Driver satisfaction Archives - Fleet Management Backend Site

31 Tips To Hire Best Drivers For Your Fleet

Posted on October 8, 2019 by fmsupadminnxtjs

For many large fleet management organizations, hiring competent drivers is as much a challenging job as any other. A successful driver, they believe, represents the face of the company to the public and the customers.

In these modern times, fleet managers face significant issues when hiring drivers including a shortage of talented drivers.

The reasons for this include aging of the drivers, regulated number of driving hours for the drivers, increased freighting demands because of an improved economy, drivers taking up alternate jobs instead of driving, lack of driving experience of younger drivers, long working hours at a stretch, etc., among others.

Given below are the skills, backgrounds, certifications and some other qualities that are required to be kept in mind when hiring drivers for your fleet and overcome the abovementioned shortage.

Points to keep in mind when hiring drivers for your fleet

#1: Firstly conduct and interview to hire your fleet driver. This is the best way in which you can find out how efficient they are. You can also estimate their trustworthiness.

#2: After the interview, lead the shortlisted drivers on to a second practical driving test. This is the next screening that will help you to filter the better drivers for your fleet. You can practically test their driving skills. This will give you an idea to evaluate their skill, ease and comfort while driving the vehicle.

#3: Perform a background check and as certain that they do not any criminal background. They should also include a gauge of the safety accountability of the driver.

#4: Check the drivers’ licenses and driving certifications thoroughly. This is a very important stage.

#5: Take stock of the driver’s health by conducting a checkup. They should be fit enough to drive for long hours in a day.

#6: The mechanical skills of the candidate should be in place. They should be able to overcome sudden and unpredictable technical difficulties quickly that the vehicle may experience during a trip.

#7: The driver of today should be a tech savvy person and be able to understand technology. Cars and trucks are equipped with the latest gadgetry including GPS trackers and fleet fuel cards. The candidate should be able to use these fully to manage the journey.

#8: Driving is a challenging job. Every day is a different one for the driver and this job requires the driver to act with grace and tolerance to end the day with satisfaction.

#9: A good driver must be calm and composed. They have to be able to contain their anger under the most stressful conditions.

#10: The drivers’ sense of responsibility in handling the vehicle, money, time and the jobs they are entrusted with is of supreme importance.

#11: Drivers of your fleet vehicles must be most well-behaved with clients, co-workers and the public at large. They should behave responsibly and carefully.

#12: How the driver excels in customer service is a very important aspect of building the image of the company. Hence you should select those drivers who behave in the best manner with your customers.

#13: Any driver would at many instances be required to execute more than one task at a time. This makes it imperative that a driver should be good at multitasking.

#14: The driver is trusted with the vehicle and all the members/goods that it carries. In this context, the driver is obliged to be trustworthy and be morally responsible for the transporting of goods or the people in the fleet.

#15: The driver must be alert at all times. His hearing ability should be top-notch. His hand-eye coordination should be perfect. These qualities ensure that he will be alert enough to be able to handle any unpredictable driving conditions that may arise.

#16: Drivers that you hire should be honest at all times. They have more than just the vehicle on their hands at any point in time. They cannot compromise on their honest even for an instant.

#17: Drivers should be physically strong and have fit bodies. They are likely to meet the strangest individuals during their long-haul trips. They should be capable of overcoming any kind of adverse situation.

#18: The background checks and screening should include checking for moving violations for at least the last 10 years.

#19: It is important not to hire drivers that have DUI convictions. As an employer, you must have zero tolerance towards driving under the influence of alcohol.

#20: In case your company’s routes are across national borders, the driver’s license and background records should comply with the other country’s regulations as well.

#21: For recruiting truck drivers, it is a good idea to look at former service members. They are adept at handling large vehicles and have a way of learning the mechanical systems quickly.

#22: Recruiting middle-aged candidates as drivers brings in maturity and more experience in life skills.

#23: Hiring legal immigrants leaves you with candidates that are fluent in more than one language. This is likely to improve customer service and liaison with the public.

#24: Choosing a candidate with collaborative communication skills with the company and the public improves the service and the company image.

#25: Hiring a candidate with good mathematical skills goes a long way to understand customer documentation and fewer billing/invoice mistakes.

#26: Being well-groomed and having a friendly demeanour is important for driver recruits as these two factors help to improve customer relationships.

#27: It is advantageous for the recruiter to find out if the candidate has a preferred route or a work-shift. This can help the recruiter to leverage this preference in terms of increased output from the candidate.

#28: It is a good idea to award plum routes and work-schedules to drivers with a lot of experience. This will make way for their improved performance and ensure that they stay on in the job for longer periods.

