For fleet owners and operators, fleet maintenance software and management systems are the key to streamlining operations and safeguarding valuable assets. From keeping an eye on tyre pressure and temperature management, to monitoring vehicle routes, conducting maintenance, and much more, these software platforms are critical components of a successful fleet. In this regard, GoMetro’s ConnecTyre system emerges as a groundbreaking solution to fleet maintenance.
ConnecTyre is a rim-mounted tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), allowing heavy duty vehicle (HDV) fleet managers to monitor tyre conditions in real-time. When mounted on the drop centre of fleet vehicles, ConnectTyre will collect and relay vital information regarding tyre pressure and temperature to the GoMetro Bridge web portal. Bridge itself is a unified fleet management interface, combining seamless access to all telematics data on a single, user-friendly platform. These systems combined provide a comprehensive solution to fleet maintenance and overall management.
Fleet Management And Maintenance Q&A
An effective fleet maintenance system like ConnecTyre can offer many benefits, from extending tyre life and lowering maintenance costs to optimising tyre pressure and minimising a fleets’ carbon footprint. Below we have covered some common questions regarding fleet maintenance, management, and the software that assists in this endeavour.
What Is A Fleet Management System?
Fleet management is the general term used for the overseeing of assets, drivers, performance and other elements of a fleet of vehicles. A fleet management system is any technology or platform that aids in the management process. Fleet management systems typically house key data insights on each vehicle, such as whereabouts, maintenance requirements, usage patterns, fuel consumption, human resource allocation and more.
How Do You Plan Fleet Maintenance?
Fleet maintenance is a critical component of fleet management, as it ensures the longevity of key assets, as well as the safe and efficient operation of the entire fleet. Without preemptive fleet maintenance, vehicles may suffer from avoidable disrepair and businesses may experience economic losses due to unforeseen downtime.
How Much Does Fleet Management Software Cost?
The cost of fleet management software ultimately depends on who you choose to work with. GoMetro Bridge is able to offer immense cost savings with payment only required once you share data. Users are able to load fleet vehicles at no charge, meaning there is no need to worry about unforeseen costs or haemorrhaging money during quiet seasons. Save even more on operational costs by paying less the more you share, or by purchasing share bundles through GoMetro.
How Does Fleet Management Software Work?
Fleet management software essentially aggregates data across a fleet, granting operators the ability to receive insights into the location and performance of their fleet vehicles. Bridge simplifies the process by collating multiple telematics feeds into one easy-to-access platform, allowing operators to view all necessary information in one place, and in real-time.
What Is The Difference Between Fleet Management And Telematics?
Fleet management refers to the wide range of responsibilities involved in monitoring and coordinating a fleet of vehicles. This includes things like vehicle maintenance and dispatching, driver management, and route planning. Telematics is a tracking technology often used by fleet managers to complete these tasks.
Invest In The Best Fleet Maintenance Software
Maintain And Manage Your Fleet In One Place
Historically speaking, heavy duty vehicles have suffered from blind spots in tyre management, with fleet managers remaining largely unaware of critical tyre issues and trends until it is too late. Typically, tyre pressure monitoring systems report issues to only the driver of the vehicle, with the fleet manager unable to oversee these issues that may pose a threat to fleet operations at large. This deficit ultimately leaves fleets vulnerable to (often costly) breakdowns and delayed transportation, with fleet managers rendered reactive rather than proactive in the maintenance process.
Tyre pressure plays a significant role in the safety and sustainability of fleet vehicles. Incorrect tyre pressure can lead to steering issues, affect stopping distance, increase fuel consumption, and greatly heighten the likelihood of accidents. Tyre replacements are also quite costly, and considering the fact that each HDV incorporates multiple tyres, the cost of tyre replacements quickly stacks up. All of these risks related to incorrect tyre pressure can be avoided with effective fleet maintenance and live-pressure readings channelled to a fleet management platform.
In response to this difficult but essential aspect of fleet maintenance, GoMetro has launched ConnecTyre, a reliable fleet maintenance tool that allows fleet operators and managers to effectively address critical tyre conditions on the road. The ConnectTyre telematics sensor can be effortlessly mounted on the drop centre of the rim of each fleet vehicle’s wheel with a metal strap – a mere 25 minutes per wheel, and a significantly small investment when considering the cost of delays and other difficulties that could arise from tyre negligence. Moreover, these sensors have a battery life of up to five years, meaning fleet managers will not have to concern themselves with frequent maintenance of the sensor itself.
After installation, the telematics sensors will gather and transit information to the vehicle’s central hub, and from there, this information will be forwarded to a fleet management platform like GoMetro’s Bridge. Fleet managers will gain insight into valuable information pertaining to tyre pressure and temperature in real-time, allowing for proactive maintenance. This intelligent approach enables early detection of tyre issues, thus preventing breakdowns and ensuring uninterrupted, optimal operations.
