If you have a global company, it’s imperative to invest in a fleet management solution that can handle the scale of your business. However, keep in mind it shouldn't only handle the scale of your operations but also the local areas your business operates in as well.
According to data, 73% of corporate supply chain leaders are expected to hit their tariff absorption wall. That means these businesses can't absorb the rising operational costs internally, and they need to find efficiency somewhere else to prevent themselves from passing this cost to their customers.
The best way for companies of all sizes to reduce their operational costs is to invest in a fleet management solution that works with their needs, regardless of where they operate.
Global fleet management requires one single platform for fleet managers to see their entire fleet operations. From this platform they should be able to coordinate, monitor and manage their fleet. Not only that, but a top-of-the-range FMS would allow them to focus on fleets in specific areas so they can have complete insight and control.
It’s also important for the FMS to work perfectly with the location they're in. It won’t be useful to have an FMS that only works on 5G connectivity when the majority of your fleets are in less developed rural areas that have poor connectivity.
If you have a global operation, you need hyper-localised telematics for your various fleets. If the FMS you're using only works perfectly in your country, but you have a fleet on the other side of the world, you’re basically wasting time and money.
Each country has their own set of rules and regulations for anyone on their roads. Each of them also has their own respective challenges. The FMS you use should be able to handle these challenges and adapt to those rules and regulations.
You shouldn’t have to get different FMSs for each country you have a fleet in. As a big global business, you need a single solution that’s simple and can easily streamline your entire operation.
Having a global business with fleets across the world comes with a unique set of challenges. These include managing:
Let’s take a deeper look at the different challenges you’ll face having a global business with fleets across the globe.
A major challenge that comes with having a global business is being able to successfully manage all of your drivers. Not only do you need to make sure all your drivers are on the right routes, but you need to ensure that they are safe, healthy and feel cared for by your company.
Additionally, you need to know how your drivers are handling your vehicles and their cargo. This is definitely a challenge for any business, regardless of size or location.
When it comes to monitoring your drivers, you need to also monitor who operates certain vehicles and machinery. This is because some of these things require the operator to have a special licence, and if something goes wrong and an unlicensed employee is operating the machinery or vehicle, your insurance won’t pay out.
Every fleet is different. Some fleets consist of giant 18-wheeler delivery trucks, while many have smaller trucks and vans; others have motorbikes, electric vehicles, tractors and bulldozers. Regardless of what vehicles make up your fleet, you need to ensure they have eyes on all of them.
However, when you’re a large global business, this is quite a challenge. It’s often left up to regional fleet managers to keep an eye on these vehicles.
Do you know which vehicles or machines need maintenance? Are you spending thousands on a maintenance schedule for all of your vehicles? Or are you wasting precious time and money on unexpected breakdowns across your fleets?
If your fleet is working on a reactive maintenance schedule or a very basic one. A study was done by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), and from the data they gathered, they found that the industry baseline for commercial maintenance and repairs is roughly $0,198 per mile.
For an international company that’s managing a moderately sized, cross-continental fleet of 150 Class-8 assets that average 80,000 miles a year, that places their maintenance budget at $2.37 million annually!
On top of that, incorrectly managed and reactive fleets experience many unexpected breakdowns and planned maintenance costs. This means your fleet is literally burning through millions to keep it operational.
Another major challenge that comes with having a global fleet is accurately managing and monitoring fuel. The biggest operational cost for a fleet is fuel. So how do you make sure no one is stealing fuel from your vehicles or that your drivers aren’t driving with a lead foot, causing them to burn through fuel faster?
It’s impossible to save on fuel costs if you’re not accurately monitoring it.
A challenging part of having a global fleet is the local infrastructure your fleets are operating in. For example, you have a telematics system set up, but it’s designed to only work with a 5G signal. But your fleets are operating in underdeveloped areas that have very poor signal.
Because of this, their routes can’t be accurately optimised, and your visibility of them constantly drops. Now you can’t properly manage these teams who operate outside of a highly developed area.
Any global company is under a lot of pressure from their international investors to meet strict environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets. But without having accurate data from your vehicles or monitoring of drivers & fuel, it becomes impossible for businesses to reach these ESG targets.
