The days of pen and paper and other obsolete technologies like fax machines are way behind us! The world is changing, and so is your business. You’re constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and streamline processes. One way you can do this is by investing in the right fleet solutions for your logistics company.
Fleet solutions include everything from vehicles to equipment, as well as software that make it easier for drivers to get where they need to go faster and cost-efficiently. They also help keep track of all the vital information about each vehicle, including maintenance records, fuel consumption, and more.
But here’s the catch; the market is flooded with different types of fleet solutions, including those for fleet drivers, vehicle lifespan, routing, telematics, inspections, returns, proof of delivery, etc. As such, choosing the best fit for your business-specific needs can be a daunting task.
That’s why we’ve created this definitive guide to help you find the best fleet solutions for your logistics business. For each category/need, we’ll explain why these solutions are beneficial to delivery fleets specifically, what to consider when choosing one, and our recommendations for each. But first, what type of fleet solution do you need?
What Type Do You Need?
As we’ve mentioned above, there are several top-quality fleet solutions, ranging from telematics to routing software. But what factors should you consider before choosing a befitting solution? Here are some things to think about:
- Geographic Location: Before investing in a felt solution, you want to assess the road and weather conditions relative to your distribution hub. You also want to consider where most of your orders come from, and how this may affect deliveries. For instance, if you usually face unpredictable weather and traffic situations, it makes sense to invest in route optimization software that helps you plan routes based on real-time data.
- The Number of Vehicles: If you have a fleet of trucks or vans, you’ll want to choose a solution that will work well with them over their entire life cycle. That means finding a system that works seamlessly with your current fleet, plus any new purchases you might add down the line.
- Driver Safety: A solid fleet management system must provide features that allow drivers to operate their vehicles safely. These features include collision avoidance systems, emergency braking, lane departure warnings, blind spot monitoring, and more.
- The Number of Drivers: When you’re managing a large number of drivers, it’s crucial to have an efficient tracking system that allows you to monitor driver performance and manage driver schedules. This includes things like timesheets, GPS tracking, and even automated dispatch.
- Vehicle Maintenance: It’s not uncommon for fleets to lose money due to poor vehicle maintenance practices. To avoid this, you want a fleet solution that provides accurate reports on vehicle conditions so you can quickly identify problems and fix them before they become costly issues.
- Vehicle Usage: The right fleet solution should offer features that help you understand how your fleet is being used, improving resource allocation. This could mean knowing whether your fleet is using its available capacity or if it’s underutilized.
Finding the Best Solution for You: Detailed Reviews and Recommendations
Now that you know what to look for in a fleet solution, let’s examine some of the best options out there. We’ll review each category (telematics, route optimization, scheduling, etc.) and their must-have features/functionalities. Then, we’ll recommend the top-rated solution in that category, explaining why they deserve the spot. So here we go!
1. Routing and Dispatch
The first thing you need to do when setting up a new fleet is determine where all your deliveries will originate. Once you have this information, you can start planning routes and dispatching your vehicles accordingly.
But this is not something you can do manually, as it is time-consuming, and may be prone to errors. Luckily, a routing and dispatching solution can make this process more effortless through automation. Some of these solutions are cloud-based, while others require installation at your facility.
Routing & Dispatch Key Features
Before settling on a routing and dispatch solution, ensure it offers the following features and functionalities:
- Route Optimization: Route optimization refers to creating optimized routes based on real-world driving patterns. This feature is beneficial when you have multiple locations to cover.
- Advanced Scheduling: Scheduling functionality allows you to plan delivery routes and assign specific drivers to those routes. This way, you don’t have to worry about assigning drivers to routes yourself.
- Advanced Analytics: An advanced analytics tool lets you analyze data from your fleet to gain insights into how your business operates. For example, you might use this data to see if certain days of the week are busier than others. Or maybe you’d like to know if your fleet has more trucks than cars.