ConnectTyre’s integration with GoMetro Bridge enables fleet managers to streamline logistical tasks, and gain a comprehensive overview of the entire fleet, its state, and performance. These two tools in unison allow fleet managers to remain proactive in maintaining vehicle health and efficiency. Alongside seamless integration, effective fleet maintenance also calls for fleet management software with an intuitive user interface. GoMetro Bridge offers all of this and more, boasting an easy-to-use self-service platform that puts all the information you need at your fingertips.
Bridge is integrated with the majority of major telematics providers, including GoMetro’s ConnecTyre system, which means you’ll be able to aggregate data from multiple different sources. Bridge combines all of this data into one, continuous monitoring feed under a single, unified API. Operators are able to monitor each of their vehicles in real-time, control who has access to which feeds, and share individual feeds as needed.
How To Create An Effective Fleet Maintenance Program
Fleet Inventory
The first step to creating any effective fleet maintenance program is to compile a detailed inventory of all of the vehicles and assets within your fleet. This will allow you to keep track of every vehicle and asset, and monitor their movements, safety, quality, and compliance over time. Once you have created your detailed fleet inventory, it is important to organise it logically in order to better manage your fleet. This could be done by categorising vehicles by type, use, region, or other factors. Inventories will change from fleet to fleet depending on your management style and needs, as well as the type of vehicles within the fleet.
Ultimately, the purpose of your vehicle inventory is to assess the demands on each vehicle and keep track of all the necessary details. By doing this, you can better plan your maintenance efforts well ahead of time and, critically, avoid unnecessary damage and disrepair. This process is made far easier through the use of a fleet maintenance software like ConnecTyre.
Defining Vehicle Maintenance Requirements
Each vehicle has its own maintenance needs, which is why all requirements must be documented clearly and in detail. Maintenance efforts often include activities such as inspections, oil changes, adjusting tyre pressure and more. Vehicle maintenance requirements usually include information concerning when maintenance will be required, as well as the type of maintenance needed and how to execute it.
Vehicle Maintenance Methods
When creating your fleet maintenance plan, it’s important to select maintenance methods that meet the needs of each vehicle, as discussed previously. These maintenance efforts usually include activities like equipment inspections, tire changes, oil changes, and other maintenance you could expect from servicing your own personal vehicle.
It’s also important to note that maintenance includes not only corrective actions, but preventative and predictive maintenance as well. Maintenance personnel are required to analyse historical data on each vehicle and compare this to its maintenance requirements in order to predict what repairs will be needed and when, in order to prevent any avoidable issues or disrepair. ConnectTyre and Bridge can be useful in this regard, compiling all relevant information needed for a proactive approach to vehicle maintenance.
Maintenance Schedules And Vehicle Fleet Management Software
Once you have created your detailed fleet inventory, documented your maintenance requirements, and selected your maintenance methods, it’s time to create a schedule for your maintenance personnel to follow. This schedule will detail the type of maintenance each vehicle requires – but more importantly, when to conduct it. A clear, organised and detailed maintenance schedule not only helps your personnel stay on track, it also keeps your fleet assets in good condition and ensures your operations run smoothly and without unnecessary hitches.
One way to simplify the creation of a fleet maintenance schedule is by using a fleet management software solution like our state-of-the-art platform, GoMetro Bridge. Bridge is able to aggregate data across all of your telematics systems so that you always have a comprehensive overview of your entire fleet and its activities. With all the information you need in one place, creating a maintenance schedule becomes significantly less challenging and complex.
Allocating Resources
Now that your maintenance schedule has been prepared, the next step is to allocate the resources required to execute your plans. These resources usually include human resources such as your vehicle technicians and other maintenance personnel, as well as any tools, vehicle components, equipment or facilities needed to carry out the plan. A good maintenance plan ensures the careful allocation of resources to ensure minimal downtime and punctual maintenance across your entire fleet.
Training And Skills Development
The final step in creating your fleet maintenance program is to ensure that each of your technicians and all members of your personnel are given adequate maintenance training. This helps ensure that your program is executed efficiently and without fault and that your employees are well-informed on the requirements for each vehicle as well as the overall fleet. Skills development is a major contributor to the smooth operation of your fleet, as it ensures that all personnel are able to diagnose issues correctly, perform maintenance as required and monitor the fleet for any potential problems. Skills development is, in itself, an act of preventive maintenance and can cost fleet operators thousands of dollars in the long run.
Fleet Maintenance Software: Ultimate Fleet Management
Thanks to GoMetro Bridge’s integration with most other telematics systems, fleet operators are able to maximise the investments they have already made by aggregating data from all existing softwares and tools. Coupled with our sophisticated fleet maintenance software like ConnecTyre, fleet managers are able to achieve complete visibility over their fleet, ultimately providing them with the transparency they need to streamline their fleet operations, action preventative measures, and conduct proactive maintenance.