Fleet Controller Duties: What Are the Top 7 Responsibilities You Need to Know

Fleet controllers are responsible for many parts of a complex and coordinated fleet system, including the products, suppliers, delivery drivers, customers, and more. If one piece of the puzzle goes missing, the system may struggle. Managing a fleet is challenging as you must take care of these multiple moving parts– all requiring the same concerted effort.

Join us and learn how to meet these expectations by exploring these top seven fleet controller responsibilities.

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In this article, you will:

• Learn about the importance of the fleet controller’s role

• Explore fleet controllers' top seven responsibilities

• Learn what skills and qualities fleet managers need to execute these responsibilities

• Discover each responsibility’s complementary Cartrack solutions

• See how you can get the most out of our FleetWeb platform

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Why are fleet controllers’ duties essential? 

If fleet managers do not successfully implement their duties in one area, this will likely have a knock-on effect, negatively influencing more than one feature of their fleet management strategy. 

This rapidly expanding field also pressures fleet managers to keep up with the constant evolution in the fleet management industry and technology while also working within their company’s interests. 

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A rapidly expanding and multidisciplinary role 

Explore the versatile and rapidly expanding world of fleet managers here:

• Versatile duties: Many fleet controller responsibilities are interconnected, such as scheduling maintenance and driver safety.  While separate responsibilities, they interlink in that scheduling maintenance influences driver safety.
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• A rapidly expanding industry and field: The fleet management industry constantly expands, with new responsibilities, industry trends, skills, and software to keep up with. 
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• Business/company interests: Fleet managers work for companies whose profits and reputation can be affected by the fleet controller’s job performance.

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The top 7 fleet controller responsibilities

With so much to juggle comes a lot of responsibility—witness the mountain of fleet controller tasks become easier to tackle under the sheer effectiveness of these seven fleet manager responsibilities. 

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1. Recording and analysing the data that provide essential vehicle health insights

For the purpose of data collection, fleet owners- and controllers need to keep track of essential information that affects everyday operations. This is because data collection and analysis helps them make various informed decisions. For example, if data from oil changes and vehicle performance is not collected, they may not realise they need to implement preventative maintenance. This could lead to the vehicle needing corrective maintenance, services, and fixes, as well as suffering unnecessary costs, not to mention downtime. 

Find out more about their data duties below:  

• Record and preserve data: A comprehensive record of every vehicle, including oil changes, performance, and expenses such as driver expenditure and fuel costs.
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• Analyse data: This involves spotting potential and current issues and looking for ways to cut costs and handle finances well. For example, fleet managers can use data to inform route optimisation, which can help reduce costs as vehicles will likely drive shorter distances and use less fuel.  

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Ideal skills or qualities for this responsibility include an in-depth understanding of data, such as interpreting, analysing, and applying data, working with databases, and understanding statistics.

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Employ our data-defined CANBus-enabled vehicle diagnostics 

CANBus provides fleet managers with real-time diagnostic data on their vehicles, such as odometer readings, EV charging insights, engine diagnostics, driver behaviour, fuel insights, and odometer readings. 

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2. Maintenance schedules for work readiness

Putting together and implementing maintenance schedules is essential because focusing on vehicle health ensures its maximum function. Neglecting this responsibility can lead to too much downtime and avoidable maintenance costs. All these issues could have been avoided if fleet controllers had implemented preventative maintenance.

Lastly, poor maintenance can jeopardise drivers’ safety. The vehicle could break down on the road, leaving the driver stranded. Wear and tear can also affect their vehicles’ response time, making it more challenging to brake or manoeuvre the car safely.

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Let’s see how you can avoid these negative consequences by taking on the following responsibilities: 

Schedule, record, and implement maintenance

• Work readiness: This responsibility ensures work readiness, extends vehicle life expectancy, and meets industry standards.
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• Scheduling flexibility: Fleet managers must be prepared to adjust schedules based on unexpected events.
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• Implementation: You can implement this internally or work with a third party, such as a repair shop.

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Ideal skills or qualities for this responsibility include excellent time management, flexibility, and an understanding of servicing and all kinds of maintenance, including preventative, proactive, predictive, and corrective maintenance.

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Cartrack’s automated preventative maintenance solutions simplify fleet management

We offer many solutions to automate preventative maintenance, such as real time alerts or vehicle diagnostics. These solutions use telematics software to anticipate possible vehicle issues. These alerts include worn brake pads, engine problems, and more.

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3. Tracking the fleet in real time with the use of software

It has become common practice for fleet controllers to use software, usually GPS systems, to prevent theft or hijacking and fuel overconsumption. Without tracking software, these issues could lead to unnecessary expenses and delays.