#29: It is a good idea for the recruiter to invest in advanced training and skills development for deserving drivers. This tells them that you are investing in their expertise and causes them to be more loyal to you.

#30: It is important to recruit candidates with sound knowledge of both verbal and written communication in Arabic (native) and English languages. This will ensure optimum communications and all required documentation to be in place.

#31: More than anything else, the candidate should love driving. Any person that loves his/her job does it well. Driving a truck or a car is good employment for those who do not want to work within the confines of an office.

These are some of the best ways in which you can hire drivers for your fleet of vehicles.

6 Reasons Truck Driving Is A Dangerous Job [Incl. Safety Tips]

Posted on August 8, 2019 by fmsupadminnxtjs

The high rate of on-job fatality in trucking industry is what makes truck driving a dangerous job. While job risks are universal, certain sectors have a higher degree of vulnerability compared to other jobs.

Truck driving is one of such kind which can pose fatal threats. In contrast, a large number of population still enjoy being a truck driver.

Let’s see why truck driving is touted as a dangerous job.

1. Weather Conditions

Weather-Conditions-Truck-Driving-Dangerous-job

Poor or extreme weather conditions are challenging for truck drivers. These not only lead to accidents but also impact the performance of vehicles.

Scorching sunny days, foggy mornings, freezing temperatures and rainy weather are not favorable for drivers and trucks. Such bad weather makes drive-ways vulnerable and driving dangerous.

Unexpected weather patterns always trouble drivers.

Rain: With heavy rain, road visibility reduces significantly. In addition to that, rain water forms a layer of water between tires of the vehicle and the road, resulting in hydroplaning.

Moreover, slippery roads and hidden potholes make driving risky during rain.

Snow: During winter seasons, roads become more troublesome for truck drivers and trucks. Truck tires do not grip ice-covered roads well enough. It takes a lot of skill from drivers to combat such situations.

Wind: Trucks can wade off normal challenges posed by wind, but heavy wind would be hazardous. The massive structure of trailers cannot withstand whirlwinds and causes such vehicles to roll over.

Fog: Drivers cannot see through the road on foggy days. It hinders long-range visibility, increasing chances of bumping into other vehicles and at times even causing vehicles to drive off the road resulting in tragic accidents. In foggy days, it is better to avoid driving altogether.

Safety measures:

Park the truck somewhere safe and wait for a favorable climate
Practice defensive driving on poor weather condition
Limit the speed and use headlights for better visibility
Never use jack brake and keep ample distance between vehicles
Ensure proper tire pressure and fully functional wiring systems

2. Crowded Seasons

Local events such as carnivals, galas, protests, and rallies always happen by the roadways. People occupy roads to celebrate their regional or national events. Long hauling drivers may not aware about these local events.

Therefore, drivers have to pay attention to the social and political events over the route. During such occasions, people don’t care about vehicles on the road and can act vandalous.

They abruptly cross the road, are careless of the rules and won’t give enough attention to running vehicles. All these factors stand as possible challenges for truck drivers.

Safety measures:

Try to stay updated about news related to the route, including events
Figure out the crowd-free and fastest route to the destination
Slow down or pull off and wait while passing through a lively road
Use sound-horn frequently and proper indications while passing

3. Driver Fatigue

The urge to finish the trips as fast as possible forces truck drivers to skip healthy life practices. They may bypass timely food, daily schedules and sleep. Continuous sleepless drives can exhaust even the fittest drivers and cause adverse results.

Most fatal accidents are caused due to driver fatigue. Improper duty schedules and practices are the major cause for making this job risky.

Safety measures:

Take appropriate food, breaks and rest on time
Prepare and follow a healthy daily schedule
Share the duty with a colleague in a timely manner
Never drive under the influence of alcohol

4. Break Down

The life-period of machine parts in vehicles is unpredictable. Heavy machine parts undergo wear and tear over time, and cease functioning.

Especially, parts such as bearing, tubes, nozzles, pipes and moving components cease to perform or burst out. This results in drivers losing control of their vehicles, causing loss of time, life and property.

Safety measures:

Carry out thorough, periodical inspection and demand-based vehicle service
Carry a toolset for immediate repair requirements
Ensure engine oil, coolant and lubrication are enough
Check tire pressure and additional tire backup

5. Poor Training

Heavy vehicle driving requires good amount of training. Despite the theoretical classes provided for heavy-duty drivers, they require different set of practices. Drivers have to be trained to handle vehicles on different terrains and diverse climatic conditions.