Don’t fret, because all of these challenges for global fleets can be solved with Cartrack’s fleet management system. Not only do we have all the solutions you need, but Cartrack is a global company operating on 5 continents! We are based in Africa, Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Currently we have 2 800 000+ active subscribers across 23 countries and have worked with over 125 000 businesses across the globe!
With Cartrack you just need one system that connects your entire fleet, no matter where they are!
With Cartrack’s fleet management system, you easily have access to every driver in your fleet. You can easily manage their schedules with Delivery. This allows you or your fleet manager to assign jobs to the driver closest to that area, and it will provide them with an optimised route, saving you time and money.
AI cameras with our telematics devices allow you to accurately monitor drivers' behaviour on the road in real time. You’ll know if they’re speeding, driving aggressively, not wearing their seatbelts, dozing off or being distracted while on the road. In-cabin alerts and seat vibrators allow drivers to immediately correct these kinds of behaviours.
This means you’ll not only have eyes on your drivers, but they'll also have an extra layer of protection on the road. This combination will assist with driver safety and security.
At Cartrack we have a nifty technology called Driver Identification (DID) Tags. These tags work with the ignition key of a vehicle or a machine. We have three tags to choose from; these are:
These tags mean you know exactly who’s operating a vehicle or machine, how long they were operating it for and that only operators with specialised licences can use certain vehicles or machines.
At Cartrack we understand that every fleet is built differently. Which is why our system is customisable for your fleet’s needs and can effortlessly manage a mixed fleet. Every vehicle and machine has different requirements and challenges.
This is exactly why you need Cartrack’s FMS. Our system is built to handle every type of fleet, and you’re able to monitor every vehicle and machine from one platform. For example, the data you need for an electric vehicle will differ from an ICE vehicle.
With Cartrack, you can monitor your EVs’ battery performance and health as well as plan routes with the battery capacity and charging stations en route.
When you have a reactive fleet that only acts when a vehicle/machine breaks down, or if you follow a set maintenance schedule for your vehicles, you’re going to be spending way more money than you need to. Not to mention the wasted time from unplanned downtime.
With Cartrack’s FMS, we monitor the health of all your vehicles and assets that have a telematics device installed. We provide you with predictive maintenance alerts that let you know when a part is failing so you can plan for it to go in for repairs and not let it affect your team’s productivity.
Our FMS also lets you set routine vehicle check-ups, servicing and inspections. So at all times you and your team are aware of any wear & tear on the vehicle and can make the necessary repairs, replacements or top-ups. This proactive method increases the lifespan of your vehicles and makes sure they’re always fit to be on the roads.
Monitoring fuel usage is vital to secure the success of your business. Fuel takes up a significant amount of your profits, and with all the ways fuel can be wasted or stolen, it’s imperative that you’re monitoring every single drop of fuel.
Driver behaviour is a major contributor to how fuel is being used in your fleet. Things like speeding, excessive idling, and harsh braking all contribute to burning fuel. With our system, you’ll have the exact insights into how your drivers are handling vehicles and what behaviours are causing them to excessively burn through fuel.
We provide you with driver scorecards so you and your drivers can see what they're doing right and what they’re doing wrong. With this you can effectively coach each driver and make sure those who are wasting fuel get trained on how to drive more conservatively.
Another feature we provide is fuel calibration with fuel sensors. There are three different types of fuel sensors to choose from depending on your requirements, but all three of them will let you spot fuel theft or leaks immediately.
Not all areas have perfect coverage, which means your normal GPS visibility on your fleet takes a hit. And if you have fleets in high-risk areas, you’ll want visibility at all times. This is one of the reasons we have the Cartrack Tag.
The CT tag is a backup tracking device that works off the Cartrack Proprietary Radio Frequency (CPRF) Network. It provides you with uninterrupted monitoring of your vehicle, even if the signal to your unit is purposely blocked by a jamming device.
The features and insights you receive from your Cartrack FMS will ensure your business follows strict ESG regulations no matter where your fleets are.
All of these features of Cartrack’s fleet management system can ensure that you keep your operational costs down and have eyes on your fleets no matter where they are!
If you enjoyed this, then check out our blog titled Is Fleet Management Hard?
Discover how a global fleet management solution can streamline your operations, beat rising tariff costs, and conquer local infrastructure challenges.