Tracking vehicles

• Route optimisation: GPS tracking helps with route optimisation, delivery time, and saving on fuel expenses.
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• Data capturing: GPS tracking can capture data for analysis and projections.
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• Hijacking or theft: This tracking solution assists with finding the vehicle in case of hijacking or theft.
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• Fuel monitoring: Fuel monitoring helps improve and optimise fuel consumption, increasing cost-effectiveness.

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Optimal skills or qualities for this responsibility include a good understanding of logistics and the ability to work with fleet tracking software.

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Use Our Live GPS Solution to help you track your fleet in real time 

Our Live GPS solution provides real time visibility of your fleet from their position, speed and direction. It also includes geofencing, the ability to detect driving behaviours, fuel monitoring, trip reports and trip history.

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4. Safety and compliance management 

Fleet controllers should take safety and compliance management seriously. Negligence will endanger drivers, and the managers, fleet department, and perhaps even the business or company could face fees at best and severe legal issues at worst.

The dangers of negligence include accidents, which could lead to vehicle or truck damage, resulting in avoidable repairs, services, and maintenance costs. Accidents also lead to hefty insurance fees. Other forms of negligence include breaking the rules of the road, audits, and licensing issues.

Here’s a look into the fleet manager's responsibilities related to safety and compliance management:

Ensuring safety

• Maintenance: Fleet controllers should conduct frequent vehicle inspections.
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• Safety policies: Fleet controllers are in charge of overall maintenance policies.
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• Driver behaviour: They should monitor driver behaviour on the road for harsh behaviour, such as harsh braking, speeding, cornering, and excessive idling.

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Ensuring compliance

• Rules of the road: Ensure that drivers understand and follow all the rules of the road.
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• Internal audits: Ensure that all internal audits are correct and ethically sound.
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• Licenses and tabs: Regularly ensure that licenses and tabs are valid.

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The top skills or qualities for this responsibility include understanding the relevant safety provisions and laws, such as rules of the road, auditing, tax compliance, and licensing. Fleet controllers should also have a good grasp of vehicle maintenance and implementing safety policies and regulations.

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Explore Cartrack LiveVision AI camera technology to detect non-compliance and secure safety

Cartrack’s LiveVision warns of forward collisions. It detects cell phone usage, yawning, smoking, and tired or distracted drivers, making it the perfect tool to detect driver behaviour from all angles. LiveVision is powered by artificial intelligence and has eight cameras that live stream and record video.

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5. Driver management to improve performance for high retention and safety issues

Bad performance, such as arriving late, lousy communication, or unfriendliness, can lead to unsatisfied customers and suppliers. If managers can’t help drivers grow, they may feel unsatisfied, which could eventually result in a high turnover rate.

This possible neglect of management duties can also result in more severe outcomes, putting the drivers in harm's way, as they have yet to be trained to fully understand all safety protocols. 

Let’s find out about fleet controllers’ duty toward their drivers: 

‍Monitoring drivers

• Fleet controllers should put together and manage safety policies for the drivers, reducing the chance of accidents and the possibility of legal issues.
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• They should use software that tracks driver habits, such as speeding, harsh braking, cornering, idling, and harsh acceleration.
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• Fleet managers should provide clear instructions, consistent communication and constructive feedback.
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• Keeping attendance tabs is a vital management duty.

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Coaching and increasing productivity 

•  Education and training: Educating increases productivity as drivers can implement their tasks with better quality. Each driver needs to customise this guidance depending on skill and experience. 
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• Regular upskilling: Fleet controllers should train them not only when they begin working but also make it a regular occurrence.
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• Incentives: Fleet managers should praise and reward their drivers for producing high-quality work. 
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• Safety compliance training: Beyond the employees' work duties and responsibilities, these managers should train drivers on safety compliance

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Ideal skills or qualities for this responsibility include training and communicating, holding drivers accountable, and providing consistent feedback.

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Employ Cartrack’s all-in-one fleet management solution, FleetWeb, for driver excellence

FleetWeb is a multilayered solution that perfectly matches the interconnected world of fleet management– it keeps all the puzzle pieces intact.  With the Fleet option, you can track and manage your drivers' activity and behaviour.

Beyond tracking each driver's location and speed in real time, the platform will also allow you to rewind your trip to see when your driver was idling, speeding, or using fuel. The platform provides information on all the drivers' behaviours, including speeding, road speed infractions, harsh acceleration, harsh braking, and harsh turning. 

 Fleet managers can use these recorded behaviours to discover what the drivers need to be coached on. Each vehicle has a driving behaviour score, meaning fleet managers can track whether the driver or drivers are implementing the coaching lessons.
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This is only a peek into how fleet management can empower you and your drivers.  

