How To Run An Efficient And Successful Fleet

Running a successful fleet takes a lot of work—but you’ll save time and money, and avoid stress, if you use the following tips to develop a strategy for operating and managing your fleet.

Establish Strong Branding

Strong and consistent branding is an important advertising tool and it makes your company look professional. Take the following steps to establish a strong, recognizable, and respected brand.

• Have a professional designer create a logo for your company
• Use the same logo, fonts, and colors on your business cards, letterhead, invoices, and other branded material.
• Choose a professional vendor to wrap your vehicles with a clean, eye-catching design. Be sure to include your company logo.
• Consider having your team members wear a company shirt or hat while working.
• Provide consistent, high-quality service. Your products and services are a key part of your brand. Make sure everyone on your team provides the same quality of service.

Control Your Inventory

As a fleet owner, inventory isn’t just an asset—it is your business. Controlling your inventory is essential to maintaining a smooth operation. Use the following tips to manage your inventory.

• Keep immaculate records. If you don’t know how much inventory you have, you are losing time and money. Keep detailed records and update them frequently so you always know what you have on hand.
• Consider storage costs. It is wise to consider the trouble and cost associated with storing very large items. Before you decide to store a big-ticket item, check to see if it could be obtained at your destination to reduce storage costs.
• Make smart investments. If you need to stock a really expensive item, limit the amount to what you need for a few months. You should also remember that storing your inventory isn’t free—if items have been stuck on shelves for months, they are wasting storage space that could be used for more profitable items. Focus on inventory that will earn you the most profit with the smallest amount of hassle.

For more inventory management tips, check out this article.

Build A Good Team

Your company is only as good as your team—choose the right team members. Hire responsible drivers and pay them fairly. If you employ people to lift heavy loads, choose smart and careful workers who won’t damage property or be a liability.

You should also carefully choose the other companies and vendors that you do business with. If a vendor is dishonest or unreliable, find someone new.

You can also save time and improve the quality of your service by outsourcing some of the paperwork and maintenance with a trusted company such as FleetServ. You’ll be able to focus on what you do best, and you can leave the other stuff to an efficient and reliable partner.

Running a successful fleet isn’t for the faint of heart, but with hard work, planning, and a great team, you can look forward to success.

photo credit: Portrait of a female executive via photopin (license)