- Driver Tracking: Driver tracking gives you access to driver activity logs, including GPS location history, trip details, and other helpful information.
- Real-Time Updates: Real-time updates allow you to receive notifications whenever a change occurs with your fleet. For instance, if a truck breaks down, you’ll get an alert immediately.
Our Top Recommendation: Elite EXTRA
Elite EXTRA is one of the most comprehensive fleet management software solutions available today. It includes everything you need to manage your entire fleet, from dispatching to vehicle maintenance. And because it’s cloud-based, you won’t have to install anything on your servers.
On top of the features discussed above, Elite EXTRA also provides the following routing and dispatching functionalities, setting it apart from other solutions:
- 24/7 customer support
- Photo and signature capture
- Real-time GPS tracking
- EXTRA driver mobile app
- Customer ETA notifications
- And much more
The best part? Elite EXTRA allows you to request a live demo to see the solution in action before making a decision!
2. Driver’s Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs)
DVIR is a document that a truck or bus driver fills out at the beginning and end of the day to inform their company about any unsafe or missing equipment on the vehicle. These reports give you insight into the condition of your vehicles, helping you identify potential problems early on. They also help you determine which vehicles should be replaced or repaired.
To generate DVIRs, drivers typically collect data from different sources, such as GPS devices installed inside each vehicle, inspection records, and even photos taken during routine inspections. Then, using sophisticated algorithms, the system calculates a score for each vehicle based on its overall health. The higher the score, the better the vehicle is performing.
Key DVIR Features
When choosing a fleet solution, you want to ensure it comes with a DVIR system with the following capabilities:
- Accessibility/Ease of Completion for Drivers: You want a system that makes it easy for drivers to complete these documents.
- Automated Reporting: A report generator helps you create customized reports that summarize all your DVIRs in one place.
- Integration with Third-Party Systems: If you already use another application, you may find that integrating DVIR with it will save time and effort.
Our Top Recommendation: Many Last Mile Delivery Software Tools
Most last mile delivery software solutions come equipped with a DVIR system as part of their features. For example, the Elite EXTRA Routing & Dispatch software mentioned above, has a robust DVIR that offers the following benefits:
- Inspection results are automatically generated and stored in the database. This means you don’t have to manually enter them every time you run a report.
- You can view the status of individual trucks and buses by simply clicking on their name.
- Drivers can easily submit new inspections and track their progress over time.
But aside from Elite EXTRA’s DVIR, we also like Verizon Connect; a simple, no-fuss DVIR app that ensures fleet drivers complete vehicle inspections quickly and thoroughly. With its automated data sync feature, drivers can upload inspection results directly to the cloud, saving time and hassle. Plus, they can access this information anywhere via an internet connection.
3. Telematics
Telematics systems collect data from your fleet and provide you with detailed reports on driver behavior, vehicle condition, and other vital metrics. These reports give you insight into how your fleet is performing and allow you to take action to improve operations.
Integrating this technology into your fleet operations can save costs on various elements, including insurance rates. For example, by constantly monitoring your drivers’ behaviors on the road in real time, you can reduce premium rates by presenting your insurer with data on your safety behaviors. And if you’re looking for ways to cut down on fuel consumption, telematics systems can help you monitor driving patterns and optimize routes.
Telematics Key Features
The best telematics systems offer the following key features:
- Real-Time Tracking: By collecting data from multiple sensors, telematics systems enable you to see exactly where your drivers are at all times.
- Driver Behavior Analysis: You can analyze driver behavior using advanced analytics and identify any potential issues before they become problems.
- Vehicle Condition Monitoring: Telematics systems keep tabs on everything from tire pressure to engine performance. They can alert you when something goes wrong so you can address the issue immediately.
Our Top Recommendation: Azuga Telematics
Azuga Telematics has everything you need to keep your drivers, assets, and vehicles safe. It provides comprehensive coverage for both commercial fleets and private individuals. The company’s services include GPS tracking, driver behavior analysis, vehicle condition monitoring, and more.
