible for fleet management in the company?
What dates and deadlines need to be kept in mind for fleet management?
What role does sustainability play in fleet management?
Which mobility concepts are important for sustainable fleet management?
What is fleet management?
The term fleet management refers to the administration and organization of a company’s vehicle fleet. Fleet managers are responsible for managing the fleet efficiently and cost-consciously. When you manage a fleet, you are responsible for procuring vehicles, optimizing their use, coordinating maintenance and repair work, managing insurance matters and ensuring compliance with legal regulations.
What tasks are part of fleet management?
From procuring new company cars to handling claims and complying with owner liability obligations, the tasks of a fleet manager are very varied and complex. It is not just a matter of pure vehicle management, but of ensuring the mobility of all employees. The activities in fleet management include
Vehicle procurement
One of the fleet management tasks is the acquisition of suitable vehicles. This includes negotiating with suppliers and taking costs and operational requirements into account. It also includes choosing the form of procurement: Is leasing suitable for new vehicles or purchasing? Analyzing whether electric vehicles are suitable for fleet operations and how to integrate them sensibly is also part of the fleet management tasks.
Deadline monitoring
Fleet managers have to keep an eye on important dates and deadlines, such as HU and AU appointments or driving license checks. Timely planning and reminders of these appointments are extremely important in order to disrupt operational processes as little as possible and to ensure sufficient safety in the fleet.
Maintenance and repair management
Regular maintenance measures and professional repairs are also part of fleet management. This ensures that the vehicles are ready for use and roadworthy at all times. This includes working with workshops, monitoring maintenance schedules and checking service quality.
Claims Management
If an accident does occur, it is important thatdamage is dealt with quickly and smoothly in fleet management. In this way, fleet managers can avoid unnecessary costs and employees remain mobile.
Documentation
Another central task is the recording and maintenance of driver and vehicle data. Proper documentation of vehicle documents, accident reports, maintenance logs and other relevant documents is also essential in fleet management.
Keeper liability obligations
If you manage a fleet of vehicles, the topic of Owner liability plays an important role, regardless of how many vehicles the company has in its fleet. In addition to regular driving license checks, fleet management also includes instructing all drivers in the safe handling of company vehicles. Fleet managers should not take these duties lightly. Failure to do so could result in severe penalties in the event of a claim.
How do I digitize fleet management?
Even if the fleet only consists of a few vehicles, the automation of tasks and processes brings many advantages. The use of digital technologies and software solutions reduces manual and paper-based tasks in fleet management to a minimum, ensures greater transparency and increases efficiency. Ideally, the digitalization of fleet management should take place in stages:
1. needs analysis
First, take stock of your current fleet management processes and tasks. Which of these involve a particularly large amount of paperwork and time? Which of them can be digitized? Also ask yourself which functions the fleet management software needs to have. Do you need a module for the procurement of new vehicles, for fleet management or for compliance with owner liability obligations?
2. selection of suitable fleet software
Research software solutions that meet your requirements. Compare their functions, prices, user-friendliness and customer support. Choose the software that best suits your fleet management needs and meets your requirements.
3. implementation
As soon as you have found a suitable fleet management system, implement it in your company. Make sure that the software can be easily integrated into your existing IT systems.
4. data migration
Transfer your existing fleet data such as vehicle information, maintenance histories, driver data, etc. to the new software. For a smooth transition, it is important that the data is correct and complete. The data upload should be possible via Excel import or VIN query. Once the data has been uploaded, you can ideally get started straight away.
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How does fleet management software support me?
A fleet management system such as Fleethouse provides fleet managers with valuable support in their daily work, especially when the organization of vehicles is often done on the side.
Central data management
Software enables centralized management of all vehicle and driver data in one place. Soe can easily record and maintain information such as vehicle type, license plate number, maintenance history or driver qualifications. Documents such as vehicle papers, insurance documents, accident reports and maintenance logs are also stored digitally and assigned to the vehicles. This saves valuable time in day-to-day fleet management and enables clear organization. Fleet managers can access these documents at any time and from anywhere without having to search through archives and folders.
Keep an eye on appointments
Fleet management software also takes care of reminders for important tasks and deadlines, such as due maintenance, vehicle inspections or driver instructions. This means that fleet managers do not overlook any deadlines, even if they are busy with other tasks.
Cost Control
In addition, a fleet management system supports you in monitoring fuel consumption and costs. By integrating fuel receipts and consumption data, fleet managers can analyze fuel consumption and identify potential savings. This helps to control costs, even with limited time resources.
Reports and analyses
Thanks to informative reports, you can take a close look at and break down important key figures such as costs, vehicle usage and maintenance statistics in fleet management. Where are cost drivers hidden and in which areas can you reduce costs? Fleet managers receive a comprehensive overview of fleet operations and can make well-founded decisions.
Digital holder liability
A digital solution makes it easier to comply with keeper liability obligations. A digital solution not only reduces costs, but also ensures greater safety in the fleet.
In our free guide, we give you tips on how a software solution can make your day-to-day fleet work easier: Getting started with digital fleet management
Digital fleet management: what are the disadvantages of Excel?
Excel is a widely used tool for organizing vehicles , but it quickly reaches its limits. This is because the tool does not offer sufficient functions for efficient fleet management and no automation options for carrying out time-consuming routine tasks digitally.
