Correctly setting up and managing your fleet has a huge impact on your business, ensuring operations run smoothly, assisting with timely transportation, and ultimately affecting your bottom line.
Here, we offer four tips to help you effectively and efficiently set up and manage your business fleet.
- Decide whether to buy or lease
One of the most important aspects of managing your fleet is ensuring it’s cost-effective. You need to consider the most appropriate way to invest in your fleet, whether that’s buying or leasing.
Buying outright is typically more expensive than leasing, for example, but you don’t have to worry about forking out for wear and tear. There are pros and cons to both options, so do your research before you make any important decisions.
- Consider the ongoing costs
After the initial cost of buying or leasing your fleet, there are many ongoing costs that you need to factor into your financial planning. This includes services and MOTs, repairs, insurance, fuel, and tax.
One effective way to manage costs is to give your employees a fuel card. According to All Star, this will help you control mileage and fuel purchases, quickly assess fuel expenditure, and encourage drivers to use lower-cost petrol stations.
- Prioritise fleet maintenance
When it comes to maintaining slick business operations, your fleet must be operating at full capacity. To ensure your vehicles get from A to B without a hitch, you need to make sure that your fleet is well-maintained by undertaking regular inspections, checks, and services.
After all, it’s more cost-effective to prevent issues from arising than paying large bills to have vehicles repaired after something goes wrong. If one or more of your vehicles breaks down, it could put a halt to your business operations, losing you time and money.
The same goes for any other heavy-duty equipment you use regularly to transport goods. Machinery such as forklifts and cranes that use rope or harnesses in your warehouse need regular maintenance to ensure they are safe for use and minimise risks of costly breakdowns.
- Make sure vehicles are roadworthy
It’s essential to make sure that your vehicles are safe to drive and roadworthy – keeping your staff and other road users safe. The government’s HGV daily walkaround check explains what you should look at both inside and outside the vehicle before setting off.
This includes mirrors, windscreen wipers and washers, steering, horn, brakes, and seatbelts – to name a few. If any defects are found, these should be fixed promptly so your drivers can get back on the road safely.
By managing upfront and ongoing costs, prioritising vehicle maintenance, and ensuring your fleet is safe on the road, you can set your business fleet up for success.
