Empower and improve your construction business with smart fleet management software
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The buildings, homes, bridges, iconic structures and the very cities we live in today, are all made possible thanks to construction companies. To bring these masterpieces to life and ensure operational success, effective fleet management features are a must-have.
If you are in the construction industry, you’ve come to the right place. We will inform you about ways you can empower and improve your construction business and how smart fleet management software will help you do this.
In this article, you will:
Focus on how fleet management can benefit the construction industry
Uncover the four major benefits of implementing construction fleet management for your business
Find out some important tips to grow an efficient construction company from scratch
What does a fleet management software platform do?
A fleet management software is a digital tool that collects data from vehicles through telematics devices. All kinds of businesses or industries can use the tool to monitor vehicle operations. Through this technology, fleet managers gain insight into maintenance issues, driver behaviour, fuel expenditure, fuel consumption, and so much more.
For a fleet manager, time is money. Many tasks can be automated to cut time spent on admin and create more time for growing the business. Certain managerial qualities are also needed, to add the cherry on top of a good fleet management process.
In this article specifically, we will dive into what fleet management involves for construction businesses and give you construction fleet tracking and telematics solutions.
It is a process where fleet managers gain full visibility and control of their operations using route planning, vehicle fleet monitoring, data collection, and reporting.
Managers of construction fleets need to see what’s working and what is not, so there are fewer project delays and cost impacts on the entire business.
Why you need Cartrack’s fleet management solution to improve your construction fleet business
GPS vehicle and equipment tracking: Easily locate your vehicles and assets to keep them safe and acquire information about their condition. And monitor if they are being utilised efficiently.
Maintain your construction assets: Get maintenance alerts when your vehicles and machinery need a service to reduce costs and increase the lifespan of your vehicles. Also, reduce downtime and improve productivity.
Construction fleet safety:AI-powered tech cameras give insight into driver behaviour, making sure they are not easily distracted and are driving correctly.
Driver management and training: Promoting safe driving habits and training will help save you time and money. This will improve risky driving habits and reduce wear and tear on vehicles.
Timestamps: Know when teams arrive and leave job sites to ensure working hours align so you can pay your team’s wages accordingly.
Less admin: Less paperwork, as all fleet processes are automated and documented electronically.
Manage costs: Understand your project costs and ensure your pricing keeps you profitable and competitive. Our actionable insights help you spot cost inefficiencies, empowering you to focus on growing your business.
Using fleet management software to monitor construction equipment
The equipment that is used on construction sites, such as excavators and bulldozers, also plays a vital role in enhancing productivity. Any breakdown of this equipment could be severely costly to the business, limit projects getting done on time, and cause a lack of delivery to clients.
Let’s look at a concrete mixer, as an example.
If you produce batches of mixed concrete that can be transported directly to where they are needed on the construction site. You won’t have to rely on a concrete batch plant to deliver, meaning you are saving time and money, and you can control the quantity of what is used.
However, let’s say you have ten cement mixers on site; how would you know if they are being utilised effectively and if they are safe? They could be left on without supervision and are turning unnecessarily without cement in them– therefore not being used efficiently. Some might be underutilised, but if you can’t keep track of productivity, then you will end up buying more equipment where there's no need.
With GPS tracking technology and telematics, you can monitor the locations of your equipment and get data insights on how often it is used. This helps you see how productive and efficient it is. Additionally, you can create geofences to ensure the equipment does not leave the site.
4 Major benefits of fleet management software for construction fleets
Optimise fleet and operator performance Successful fleet management systems involve analysing vehicle and operator data to the max. Data insights such as fuel consumption, mileage, mechanical diagnostics, maintenance and driver performance– all allow managers to understand fleet operator history and performance thoroughly. Fleet managers can then refine daily operations, save on costs and make informed business decisions.
For example, truck breakdowns and service maintenance can also be extremely costly. Managers can use the data to develop and manage a vehicle maintenance schedule, resulting in a drop in repairs and extending the lifespan of vehicles. They will also operate at full capacity, which means a reduction in fuel running costs.
In addition, data about the best routes to take and safe driving methods to use can be implemented to improve driver safety and fuel economy.
Increase productivity and workflow When fleet management software is in place, there’s less room for errors, issues, delays, or anything that could disrupt workflow, resulting in more efficiency overall.
Fleet managers must coordinate vehicle and equipment dispatch efficiently to keep construction projects on schedule. They can plan efficient routes, find the best routes and send the nearest available drivers to fulfil site requirements. The right people are assigned to the right jobs, and get tasks done better and on time. Projects are planned accurately and the team is accountable and on top of task deliverables needed to keep projects moving forward. As a result, the company will have more time to respond to urgent requests and adapt quickly without delays.
