We know that when you send out your technicians, you want them to spend as little time on the road as possible. However, if you don’t strategically plan your business’ daily routes, then they’ll spend too little time completing work orders and too much money on fuel and travel expenses. By utilizing the tips below, you can streamline your operations to enhance productivity, decrease costs and increase your overall earnings.
Utilize GPS Systems
As much as your technicians may think they know the area, there’s almost always a faster route. Rather than relying on the driver’s navigation skills, we recommend installing and utilizing a GPS system instead. Doing so will ensure that the fastest path is taken and will reduce worries about punctuality, freeing your technicians up to focus on the jobs at hand.
GPS systems can also do more than find the best route at any given time. Some, such as ClearPathGPS, can track any unsafe driving and increase technician accountability. In addition, Fleeto notes that GPS systems can be configured to provide customers with real-time status updates and communication channels with drivers.
Installing GPS systems in your fleet benefits your technicians, your customers, and your business.
Prioritize Customer Locations
First Citizens Bank reports that fuel costs average 60% of a fleet’s total operating budget. With the increase in gas prices, it's crucial to take charge of your fleet cost management, now more than ever.
To effectively manage fleet costs, cutting unnecessary backtracking is essential. If you prioritize jobs correctly, you can create routes that minimize road time and fuel consumption while getting the most out of your resources. A simple way to do this is by analyzing each job's location and grouping those close together to reduce unnecessary mileage.
Saving on fuel costs is just one advantage of advanced route planning. It can also help reduce vehicle wear and tear, making your fleet operation more sustainable and saving money on repairs/replacements.
Implement Dynamic Scheduling
It can be hard to schedule appointments accurately when traffic conditions and service requests change by the minute. With the help of dynamic scheduling software, you can adjust routes in real-time to account for unexpected changes.
Software such as Verizon Connect and others can specifically help:
All the while, the software can ensure compliance with driver logs, regulations, and work rules. This technology can help you adapt to changes and update planned routes at the drop of a hat.
Conclusion
By installing GPS systems, prioritizing customer locations, and implementing dynamic scheduling, you can significantly reduce the time your technicians spend on the road. Not only will you increase efficiency and productivity, but you’ll also lessen fuel costs, reduce wear and tear, and boost customer satisfaction. These three shortcuts are a great way to enhance your workflow and improve your fleet management efforts.