The fleet management industry has seen an evolution in recent years centered on information technology (IT) and vehicle data. With the advent of telematics devices and vehicle tracking systems, fleet managers are utilizing IT more than ever. The statistics provided by these tools can be used to reduce vehicle downtime, keep up with preventative maintenance, improve driver safety, make informed…
Everyone wants to think they’re irreplaceable. Yet when the lottery hits new heights, the lines are long—with many dreaming of quitting their day job. Retirement parties come around frequently. And no one likes to think about it, but people die every day—and many of them are still in the workforce when it happens. Then there are happy things: marriages that…
Pulling driving privileges from fleet drivers is not one of the more exciting duties of a fleet manager, but it is an absolute necessity at times. When drivers are not driving safely or have bad driving habits, it puts your employees, other drivers on the road, and your company or organization at extreme risk. When evaluating if you should suspend…
“Everyone wants to get home safely at the end of the day,” said Raymond P. Martinez, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). “And it’s my job to help make sure that happens by regulating and monitoring motor carriers and enforcing rules related to their operation.” “It is also my job to make sure that the few who…
Nearly six years ago, New York City was hit by Superstorm Sandy’s sustained winds of 80 mph, tearing through homes and flooding subways and streets. In November, the lights were switched on for Rockefeller Center’s 75-foot Christmas tree, an annual draw for millions of visitors. On this morning, the cars are triple-parked and tractor trailers idle in the middle of…
In the previous three articles in the Fleet Policy series, we covered the policy framework and how it is nested in an organization’s strategic plan. We learned that the fleet management manual should describe the guiding principles, responsibilities, and regulations regarding the use of fleet vehicles and most recently, what that manual should look like. The fact remains, however, that…
In the previous two parts of the Fleet Policy Series, the policy framework and how it is nested in an organization’s strategic plan was covered. Your fleet management manual should describe the guiding principles, responsibilities, and regulations regarding the use of fleet vehicles. This installment will cover what that manual should look like and will provide a policy outline as…
A basic tenet of fleet management is to have a policy framework that supports the full range of fleet operations. This is listed as one of the eleven essentials of fleet management, yet, many fleets have no formally adopted policies and many others have weak or ambiguous statements. NAFA defines policy as “the principles, rules, and guidelines formulated or adopted…
An organization without a strategic plan is like a ship without a compass; it will lack direction and the ability to fulfill its purpose. In a similar vein, the organization lacking a robust policy framework is like a ship without a competent crew; it may have a known direction, but is lacking the basic ingredients to get where it needs…