Overview:
Fleet management is a tough task for businesses with several vehicles. However, the use of fleet maintenance software simplifies the job by providing various tools aimed at reducing maintenance costs, improving vehicle and driver safety, and extending the lifespan of a fleet.
Who uses Fleet Maintenance Software?
All types of businesses that own and maintain a fleet of vehicles can use fleet maintenance software, including trucking, logistics, delivery, and public transportation companies. These businesses can use the software to schedule regular maintenance, prevent maintenance issues, track vehicle fuel usage, and monitor driver safety.
Benefits of Fleet Maintenance Software:
- Reduced Maintenance Costs: Fleet maintenance software helps businesses in reducing maintenance costs by streamlining preventive maintenance schedules, minimizing unplanned repairs, and ensuring that fleet vehicles remain in good condition.
- Driver and Vehicle Safety: Fleet maintenance software helps to protect drivers by identifying and addressing unsafe driving behavior, reducing the risk of accidents. Additionally, it helps to maintain vehicle safety by monitoring tire pressure, engine functions, and the overall condition of the vehicle.
- Extended Life of Fleet: By consistently maintaining a fleet, fleet maintenance software extends the lifespan of vehicles, which reduces the chances of frequent replacements and increases the profitability of businesses.
Features of Fleet Maintenance Software:
- Preventive Maintenance Scheduling: It helps to schedule preventive maintenance to avoid unscheduled downtime and repairs, keeping your fleet on the road.
- Inventory Management: It tracks inventory and ensures that the availability of parts for faulty vehicles is adequate, reducing downtime and improving fleet productivity.
- Fuel Management: The feature helps to check the fuel usage of the vehicle, reducing fuel consumption and fuel costs.
- Alerts and Notifications: The software sends notifications and alerts via email or text messages on maintenance schedules, finished works orders, and more.
- Tracking of Maintenance Costs: The software keeps track of maintenance costs through the reports generated by the software, helping businesses to manage their expenses efficiently.
Five examples of Fleet Maintenance Software:
- UpKeep: UpKeep is a web-based and mobile device-ready fleet management software designed to track maintenance schedules, record works orders, and manage inventory for all types of fleet management.
- Dossier: Dossier is a web-based fleet maintenance software that provides a range of fleet management services, including preventive maintenance scheduling, inventory management, and reporting analyses.
- Fleetsoft: Fleetsoft is an all-in-one fleet management software that provides maintenance scheduling, inventory management, fuel management, and analytics.
- Manager Plus: Manager Plus is an excellent fleet maintenance software that offers quality preventive maintenance, inventory management, fleet analytics, and vehicle tracking.
- Linxup: Linxup’s software focuses on GPS tracking, ELD compliance, and predictive maintenance for fleet vehicles, paving the way for lower repair costs and a more efficient fleet operation.
It offers a preventive maintenance scheduling feature with task creation tools, inventory management, and reporting. The software also includes a mobile application that allows maintenance personnel to log, track, and schedule repairs as required.
However, despite its compatibility with both desktop and mobile devices, users have claimed a slight lag while using its mobile version.
It also features a fuel consumption tracking module and has an application programming interface (API) that allows the software to integrate with other devices.
However, users have complained about the steep learning curve of the software and its relatively high pricing.
It has a very user-friendly interface with an easy drag-and-drop system and task creation feature for maintenance workers’ proper allocation.
However, users have reported issues with the lack of GPS tracking, which is not included in the feature available of Fleetsoft.
It provides many features that reduce maintenance downtime and repair costs and improves the lifespan of fleet vehicles.
However, the software has a slightly steep learning curve, and the pricing can be challenging for small businesses.
Linxup provides a vehicle tracking feature that alerts users on where and when their vehicles have been. It also generates fleet reports and analytic data, which helps fleet managers make data-driven decisions.
However, users have reported difficulties with installation and retrieval of realtime data, which can be crucial in the management of fleet vehicles.
Conclusion:
Fleet maintenance software plays an essential role in improving vehicle safety, reducing operational costs, and extending the life of fleets. Businesses will undoubtedly benefit from implementing one of these software products. By entrusting the management of a fleet to any of the software discussed above, a business will significantly reduce maintenance downtime and optimize the productivity of its fleet while maintaining a competitive advantage in its industry.