Choosing the Right Fleet Management Software: Everything You Need to Know

Fleet management systems have grown immensely in recent years. So much so that you will need sophisticated software to collect, manage, and effectively use all possible data.

It is only then that you can make the most out of your fleet management journey. 

The software you choose largely impacts overall fleet performance and effectiveness. So, you need to be careful while choosing the right fleet management software for your business.

Things to Look For While Choosing the Best Fleet Management Software

Choosing the right software can be challenging because of the variety and competition in the SaaS market. Don’t worry, though! We are here to help you make the right decision. Here are a few things you should carefully review before you choose the one you’d like to work with.

1. Industry 

Be aware of the tracking features and functions required in your industry. Once you have identified your requirements, you can see if the software you like solves all your concerns.

Here are a few industries covered by fleet management software along with their special requirements:

• Logistics and Transport: Features such as route deviation alerts, real-time ETAs, fuel monitoring, on-board vehicle analysis, and driver behavior analysis are important for the logistics and transport industry. 
• Field Force: FFM requires a two-face app for different levels of employees. You should look for features such as task management, attendance, chat integration, and expense management along with real-time GPS tracking facilities. 
• Construction: The construction industry requires real-time emergency alerts, load sensing, engine hour monitoring, and smart geofences. Software strength indicators such as low downtime and mixed asset management should be your priorities. 
• Agriculture: The agriculture industry requires smart geofences for data-driven farming supervision of cultivated areas. Safety features such as engine on/off indicators and immobilization are an added benefit. 
• Pharmaceutical: When running a pharmaceutical fleet, you will need cabin temperature controls and route optimization. Medical equipment transportation needs software support that obviates downtime or lags. 
• FMCG: For vehicles carrying FMCG consignment, vehicle security and cabin temperature management become imperative. The ideal software offers accurate ETAs along with load sensors and proofs of delivery through alerts or geofences. 
• Public Transport: Public transport requires driver behavior analysis. The better the drivers, the better and safer the public transport service! Moreover, panic button integration and route planning will enhance the software experience. 
• Waste Management: Waste management requires strict route planning and load sensing along with a longer history record.
• Rental Vehicles: Features such as travel summary reports, driver behavior analysis, on-board vehicle diagnostics, and fuel management play an important role in rental vehicle management. 

2. Essential Features

When looking to enhance your fleet management system, you should consider if it offers the features that will take your fleet management game a step further. 

• White Label: Why advertise another company when you can operate the software in your name? If your fleet management software is going to become popular news, it is best to choose a white-label software service that will do all the technical stuff for you but will allow the software to be branded in your business’ name. 
• Fuel Monitoring: Fuel monitoring features such as instant drainage reports and real-time fuel monitoring paired with precise reports make fuel management much easier. Fuel monitoring is imperative to avoid wastage and its subsequent impact on the environment and fleet economy. 
• Driver Management: Driver behaviour analysis leads to massive cost savings. Therefore, your fleet management should be able to help you single out rash drivers from the good ones. You can then train problematic ones to drive effectively and safely to improve efficiency. 
• Trip Management: Software allows you to plan and map trips according to smart insights through geospatial information. Trip management is a great way to get your drivers to stop taking unnecessary halts or longer routes. 
• Fuel Cost Calculator: A fuel cost calculator helps fleet managers estimate how much fuel a trip is likely to cost. After the trip, they can compare the estimate with the actual expense and check what caused any extra fuel costs.
• Geofences: Geofences are a great way of keeping track of your vehicles even when you are not looking at the vehicle movement in real-time. Moreover, geofences can be used for rental business supervision and driver behaviour analysis among other things. 
• Alerts: Things such as theft alarms, geofence alerts, maintenance alerts, and route deviation alerts are crucial. These alerts allow you to manage your fleet without being glued to your fleet management system. 
• Safety Features: Using software for fleet management allows you access to safety features such as remote immobilization, battery safety alarm, and theft alarms. It is best to invest in software that increases fleet efficiency and safeguards both your vehicles and consignment. 
• Performance Reports: Through performance review reports, you can improve the business and metric analysis required for your trade. 
• History: Most software only have database capability to store 1-2 months of total fleet data. However, for comprehensive performance reports, you will need software that can store up to 6 months of data history. 
• Sensor Compatibility: Using IoT and OBD sensors such as accelerometers and tyre pressure monitors gives you a better image of the vehicle and driver performance. Moreover, cabin temperature monitors are imperative for cold-chain logistics.
• Automation: The future of telematics lies in machine learning and automation. Therefore, smart ETAs, automatic reporting, alerts, etc. make a significant impact on your overall fleet efficiency and user experience. 