Mostly, poor vehicle controlling capacity and lack of expert knowledge in taking quick decisions make them victims. Drivers with less experience in long hauling trips have to assist such trips before being assigned for the long trip.

The lack of drivers in trucking industry is also a reason for skipping measuring the experience level of drivers.

Safety measures:

Get proper heavy vehicle driving training
Train until you can handle trucks in all terrains.
Practice truck driving over all-weather condition.
Gain adequate vehicle engineering knowledge

6. Distracted Driving

Almost every road accident is caused by the lack of attention while driving. Multi-tasking during driving is the root source of this menace. Drivers indulging in smartphones usage, drinking & eating, reading, watching video, talking, and cleaning while driving are all factors which contribute to distracted driving.

Unfortunately, most of the case ends up in fatal injuries and hefty loss. Other road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists are the common victims.

Safety measures:

Never engage in any activities which can distract your attention
Take extra caution while driving through crowded roads.
Pull off the truck while doing any other activity.

Though a lot of perils are hiding in truck driving job, we can mitigate it significantly. Following the safety measures and exercising the appropriate driving practice can help making truck driving a safe job.

How Can Fleet Management Help Your School?

Posted on April 2, 2019 by fmsupadminnxtjs

School bus management is always a challenge for every school. It demands a lot of attention, regular follow up and frequent intervention. As a key component in school administration, school buses have to be managed efficiently.

A proactive fleet management system is all it takes.

Moreover, employing a fleet management system will help to ensure the safety of the children, the staff and the bus together.

Let’s check what fleet management system got for schools,

Real-time tracking

You can trace the school bus all the way across the city with the fleet management system. Where the buses have hit the break? Wherever the buses had been rushed off? Anywhere it has breached the rules of the road?-can be recorded accurately.

According to the route-chart the school can map the real-time status of the fleets. The GPS further inform the drivers about the traffic and hurdles on the way. Hence, using a full-fledged fleet management system schools can literally watch out every fleet activity in real-time.

Preventive maintenance

For schools, the buses are an indispensable factor, particularly on all the working days.

Thus, the chances of repair rise substantially. So, if we can prevent the issues beforehand, we can possibly run an uninterrupted fleet operation.

The Fleet management system is designed for mitigating these problems. Working hand in hand with the machine parts, sensors, actuators, gauges and meters it will provide the accurate working status of the parts in the bus. Hence, we can foresee the problems and can prevent it at its start.

Enhance fuel efficiency

The most significant benefit that a fleet management system possibly brings to any enterprise is fuel saving.

Of the numerous enterprises that have been trying fleet management software are telling they could save around 30% of fuel every year.

The idling time, running time, unauthorized routes, poor terrain, extreme weather condition which cause fuel consumption can be traced with fleet management software. Hence they can recommend the most productive practices to carry out.

Driver satisfaction

When the driver is cool, everything around the vehicle would be quite chilling. Hence, to suffice them, fleet management software is an exciting tool.

Instead of questioning the driver, the managers can draw the reports directly from the fleet management system. Since each and every moment of the vehicle can be traced, there won’t be any disputes among the staff drivers and the management.

The hassles across the route, disturbing weather, and traffic data are visible at the real-time. Thus it will help the drivers to report readily at the
odd times.

Thus, this not only smoothens up the jobs of drivers but also the fleet manager to upkeep a friendly relation with the staff.

Documentation management

Almost everything is involved with fleet operation should be documented. Documentation is not the same for every vehicle. Especially, for the school bus, we have to follow a stringent policy in updating the papers without mercy.

The schedules, permits, Insurance policy, certificates and license of the bus as well as the driver should be verified appropriately. Hence maintaining the papers of vehicles are a dreadful job and largely confusing also.

Hence, fleet management system serves as a safe vault for keeping all the documents updated. Plus, making it accessible for the driver and the manager at once, it offers a convenient documentation management solution intact.

Cost optimization

Those enterprises once have been paying through their nose on fleets are thanking fleet management system from their heart. It’s not just because of its features, but for helping them saves an exuberant amount of money that they’ve been splashing for the fleets.

Schools are no different!

By cutting the needless miles traveled, picking the safest route to flee, lifting the fuel efficiency higher, skipping the downtime on-time and kicking the productivity high the fleet management system is in control of the overall cost optimization.

Conclusion

The exciting features of fleet management tool is not concluded here. For schools, fleet management system is more like an auto-magical strategizing partner.

It helps them to plan every fleet activity progressively without any compromise in safety. Especially, for the schools, GPS tracking is a very helpful tool for tracking the buses all the way. Further, it helps the schools to ensure the students are quite safe.