{"id":6777,"date":"2020-08-01T17:19:31","date_gmt":"2020-08-01T15:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=6777"},"modified":"2020-08-02T16:46:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-02T14:46:56","slug":"fleet-operation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/08\/01\/fleet-operation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Challenges When Driving is NOT Job No. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s important in any fleet operation to align your driver-related goals with your business-related goals to reduce potential barriers to success. Photo: CAROLINA TRACTOR & EQUIPMENT<\/span><\/p>\n

While some fleets manage employees whose first and No. 1 job is that of a fleet driver, many technicians, service personnel, healthcare professionals, and other employees also drive and operate a vehicle, even though that\u2019s not their primary focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

A \u201cnon-professional-driver\u201d is someone who has a primary job beyond driving their vehicle. These drivers pose a variety of challenges. But all are solvable, and technology can make a big difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Top Challenges Managing\u00a0Non-Pro Drivers<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

One big challenge fleets that manage non-professional drivers face is overall fleet program compliance. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of issues with overdue preventive maintenance. With a high idle percentage across the fleet, our PM parameters are set to \u2018aggressive.\u2019 Still, the drivers tend to gravitate to only taking the trucks in when their oil light comes on,\u201d said Emily Garza, corporate vehicle fleet manager for Archrock Services LP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Commitment to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) compliance is also a significant challenge when the employee\u2019s primary job isn\u2019t driving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDOT compliance exists not only at a vehicle and hiring level, but also ongoing at a driver and supervisor\/manager of drivers level. This is often just viewed as a necessary headache by many levels in the organization and, unfortunately, isn\u2019t often recognized for the risk to the organization that it presents,\u201d said Jonathan Kamanns, fleet program manager for Carolina Tractor & Equipment.<\/span>
\nGarza also noted compliance issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdditionally, we struggle to obtain the needed license pre-requisites on time, thus leading to a percentage of our fleet operating with expired registrations,\u201d she noted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bob Adamsky, fleet manager, assets for Area Wide Protective, noted the challenge of ensuring \u201cattention to vehicles and a basic understanding of maintenance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another significant challenge is getting technicians to utilize the maintenance management program via a fleet management company. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our technicians prefer to have their vehicles fixed outside of the FMC network and pay for said repairs via their company P-card. Some prefer to purchase truck parts at their local Auto Zone and attempt to maintain the company vehicles on their own,\u201d Garza said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, a service vehicle is typically larger and heavier than what drivers are used to in personal vehicles.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStopping distances, visibility, and turning diameters can all be significantly different from traditional vehicles, which adds difficulty to everyday driving. Also, the miles they drive at work end up being significantly higher than the miles they drive with personal vehicles. This can result in a risk of fatigue on any day,\u201d said Abe Stephenson, fleet & administration manager at DISH.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organizational goal alignment can also be a significant challenge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the business has goals aligned with the primary job of the employee supporting functions such as fleet, mobility \u2014 and procurement has goals for improving driver or vehicle-related variables \u2014 it creates an immediate barrier for success when goals aren\u2019t aligned,\u201d Kamanns said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The need for a fleet professional to design, develop, and deliver strategic fleet and mobility solutions on behalf of the company is another significant gap.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"If<\/span>
\n

If a fleet manager does not provide their drivers with the proper resources, no one will succeed. Be sure to fully understand your operation\u2019s goals and how your driver\u2019s can help. <\/span>Photo: Ralph’s Snack Bar<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIn many cases, where roles of the employees are not typical driving roles like route deliveries, or commercial truck drivers, the organization positions fleet to sit in the business. But, the primary goals of the responsible individuals in the business are revenue-generating. They aren\u2019t risk management, or sustainability, or tax compliance, commercial motor vehicle compliance, or even supplier management. Missing this toolbox of incredibly important competencies is both costly and negatively impactful to operational success,\u201d Kamanns added.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, there are a lot of driver-specific behaviors that can impact a vehicle\u2019s lifecycle and maintenance cost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNon-professional drivers may not be sensitive to the laws of accumulation and how small changes in driving behavior, or how we take care of vehicles, can add up to significant cost avoidance across an entire fleet,\u201d Stephenson said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adamsky also noted challenges related to driver policies covering personal use or whether the vehicles are only to be used for official business purposes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also a challenge to hold driver\u2019s responsible when needed,\u201d Adamsky added. \u201cThis is especially true with distracted driving and accidents. They need to be truthful of damages.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, many of these fleets operate out of regional locations, such as in the food truck industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs more of a general manager, I watch out for our warehouse, mechanics, drivers, trucks, and everything associated. I also drive trucks for special events and lunches. I cannot drive all of the trucks, so it is a challenge to get drivers to report truck issues so they can be repaired and taken care of in a timely manner,\u201d said Greg Colella, general manager of Ralph\u2019s Snack Bar, Inc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solving Challenges\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

First and foremost, communication and training are absolute necessities when utilizing non-professional fleet drivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe sure to perform up-front training at the time of hire, including classroom and\/or online, as well as a \u2018road course\u2019 evaluation with an experienced coach\/driver to go through driving, turning, and parking scenarios with the specific fleet vehicle. Be consistent with uptraining through the year for reminders or seasonal considerations helps both new and existing drivers.\u00a0Additionally, MVR reporting and scoring systems should be maintained and monitored,\u201d recommended Stephenson of DISH.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The importance of communication in these more service-based industries cannot be overstated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPerform face-to-face driver meetings on a consistent schedule. One idea would be quarterly with a new topic related to company vehicles,\u201d recommended Adamsky of Area Wide Protective. \u201cEnsure drivers have quick and easy reporting to managers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Like many other fleets, Garza of Archrock Services has notification e-mails sent directly to drivers and exception reporting that is sent to all levels of business unit management and leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ensure you have the resources for your fleet drivers to succeed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have two mechanic shops for repairs (we run about 80 food trucks). We have someone check things like tires and fluids daily (on each truck),\u201d said Colella of Ralph\u2019s Snack Bar, Inc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solving any challenge depends on what the root cause is.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe challenge could potentially be cultural, hierarchical \u2014 referring to which part of the business, internal political, business maturity, or even the experience of the person\/people responsible for Fleet,\u201d said Kamanns of Carolina Tractor & Equipment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"It\u2019s<\/span>
\n

It\u2019s essential that vehicles are throughougly maintained an that a fleet manager understands any safety gaps in their operation. <\/span>Photo: Archrock Services<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you can\u2019t identify the root cause, or if identifying the root cause would take so much time that it\u2019s just best to start somewhere to generate positive momentum toward alignment, Kamanns recommended the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n