- Offers a limited number of functions
- Requires manual input and calculations, which is time-consuming and more error-prone
- Has limited options for securing data and protecting against unauthorized access – sensitive vehicle and driver data can be vulnerable to error, loss or unauthorized access in Excel spreadsheets
- As a stand-alone program, very limited when integrating other fleet management systems, such as telematics systems, fuel card solutions or accounting software.
- Updating vehicle data in real time is difficult and version problems are possible if several people are working on an Excel spreadsheet at the same time
Who is responsible for fleet management in the company?
Responsibility for fleet management is handled differently depending on the size and structure of the company. In larger companies, there is often a designated fleet manager who is responsible for fleet management and all associated tasks.
In smaller and medium-sized companies or if the vehicle fleet is not one of the core activities, fleet management is often done on the side. If there are only a few vehicles in the fleet or if the company is very small, it can also happen that the management takes over fleet management itself.
What dates and deadlines need to be kept in mind for fleet management?
As already mentioned, fleet management is all about keep an eye on various dates and deadlines. The most important dates include
- HU (main inspection): In accordance with the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO), vehicles must undergo regular main inspections. The exact date of the main inspection depends on the vehicle type, the date of first registration and the vehicle class.
- AU (exhaust emissions test): The exhaust emissions test is required by law and is used to check the vehicle’s emission values. This ensures that the applicable environmental standards are complied with. The AU is now part of the HU.
- UVV inspection: During an UVV inspection, an independent expert checks various components of the vehicle to ensure roadworthiness and prevent accidents. These include the brakes, lighting systems, tires, steering, seat belts, warning signals and other safety-relevant components.
- UVV driver training: In fleet management, you must train all drivers at least once a year in the safe handling of vehicles and how to behave in the event of accidents. Such driver training in accordance with UVV is also required by law under accident prevention regulations.
- Driver’s license checks: Regular driver’s license checks are also mandatory in fleet management. This is to ensure that all drivers have a valid driving license and are authorized to drive the vehicle. The frequency of checks can vary depending on company guidelines, but it is recommended that checks are carried out every six months.
Webinar: Checklist for Fleet Management
In our free webinar, you will receive valuable tips on what to look out for when managing a vehicle fleet – from owner liability to the right form of financing.
What role does sustainability play in fleet management?
Sustainability plays a key role in fleet management is playing an increasingly important role. Companies are aiming to reduce their environmental impact, save costs, meet legal requirements and strengthen their own image as a result.
Sustainable fleet management includes measures that reduce fuel consumption and environmentally harmful emissions and promote more environmentally friendly drive types and mobility concepts. By using energy-efficient vehicles and increasing vehicle utilization, companies can simultaneously reducetheir operating costs. Darüber hinaus stärkt ein nachhaltigerer Fuhrpark das Image. Immer mehr Kunden und Arbeitnehmer legen Wert auf Unternehmen, die mit Rücksicht auf Klima und Umwelt handeln.
Which mobility concepts are important for sustainable fleet management?
Fleet management now goes beyond the mere management of vehicles. Instead, fleet managers must take a holistic view of operational mobility and combine cost optimization, employee needs and sustainability goals.
Corporate car sharing
Corporate car sharing in the fleet allows vehicles to be used more efficiently. Instead of assigning each employee their own vehicle, the vehicles are available to all employees for shared use. This minimizes idle times and increases utilization. At the same time, the number of vehicles can be reduced and valuable resources saved.
Electromobility
The use of low-emission or zero-emission vehicles helps companies to reduce their carbon footprint and thus contribute to climate protection and the promotion of sustainable mobility. In addition, e-vehicles generally have lower operating costs compared to combustion engines and require less maintenance as they have fewer parts that are susceptible to wear and tear. However, it is important to consider the infrastructural requirements, such as the availability of charging stations, to ensure a successful transition to electric mobility in fleet management.
Car subscription
In order to test whether electric cars are suitable for the company’s own fleet or to bridge longer delivery times, electric car Car subscriptions a good alternative. You can rent the vehicle you want for a short period and test it extensively. After the subscription period, simply return it or exchange it for another vehicle.
Testing electric vehicles?
With a car subscription, you can test without obligation whether an electric car is suitable for your fleet. With no hidden costs and a term of just one month.
FAQ - Fleet management
When choosing a suitable software solution for fleet management, you should make sure that it offers all the functions you need and has a modular structure. This allows you to add and remove the desired functions at any time.
The vehicle fleet is one of a company’s largest cost centers. Economical fleet management is therefore all the more important. By analyzing costs and consumption, you can find out where cost drivers are hidden. You can then plan and implement suitable optimization measures. In addition, vehicles should be regularly serviced and tire pressure checked. Corporate car sharing, i.e. sharing vehicles in the fleet, can also help to reduce operating costs.
In cooperation with the Bundesverband Betriebliche Mobilität e. V. and FIRMENAUTO, the DEKRA Academy offers the “Certified Fleet Manager (DEKRA) (m/f/d)” qualification. The content of the training is constantly being expanded and updated in line with current fleet management requirements. TÜV Rheinland also offers further training to become a fleet manager, in which practical knowledge in procurement, law, liability and cost and risk management is trained.
Further articles on the topic of fleet management
Useful templates for fleet management
The most important facts about fleet management
The term fleet management is used to describe the management, control and monitoring of vehicle fleets.
In addition to the procurement of vehicles, fleet management tasks also include claims management, compliance with owner liability obligations, regular maintenance and servicing and cost monitoring.
With the help of a software solution, routine fleet management tasks can be automated, relieving fleet managers and saving time and costs.
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