What Is a Fleet Manager? Roles and Skills Explained

Are you asking yourself “what is a fleet manager?” If so, you’re not alone—but you should know fleet managers have all sorts of duties in heavy-duty shops like yours. 

For example, these people are tasked with:

• Managing fleets

…To be fair, that list (can one item be a list?) is much more impressive than it might look on the surface. In order to keep a fleet up and running, fleet managers must excel at tracking equipment PMs, optimizing fuel efficiency, ensuring driver compliance, and even knowing when to retire vehicles.

You’ll want to make sure anyone you hire to fill this role has the abilities you’d expect. Keep reading for our complete explanation of fleet managers’ job duties and skills.

What Does a Fleet Manager Do? Key Functions and Daily Tasks

To truly understand the importance of a fleet manager, you’ll need to know a thing or two about these workers’ day-to-day duties. Typically, the functions of a fleet manager include

• Scheduling vehicle maintenance. A qualified fleet manager can schedule preventive maintenance based on a vehicle’s type, location, and use case. In the process, they’ll be able to lower repair costs, preserve resale value, and keep drivers safe.
• Driver compliance and safety tracking. Since legislation and regulations are constantly changing, fleet managers must be able to keep up with these shifts to ensure continued fleet compliance.
• Reducing operational and maintenance costs. In addition to other responsibilities of a fleet manager, these workers must ensure that fleet-related expenses stay under control.
• Monitoring fuel consumption and fuel efficiency. Fuel consumption is one of the most significant costs of any fleet, so fleet managers should be able to use telematics, fuel reporting, and other tools to manage this expense.
• Recordkeeping and fleet reporting. By tracking KPIs and keeping in-depth records of the condition of individual vehicles, fleet managers can make sure their fleet is reaching its full potential.
• Acquiring, refurbishing, and retiring vehicles. No fleet vehicle lasts forever—and fleet managers need to know when their trucks are ready to be retired and replaced.

How an Effective Fleet Manager Optimizes Fleet Operations

In order to optimize fleet operations, qualified fleet managers rely on:

Strong Organizational Skills

Fleet management involves many moving parts—and not everyone is up to this task. The best fleet managers are able to keep components in stock, track upcoming PMs, and keep an eye on employee performance. These workers need exceptional organizational skills to juggle these duties.

Proactive Problem-Solving

Reporting capabilities are the key to making smart decisions in any business, meaning fleet managers should have constant access to this information. When your fleet manager can view and analyze detailed reports, they can look for effective solutions to problems while reducing costs and ensuring your fleet is on the right track going forward.

Fleet Management Solutions

No matter how talented your fleet manager is, they shouldn’t have to do this job without external support. Even highly skilled people working in this field can struggle to handle complex data or track maintenance schedules for multiple vehicles.

Because of that, a truly effective fleet manager is one who can make smart use of fleet management solutions. With the help of these programs, fleet managers can automate tasks they’d have trouble taking care of by themselves and maximize efficiency by streamlining their business’s overall workflow.

Fleet Manager Skills: What Makes a Great Fleet Leader

By this point, it should be easy to see why fleet managers matter—but how can you be sure you’re hiring the right person for this job? For that, you’ll need to know what skills are truly important in this line of work and look for a candidate who goes above and beyond in these areas.

One of the biggest things you’ll need to look out for is the technical skills prospective fleet managers bring to the table. When your fleet manager knows how to keep up with maintenance schedules, collect and utilize telematics data, and implement fuel tracking tools, you’ll know they have what it takes to keep your fleet in excellent shape. And considering how important fleet management software is to the average heavy-duty shop, you’ll also want to know that your fleet manager is familiar with programs like these.

However, these skills are just one side of the coin that is a qualified fleet manager. (The metaphorical coin, that is. You shouldn’t hire loose change to manage your fleet.) Though these skills are undoubtedly essential, working with people and building relationships is another huge part of this job. Because of that, you’ll also need to find a fleet manager who excels in terms of soft skills like leadership and communication.

The Role of Fleet Management Software in Supporting Fleet Managers

Fleet management software can’t replace a skilled fleet manager, but it can make life much easier for people working in a fleet manager role. With help from well-designed fleet management software, fleet managers can:

• Automate preventive maintenance. Since fleet management solutions can remind you of upcoming PMs, your fleet manager will never have to worry about missing vital maintenance with one of these programs.
• Track work orders/vehicle history. Your fleet management system can help your fleet managers monitor repair work as it happens and get quick access to vehicle repair records.
• Monitor driver behavior and safety records. With the help of telematics data, your fleet manager will have no trouble ensuring your drivers are safe on the road.
• Generate reports on fuel/parts usage. Once your fleet manager has access to these reports, they can reduce unnecessary part orders and optimize your fleet’s fuel consumption.
• Integrate with other business tools to reduce manual work. If your fleet management software offers friction-free integration with the other programs your shop uses, your fleet manager can complete their duties as efficiently as possible.

Get the Software Your Fleet Manager Deserves

Now that you’ve got your answer to “what is a fleet manager?,” it’s time to answer another question: “what’s for lunch?” Unfortunately, we can’t help you with that, since it really comes down to what you’re in the mood for. Maybe a salad?

Oh, right, there’s one other question you’ll need to consider: “what software does my fleet manager need?” Fortunately, finding an answer to that question isn’t nearly as difficult as you’d expect. As the best heavy-duty management program the industry has to offer, Fullbay comes with features like:

• All-in-one fleet management capabilities

Again, that’s more exciting than you might assume based on this “list.” When you start using Fullbay, your fleet manager will be able to view detailed reports, keep up on PMs, get automated reorder reminders for your shop’s inventory, and track work orders with ease (just to name a few of the many things our program can do for your shop).

Are you ready to start using Fullbay? We’d love to help you get started, and the first step is signing up for your free demo today!