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6. Effective admin and cost management

Disorganisation can lead to goals not being met, organisation not being streamlined, loss or mismanagement of money, and the lack of records of important information that is legally required, such as taxes and licenses.

Responsibilities under the umbrella of effective admin and cost management include:
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Effective administration

Keep your finger on the pulse of all the moving parts to ensure the operations run smoothly and everything is in order. These moving parts include:

• Fuel 
• Driver behaviour 
• Suppliers
• Contracts
• Data
• Reports

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Cost management

Track costs to ensure that money is spent wisely and ethically and that a profit is made. These costs include: 

• Invoices 
• Orders
• Receipts
• Budgeting 
• Strategies to increase profits, i.e., fewer fuel costs, better routes, and eliminating unnecessary expenses.
• Insurance
• Warranties
• Tolls
• Taxes
• Fuel
• Contracts

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Ideal skills or qualities for this responsibility include being financially literate, business savvy, detail-orientated, strategically-minded, and mathematically literate. 

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Discover MiFleet for a comprehensive solution to all your admin and cost management needs

MiFleet is a comprehensive fleet management software which forms part of FleetWeb. It helps you manage fleet admin and costs.  

• Effective administration includes fuel-related costs, driver behaviour tracking, recording supplier information, and driver license expiration. 
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• Cost management includes cost summary reports, monthly costs and contract storage. 

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7.  Effective communication 

Bad communication makes executing work much more challenging. When delegating tasks, if the drivers don’t understand instructions, they will be unable to follow them correctly or up to standard. 

If the fleet control manager is not clear on which routes to take, for example, the drivers will likely take longer to reach their destination, or even worse, not reach it at all, leaving customers unhappy with the service.

Some of these responsibilities that lead to productive communication include:

The ability to effectively supervise as well as communicate directions and instructions

• The ability to communicate clearly so that all those under them understand their tasks and duties and implement them correctly
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• The ability to provide feedback and mentor drivers so they improve at their job
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• A communication style that builds respect and leads employees to listen to them naturally
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• The ability to engage in dialogue and listen to truck drivers
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• The ability to report to those above them in higher managerial positions with clarity

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Ideal skills or qualities for this responsibility include the ability to be well-spoken and articulate, emotionally intelligent, and concise, as well as the ability to adapt communication styles depending on who you’re talking to at an individual level and whether you’re talking to your employees or those in higher managerial positions. 

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Put your trust in Cartrack’s Delivery to optimise and simplify communication

The Delivery Application optimises and simplifies communication for everyone, from the fleet controller to the drivers and customers. The solution does this through:

• Updates for customers and fleet managers on drivers accepting, starting and finishing their jobs.
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• E-signs for job completion proof
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• Route optimisation
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• All job instructions can be given to the driver through the Delivery App. 

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Get the most out of our feature-rich platform with Cartrack Fleet Management training 

If there’s one major fleet controller responsibility, it’s that fleet controllers should always be willing to learn.

Our fleet management sessions help you improve at your vocation via our solutions. 

More specifically, we teach you how to use our fleet management solutions in the best way possible so that they can provide you and your fleet with all their benefits.
 

Make juggling fleet controller duties easy. Contact us today.

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FAQs about fleet controllers and the wider industry

Q: What makes a good fleet controller?

A:  Fleet management is multi-varied, with all responsibilities crossing over one another. This is why a good fleet controller is someone capable of multitasking. They need to do so effectively and with ease.

Multitasking is only possible with excellent time management skills, flexibility, remaining calm under pressure, and innovation and decisiveness. 

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Q: What is a fleet job description? 

A: A fleet manager is responsible for the vehicles and drivers within a fleet. They are expected to encourage productivity in the vehicles and fleet and keep them in good health and condition. Overall, fleet controllers focus on the fleet's performance.

They are also responsible for the drivers and fleet and other influential aspects of the overall fleet process. This includes policies, compliance, and any related holdings. 

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Q: What are the functions of a fleet?

A: Fleets have many functions, including fleet management, vehicle telematics, vehicle maintenance, compliance with regulations, tracking, driver management, licensing, and vehicle maintenance. 

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Q: What should you look for in a fleet management company?

A: You should ask yourself numerous questions, and a lot of research should go into finding a fleet management company. However, some important aspects to take into account include their customer service, whether they at least provide tracking and route planning, and whether they are compliant with all necessary protocols and safety regulations.

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Cartrack’s solutions are so vast and varied that no fleet management task or issue goes untouched. Contact us to discover more of our endless features.