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How to Future-Proof Your Fleet

Last updated : July 31, 2024
Sustainable Mobility

In the ever-evolving landscape of fleet management, staying ahead is essential for long-term success. Emerging technologies and new environmental regulations are transforming the industry's efficiency, safety, and overall performance. This shifting environment requires fleet managers to continuously adapt in order to ensure sustained productivity and profitability.

In this article, we will explore the key ways in which the future of fleet management is being shaped and provide strategies to future-proof your operations, enabling you to plan ahead.

5 Strategies to future-proof your fleet

1. Enhance data management

Effective data management is integral to modern fleet operations. A fleet’s operational data is one of its most valuable assets. To run a fleet efficiently and profitably, Fleet managers need visibility into vehicle location, fuel consumption, and driver behaviour. Without these insights, it is difficult to identify areas for cost reduction or opportunities for sustainable practices.

An integrated data management system provides quick and actionable insights, empowering fleet managers to make business-changing decisions. Fleet management software offers access to, and control over, real-time and historical vehicle data. An integrated dashboard system centralises business data, making it easily accessible, digestible, and actionable.

2. Improve last-mile delivery efficiency

Last-mile delivery is one of the most costly segments in the transportation sector. Smart job management solutions are essential tools for operators to efficiently manage their fleet workforce. These applications enable drivers to stay updated on tasks and log their journeys, facilitating better communication and coordination.

For instance, fleet managers can send urgent order instructions via instant notifications, ensuring drivers receive timely updates. The analytics generated from these tools can significantly improve the efficiency of last-mile delivery by addressing visibility challenges. Moreover, these solutions allow fleet managers to better inform customers with accurate ETAs and meet their expectations, thereby enhancing customer experience and boosting brand reputation.

3. Use digital tools

Daily walkaround inspections are crucial for maintaining roadworthy vehicles, but paper-based methods are inefficient and outdated. They do not provide real-time updates on vehicle status or defects, nor do they confirm the completion of checks.

Using a dedicated application for vehicle checks, drivers can access a digital checklist, complete the inspection, sign off, and submit it electronically. If a defect is identified, it can be immediately reported to the fleet manager, allowing for prompt resolution before the vehicle is back on the road.

Additionally, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) can issue alerts when tyre pressure falls below a specified threshold, ensuring apt maintenance. This is an especially important point, given the upcoming changes to TPMS regulations in July 2024. And so, by combining digital vehicle checks and TPMS, fleets can dramatically increase safety for drivers and other road users while guaranteeing regulatory compliance.

4. Promote fleet sustainability

The era of internal combustion engines (ICEs) is nearing its end, as indicated by the 2035 ban on the sale of ICE vehicles. This ban is a major part of the UK’s initiative to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and is a move being echoed by other European governments. As such, to future-proof a fleet, having a fleet electrification strategy is now essential. 

However, although sustainability and electrification are intertwined, there's more to fleet sustainability than just switching to a green fleet. Fleet managers can adopt alternative practices to reduce their operations' ecological impact such as by simply optimising routes and promoting eco-driving to minimise fuel consumption, for example.

By implementing these measures, fleet managers not only contribute to environmental conservation, but also ensure regulatory compliance and long-term operational efficiency. And an inadvertent benefit here is a fundamental lowering of a fleet’s total cost of ownership.

5. Embrace fleet management solutions

Managing a fleet involves constantly monitoring costs, compliance, safety, vehicle maintenance schedules, and tracking assets. Reliably achieving this requires cutting-edge technology, as traditional methods are inadequate for handling today's demands. 

To excel, whether in terms of reducing CO2 emissions or boosting last-mile efficiency, fleets must transform their operations by embracing advanced technology. In essence, the right solutions can help future-proof businesses by automating otherwise lengthy processes.

A comprehensive fleet management solution offers all the necessary tools to run a fleet from a single cloud-based platform. By using a purpose-built platform, fleet managers can gain substantial cost savings through improved compliance, increased safety, and minimised unplanned downtime. With the right system, they can effortlessly generate custom reports and analyse operational data, ensuring streamlined and efficient fleet management.

Future-proof your fleet with MICHELIN Connected Fleet

At MICHELIN Connected Fleet, we understand the principles we’ve discussed first-hand. It’s for this reason why we have developed comprehensive fleet management solutions that address all your future-proofing needs. 

From enhancing your data management for actionable insights, improving last-mile delivery efficiency with digital tools, eliminating paperwork through digital vehicle checks, to transitioning to electric vehicles, we cover every aspect which is vital to modern fleet operations.

If you’re interested in reaping the benefits of our innovative solutions and consultative services, make an enquiry today and take the first step towards a more efficient, sustainable, and future-proof fleet.
MICHELIN Connected Fleet

Written by MICHELIN Connected Fleet

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