The fleet manager has long been considered a jack-of-all-trades with a tremendous amount of responsibility.

Traditional responsibilities range from keeping the fleet operational to saving money while keeping overtime in check. Duties may include specifying equipment and purchasing equipment, ensuring units are properly documented, and making sure scheduled preventive maintenance is on track. The fleet manager must always monitor productivity, quality control, and profitability in cases where the fleet is commercial. Cost effectiveness, whether the fleet belongs to a fire department or is an over-the-road (OTR) private operation, is the name of the game. Always searching for ways to maximize the operation and shave costs where possible is paramount. The most important tool to get this monumental task accomplished is a database that is global positioning satellite (GPS) linked that can run real-time reports that show how much fuel the fleet is consuming per unit, technician labor, repeat repairs, parts cost on individual fleet vehicles, and warranty tracking.

Traditionally, fleet managers were always working after the fact because once a vehicle left the shop it became invisible. GPS-linked data systems changed that because they offer real-time data for the fleet manager that can increase uptime. GPS-linked data systems offer great returns on investment because they are the best way to gather information quickly to help make decisions that will save time and money and improve efficiencies.

Manage Costly Items

It has long been known that for most fleets the two costliest items are fuel and tires. It is possible that in certain cases other items can cost more to maintain in a fleet operation. The type of equipment and the way it is used, combined with climate and terrain, could very well contribute to this. For example, severe brake wear could cost more than tires in a fleet of emergency response vehicles (ERVs), particularly if they are near gross vehicle weight (GVW) and operating intercity in a hot climate.

Fuel. When it comes to fuel, you should be asking: How much is it costing? How much are we using? Are there like units using more fuel per mile than others? Is there fuel that is unaccounted for? A good GPS-linked data system that is tied to the fueling system can answer these questions and more. The most accurate systems are wireless systems that will read data right from the unit’s onboard computer, such as mileage and engine hours, and will record the date and time the unit was refueled. Systems that rely on drivers to input mileage are prone to have some erroneous data because invariably mistakes will be made during driver input. Good systems will provide automatic reports on units that are using more fuel than like vehicles. This will allow the fleet manager to bring the unit in to correct the issue if it is related to excessive fuel consumption. Sometimes the problem involves theft; a good GPS-linked data system will quickly point this out. I have seen a number of employees get terminated because of fuel theft; if you do not have a good data system, it will be much more difficult to find th