Many of us may think that the role of a fleet manager is quite hilarious as if –a back seat driver. They can drive the fleet crazily all their way from there comfort. In fact, a good fleet manager is not a reckless person who steers their fleets as they wish but handles everything systematically and productively.

As we look at the fleet manager, they are who set the hard and fast rules of the fleets assigned.

Their duties involve selecting the most suitable vehicles, scheduling the routes, assigning the drivers, recommending the service and maintenance, updating the documents and the list of duties and the chart and is endless.

Read Also: 6 Tips For Effective Fleet Maintenance

As the purpose of the fleet and the kind of services changes, the job of the fleet manager varies. Nevertheless, regardless of the challenges, all it needs is proper coordination and better communication.

Since single drivel can turn the business at stake, it is a job of attention and agility.

Today, let’s check what skills can make you a successful fleet manager.

1. Be a pro-multitasker

The best feature in a multitasker would be the ability to act lively on different tasks. Hence, for fleet management no less than a buzzing multitasker can handle this job.

There will be days when you can’t even sit back and take a breath to relax. The wagons and its drivers may screech from nowhere for help.

Also, you have to meet the productive scale on a day-to-day basis. From the procurement of new vehicles to bidding farewell to the decades-old vehicles may come on a single day. So, a fleet manager should be able to tackle any matter arising around the vehicles.

 The fleet manager will be the only contact point for all the troubles coming across the way. Further, the manager should be up-to-date with the changing compliance of all sorts of vehicles and its road rules either.

So be a pro-multitasker all the way to cater to the needs of the fleets and the drivers. Be on the toe all the time. 

2. Be scheduled intact

The fleets can’t make a move until they get a command. Because the bridle is with the fleet manager!

Of the tens of hundreds of tasks, there will be jobs that require different degree of attention. Sorting the productive and unproductive works is more vital for stacking the tasks properly on a daily basis.

Surprisingly, there won’t be many days with fewer schedules. Hence, a simplified schedule will help you to break down the tasks in a handy manner.

Always upkeep the list of vehicles and their working condition. Get updates from the drivers every day. Maintain a day-to-day log that can produce for future reference.

Also, schedule the fleets and its according routes at least a day before. Educate the driver about the productivity index that the company follows.

Plus, the adequacy to meet compliance and discipline on road. And be ready with the action plan for the troubles coming from nowhere.

Hence, a good schedule always enables you to follow up and meet everyday jobs pretty well.

3. Be a vehicle enthusiast          

Like the saying, it takes a thief to catch a thief, and it is no different in the automobile sector. Only an automobile savvy can find out the issues on a vehicle precisely.

Being a fleet manager, it is better to have a clear understanding of the basic working principles of vehicles. Specifically, to scale the value of various issues coming across vehicle management.

Moreover, having a decent knowledge of automobile mechanisms will help to communicate better with the drivers. Further, it enables us to make decisions quite easily at times.

Similarly, always update the technological as well as technical knowledge. Thus, you can upscale and optimize the fleet operation more profitably.

4. Be a tech enthusiast

The wave of technology has reached over the shores of fleet management as well. The modes of managing fleets and its intricate operations are regulated by digital and mobile technology.

Amazingly, these software has cut down the more than half of the workload of the managers all the way.

Today, fleet management software is the lead role that is in control of fleet operations. 

Read Also: What is fleet management – All you need to know

It encircles almost every aspect of fleet such as recommending the best routes, tracking the wheels, reporting to the events, updating the data, scheduling the trips and communication between the drivers on the ride.

If you are familiar with the technologies and software, you can easily educate the drivers to simplify their jobs too. It simply says you cannot be a successful fleet manager while indifferent to emerging technologies. So be a good tech enthusiast especially in the vehicle technologies.

5. Be a good communicator

The very trouble arising amid the employees and the employer is mostly triggered by the lack of effective communication.

The employer cannot understand what the employees have meant and the same process rotates vice-versa across the workflow.  

So, as a person who needed to rattle off with a lot of people, a fleet manager shall communicate quite effectively. Above that, it should be understandable for everyone.

Regardless of the scenario, the fleet manager could mitigate the issue without compromising on the other responsibilities.

Further, be a good listener too. Understand their problems and the worries of drivers. Resolve it in the meantime. Also, if you have the flair to educate the employees proficiently, the half job is done. Hence, just be a good communicator.

6. Be a leader and an analyst

What makes a manager stands out is the ability to lead a team professionally. Hence a fleet manager is supposed to be more of a leader than a manager. The fleet and the drivers are led by the fleet manager alone, so this skill is a must have for every fleet manager.

When a hurdle pops up over the route or an unfortunate event has occurred during a trip, the fleet manager should be capable of dealing and leading the situation to a good resolution.

As a role of numerous responsibilities, a fleet manager is the very point of contact that every fleet sharpens their ears more accurately for making a move. Thus the role demands a conscious analysis of every process happening across the sector as well.

7. Be up-to-date

How annoying it would be when our manager repeats the same old story again and again? Undoubtedly, it sounds mundane and no one gives an ear.

Particularly, in fleet management, a lot of intuitive changes and updates come over time. The legislation, compliance, rules, and regulations have a thrilling tendency to vacillate often. And the changes may often influence by climate, seasons and movements in-laws.

Moreover, the age of the vehicle, maintenance cycle, duty schedules, certificates, and permits, policies also expire and need to renew yearly.

Read Also: 5 Essential Safety Tips For Fleet Drivers

So, it is the duty of a fleet manager to follow up every string that follows the fleets and update it accordingly. Hence, it demands a skill to gather and share up-to-date information.

Conclusion:

However, the attributes are numerous that can up-skill our abilities to become a successful fleet manager. The above list is a few of the important qualities that we have to master.

As a manager, we would be expected to cater to all the requirements for the management as well as the subordinates. Hence it takes all these skills to function our jobs productively.