4. Driver Solutions
To ensure your fleet drivers are always ready to perform, you must equip them with the right tools. These solutions comprise anything from phones/tablets for GPS navigation to gamification technologies that encourage positive behavior. Driver solutions are influential in enhancing driver safety, boosting productivity, and improving customer service.
Features to Consider in Top Driver Solutions
While no two solutions are alike, there are some common features that you should consider when selecting a driver solution. Here are four things to look out for:
- Ease of Use: Does it require training? Is it intuitive? How easy is it to navigate?
- Safety: Does it include emergency response capabilities? What kind of alerts does it send out? Does it have built-in collision avoidance features?
- Productivity: Does it integrate well with your existing software or hardware? Can it automate tasks?
- Customer service: Does it make it easier to communicate with customers? Does it provide access to live chat support?
Our Top Recommendations
Below are some of the most reliable providers of driver devices, safety, and notifications solutions:
- Driver Devices: For the best-quality handhelds, computers, and tablets for GPS tracking, notification alerts, reporting, etc., look no further than Panasonic Toughbooks.
- Driver Safety: If you’re looking for a way to improve driver safety, Azuga Telematics has got you covered. Their gamification technology, paired with telematics, helps drivers stay focused on the road while encouraging good habits like staying within speed limits and avoiding distractions.
- Driver Notifications: When it comes to notifications, we recommend using Elite EXTRA’s routing & dispatching feature to receive real-time updates on routing, stops, and other important information about your drivers’ routes.
5. Returns Automation
According to the latest eCommerce statistics, 30% of all products ordered online are usually returned. This puts returns management on the spot as one of the biggest challenges facing e-retailers today. And yet, many retailers still struggle to manage their returns process effectively. Why? Because they lack visibility into what happens after a product leaves their warehouse.
Thankfully, a returns automation tool can eliminate the hassle by simplifying and automating the last mile reverse logistics process. By integrating with your ERP system, these tools enable you to track every step of the return journey. They then automatically generate reports based on this data, allowing you to identify problems and take action accordingly quickly.
Key Features of a Returns Solution
Below are five essential features to consider when evaluating a returns solution:
- Automated Data Collection: A returns solution must be able to capture and store all relevant data related to each order. This includes items purchased, shipping details, delivery addresses, payment methods, etc.
- Ease of Reporting: The ability to quickly produce customized reports is essential in helping you gain insight into how your business is performing. You’ll want to see which orders were delivered successfully, which ones were returned, and why.
- Compatibility with Your Routing Software: Many returns solutions work directly with your existing routing software. This allows you to automate the picking, packing, and shipping processes.
Our Top Recommendation: Elite EXTRA
Elite EXTRA’s Returns Automation tool is second to none. It provides visibility into the entire reverse logistics process and simplifies returns operations for you and your customers. Best of all, the solution can automatically enforce your company’s return policy by authorizing or denying requests according to business rules you set.
Wrapping It Up!
We’ve outlined some of the most popular fleet management solutions available today. And the benefits of investing in such solutions are immense; however, you must consider several factors before making a purchase decision.
For instance, ensure you choose a solution that meets your specific needs. For example, you may not need an enterprise-level solution if you have a small fleet. Likewise, if you only handle a few daily shipments, you might not require the advanced functionality offered by a full-featured returns management solution.
Also, be sure to compare apples to apples. Some solutions offer multiple modules, while others focus solely on returns. Understand exactly what each module does and whether it’s right for your business.
But if you’d prefer an all-in-one last mile fleet management solution for routing optimization, return automation, and delivery network integration, Elite EXTRA has got you covered. Our software suite is designed to streamline logistics operations, improve customer service, and reduce costs.
And we offer competitive pricing to accommodate businesses of all sizes. So contact our team today, and let us show you how we can make your next delivery a success!