3. Ease of Use

Are you turning to software fleet management directly from a completely manual format? Many fleet managers feel apprehensive about this shift because of how difficult getting the hang of software can be. Therefore, you should choose software that has an interface you can understand and use. 

First of all, the software should be built with a user-friendly approach in mind. However, if the software provider offers the following three things, it is likely to be ideal for you:

• A strong support team with spectacular availability 
• Basic training to clients regarding basic troubleshooting 
• Complete customization according to your comfort of use. 

4. Customer Support

As mentioned previously, any software that offers good customer support leads to ease of usability. You should always check what a software company’s support team looks like. Here are a couple of questions you can ask before making a decision:

• Do they have a dedicated support team?
• Is the support team readily available at reasonable hours?
• How will I get through technical issues at unreasonable hours when the support team is not available? 
• Is the support paid or complementary? 

Only when you are satisfied with all the above answers can you consider using the software in question. 

5. Speed and Robustness

During software demos, observe how well and quickly any software collects, processes, displays, and syncs data. 

While software crashes are terrible, a lag in software is no better and takes away the essence of ‘real-time’ from real-time GPS tracking systems. You should put preference into the software with the least downtime. 

Moreover, you need to check how immune those software are against viruses and cyber attacks. This is especially important to avoid constant crashes or data theft. 

6. Upgrades and Scalability

The best way to know if the software is good for your business is if their actions favor your growth and scalability. 

You might start using fleet management systems with a small fleet of 10 vehicles. However, you might slowly rise to a fleet of 100 or 1000, or even more! Therefore, the software you choose should have space and data processing capability for your growing business. 

Your software provider should be dedicated to conducting R&D and providing upgrades to solve your industry-specific problems. 

7. Budget 

When it comes to choosing the right software for a business, you should keep the difficult metrics of budget in mind. We suggest you figure out what you need from Trackobit software-based fleet management, shortlist two or three software you like. Later, compare their prices to get the one that matches your budget perfectly. 

While forming a fleet management budget, however, it is important to note that software will eventually reduce your expenses. Therefore, you can form a price benchmark considering the future savings as well.

Parting Words 

Fleet management can be made as simple and as complicated as you let it be. If you use the right software, your job can become as simple as breathing. However, using outdated software will only lead to more difficulty as compared to manual fleet management. 

Make sure that you consider all the things mentioned in our checklist and come to an informed decision!

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should managers consider before choosing fleet management software?

  Software should always be selected according to your fleet needs. The managers can consider things like real-time tracking, fuel, maintenance, and driver management. They can analyze everything from features and ease of use to cost. Managers can ensure how well the software fits the daily fleet operations.

• How do managers know if fleet management software suits their industry?

  Different industries have different fleet requirements. Logistics may need features like fuel management and route notifications. For construction, the managers require features like engine hour tracking. The managers can select software that supports their day-to-day activities and fleet operations.

• What features should managers look for in fleet management software?

  Always try to find something that addresses the major fleet problems. This can be GPS tracking, fuel monitoring, geofencing, maintenance, and driver management. They may also need alerts, reports, trip management, sensor support, and automation based on your fleet needs.

• How important is customer support when choosing fleet management software?

  Technical issues are resolved easily with good support. Make sure you know the availability and the time taken for the resolution process before selecting the software. Managers can check whether additional support services require extra charges.

• Can fleet management software handle a growing fleet?

  Check scalability before choosing fleet management software. Ask about vehicle limits, data handling, user access, and integrations. A system built for ten vehicles may not suit hundreds. Choose software that can support your fleet as it grows.

• How much does fleet management software cost?

  Fleet management software costs vary by features, fleet size, hardware, and integrations. Do not compare subscription prices alone. Always consider possible savings from lower fuel use and reduced downtime. The managers must also look at better maintenance and improved fleet visibility. The best approach is to pick software that offers custom pricing.

• How can managers check whether fleet management software is easy to use?

  Managers can ask for a demo before selecting the software. They can also conduct pilot testing to assess its features and performance. This helps them check the tools their team would use. They can see whether the dashboard is user-friendly and reports are easily accessible.