Improve invoicing Automated reports tell you exactly when your construction teams arrive or leave their assigned project sites. This lets you see their actual working hours so you can bill your clients and pay your team’s wages accurately, helping you avoid cost wastages. Managers should consider their invoicing and transactions to be done digitally, which will also improve data security and safety.
Also to implement financial record-keeping on a digital platform to improve accuracy and minimise payment errors and/or misses. This will allow construction companies to look back at payment history and send accurate invoices to clients.
Better budgeting & forecasting The whole objective of running a successful construction operation is to see if there are capital gains. Companies can thus leverage valuable fleet data to get an overview of expenses, and an understanding of what projects are making or losing money.
Get reports to predict expenses and revenue, and generate more accurate budgeting and projections for the future. For example, they can assess how much money has been spent on fuel within a certain period and budget accordingly.
Overall, the business should understand where they stand financially, to take the right measures to keep their doors open and finances healthy.
How to grow an efficient construction business
We know a fleet management platform will give you more control of your business, but as with any business, other elements are important to your success.
We’ve got some additional tips for your toolbox.
Create a great team: You need the right people in your corner to ensure the work gets done right. And you should also be rewarding them for great work and empowering them to do better.
Build a strong network: Attend events and network to build your customer base. Build a report with existing clients, and create a space for positive referrals.
Launch a website: Your website should include valuable information about your company and services, and answer questions your customers often ask. You should list how your services will solve their problems.
Build effective sales and marketing channels: Having an engaging website and social media accounts is a good starting point for an online presence. But to take it a step further, you should consider using effective digital strategies like SEO, analytics, content marketing, and advertising as part of your overall growth strategy.
Case Study: How our solutions improved operations at Concord Cranes
Concord Cranes is a company that specialises in crane hire solutions, with over 180 cranes. They offer mobile crane rentals, professional rigging, transport, and specialised lifting projects across 15 branches.
They found it difficult to accurately record the hours each crane worked, making it a challenge to maintain and deliver them to their clients.
How we came to the rescue:
The Cartrack IoT device and specialised power take-off sensors enable Concord Cranes to accurately monitor the on-site working hours of their cranes, and mileage travelled, as well as see exactly what equipment a crane used. This data helps them track the conditions of the cranes so they can plan ahead for clients.
Preventative maintenance insights from our fleet management software also help Concord Cranes reduce the number of unexpected breakdowns through detailed maintenance schedules. This also keeps their maintenance costs low by reducing the number of cranes being sent for avoidable fault-related repairs.
Overall, our fleet management system makes Concord Cranes more reliable and has improved their brand reputation. Their cranes are always safe and in good working order.
“Using Cartrack’s advanced fleet management, we have been able to increase our operational efficiency to deliver a better service to our customers, as well as effortlessly establish a maintenance cycle that reduces our costs and increases our fleet longevity.” | Gareth Langley, Concord Cranes operations manager
Boost your construction operations with Cartrack’s smart fleet management software
Cartrack has all the tools a construction fleet manager would need to ensure smooth operations and save costs. Here are a few that you should consider:
Power Take-off Sensors With this sensor, you will know when your your equipment and machinery is being used and be able to differentiate between productive and unproductive idling.
Driver Identification (DID) tags As already mentioned, a construction site has various heavy equipment and vehicles. Some of which can only be operated by licensed employees. A DID tag ensures that only authorised employees use the trucks and equipment to avoid safety hazards and non-compliance. You will instantly know who is driving which vehicle, which also encourages driver accountability.
AI Dual Vision cameras Our AI Dual Vision enhances driver safety by giving audible alerts whenever they detect distracted driver behaviours such as drowsiness, smoking, and cellphone use. You can also live stream the footage at any time. The cameras also give drivers warnings about blind spots or possible front collisions, therefore avoiding fatal accidents.
The best fleet management for construction businesses is out there—Cartrack
Get started with fleet management software from Cartrack. Grow and improve your business with a tech-powered platform today.
Frequently asked questions about fleet management
How can fleet management be improved? Fleet management can only be improved by incorporating good fleet management software such as Cartrack. This will make it easier for you to carefully monitor driver behaviour, fuel usage, the locations of vehicles, and maintenance schedules. Thus saving you money and enhancing operations.
What is the benefit of using a fleet management system? The benefits of a fleet management system include:
