How to Improve Skills in Fleet Management

Any company that owns vehicles need this very important thing called fleet management. Companies can choose whether to hire a fleet manager or to contract another company or person to do it. A fleet manager’s task is quite numerous, from keeping track of the existing vehicles, to managing the drivers. They also have to check for regular maintenance of these vehicles and budget the fuel costs allotted for each vehicle. He also checks whether his drivers have safety records to ensure that there is minimal risks for road accidents.
Since fleet managers have a lot of responsibilities, how can they help themselves improve in terms of performance? Fleet managers must be proficient in three technical skills in order to do their fleet management tasks successfully. These skills are involved in financial, vehicle, and information technology.
Fleet managers must have basic understanding about financial tasks such as accounting for leases, finance, treasury and banking. They must also have a background in auto business. Lack of knowledge and skills in vehicle technology, purchasing and maintaining used vehicles can surely affect a manager’s performance. In the same way, they must be knowledgeable in the use of computers and internet. Fleet management is actually done daily on the internet when they order vehicles and track their expenses. They also use spreadsheets, word processing programs and PowerPoint presentations. It is actually the company’s role to provide in-house training for their fleet manager. This course can widen the knowledge of their managers; therefore they can apply it to their everyday task.
Fleet managers should also improve their oral and written communication skills. This is important because they write reports, memos and emails. They can attend grammar courses if they feel that they need improvement in this area. They must also learn to speak in front of a crowd since they do reports and meetings. They must also learn to negotiate with suppliers, drivers, repair shops and the management.
Lastly, fleet managers must learn the value of patience, empathy and confidence. Never react negatively to any situation, and instead try to see what you can do to fix a problem. Also be confident about your expertise without being boastful to your colleagues. They must always put themselves in the shoes of other people. Attitude is a big factor that fleet managers must improve so that they can have a healthy relationship with the people they work with.