The business of keeping any type of fleet running smoothly is multifaceted. There are so many areas that tie in with fleet management that it is possibly one of the most comprehensive industries when it comes to job opportunities and creation.
The modern fleet industry runs on Telematics systems, which means that IT skills are vital. Not only do you need a robust IT department to keep your business office running, but you need experts who can operate (or create) the programmes you need to run an efficient fleet. Everything from driver behaviour to engine performance is collected and you need people with the right skills to ensure your IT systems are always functioning correctly.
Managing a fleet requires business management skills. If, for example, you are managing a fleet for a courier company you need a keen understanding of the courier business in order to properly preempt client needs and keep everything running smoothly.
It goes without saying that running a fleet is the same as running a business: you need to keep track of budgets, staff, expenses, legislation and much more.
Finance plays a massive role in fleet operations. The goal is always to run a cost-effective fleet and that is impossible without financial experts. Fleet management is also impacted by various tax regulations and without sound financial guidance your fleet can quickly end up in the red.
Anyone who has tried to plan the logistics for a fleet will tell you it takes knowledge and experience to keep everything running smoothly. Good logistics managers are sought after in the fleet industry as they can make the difference between fleet success and failure.
With so much of the fleet process relying on data there is an increased need for data scientists in the industry. Fleet telematics will collect everything from fuel usage to routes driven and engine performance statistics, but only those trained in data science can properly interpret all of this information.
A fleet generates massive amounts of administration. While many of the processes can be automated and digitised, you still need admin experts to keep everything in order. It doesn’t matter if most of your documents are no longer in hard copy, you need people who know how to organise everything, which is a highly specialised field.
The HR side of fleet management is often overlooked but is vital. Because fleet management requires so many different skill sets and robust safety and employee guidelines, HR is your first line of defence in ensuring you have the right people for the job.
In addition to all of the above requirements, another big part of fleet management is upskilling. Employees who already have fleet experience are valuable and fleet managers prefer to upskill established employees. This creates a win-win environment for employers and staff alike and is a key part of running a successful fleet.