What Fleet Data Should You Be Tracking in 2021?
What Fleet Data Should You Be Tracking in 2021?
As a fleet manager, you likely have a lot of data available to you at your operation. In fact, your fleet management software system might produce more data and analytics than you know what to do with. So, how do you prioritize which data to use to run your fleet operation?
Here are some data points you should be tracking to run a successful fleet.
Preventative maintenance schedules: Properly servicing your vehicles can keep them on the roadways and out of the shop. Run regular PM reports to look at what vehicles are due for services, and which are overdue. You should also track what percentage of your work orders are for PM services. Ideally, if your program is working correctly, these should make up most of your service requests.
Vehicle inspection reports: Check the results of driver vehicle inspection reports each day to ensure drivers are completing them as needed, and to see what defects are being discovered. This will give you assurance that your operation is compliant with inspection mandates, and it will also alert you to what repairs your vehicles need.
Fuel usage: Fuel is one of your fleet operation’s largest expenses. It’s important to track how much fuel each vehicle is using and to monitor the cost-per-mile. This will help you better account for fuel costs, as well as determine if a vehicle is becoming too expensive to operate. Monitoring your fuel usage will also identify any drivers that are wasting fuel through bad driving behaviors like idling, or for personal use of the vehicle.
Work orders: It’s important to track the number of open work orders, closed WOs, and the average amount of time to complete a WO. This can help you monitor the productivity of your shop and can identify any training or performance issues with your technicians.
Odometer readings: Tracking each vehicle’s mileage can help you determine if the asset needs PM services, how much fuel it is using per mile, and if the driver is keeping the vehicle on the assigned route.
Vehicle usage: It’s important to monitor how often each asset in your fleet is being used. This can help you figure out the vehicle’s PM schedule, and monitor how many miles are being put on the asset. It also helps determine when to replace vehicles in your fleet.
Total Cost of Ownership: Tracking how much it costs to keep a vehicle in your fleet is important. This includes not just the purchase price of a vehicle, but also operating and maintenance expenses. Knowing this information can help you determine when an asset should be replaced.