How to Audit Your Fleet Performance
Once you've gathered the correct documents, you can begin your audit. These are four recommended areas to focus on during your audit and how to approach them:
1. Record and Analyze Vehicle Data
It's crucial to keep track of your fleet's vehicle performance. Many fleet managers start their audits with vehicle data analysis. This step allows you to detect underperforming vehicles, monitor maintenance frequency, uncover fuel efficiency rates and more.
You likely have a system in place for recording vehicle data, whether it's a digital or a paper-based solution. Your records might track features like:
- Vehicle make and model specifications
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- Annual vehicle inspection data
- Usage timesheets
- Work orders
- Maintenance checklists
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- Repair costs
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- Downtime
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- Fuel costs
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During your audit, you can use this information to evaluate vehicle performance. For instance, you could calculate the overall cost of ownership or average cost per mile for each truck in your fleet.
With this data, you can remove vehicles and make necessary upgrades. You might notice during the audit that one truck has higher annual maintenance costs. These fees could cause you to lose money. In response, you could replace this vehicle with a newer one. That way, you can improve your fleet's efficiency by keeping it full of high-performance vehicles.
You can also use the audit as an opportunity to analyze your data-gathering techniques. If you notice you have inaccurate or incomplete vehicle records, you could implement a new methodology for the following years. For instance, a digital system can reduce manual errors and aid with analysis.
2. Check Your Legal Documentation
Legal compliance is another essential component for most fleet audits. Maintaining correct documentation for each vehicle is crucial for road checks and other compliance regulations. Without the right records, you could face fines or other complications. In addition, you need the right driver's licenses and records that certify your drivers have the necessary training to be behind the wheel.
Important compliance documents include:
- Title information for each vehicle.
- Insurance information.
- Driver certifications and commercial driving licenses (CDLs).
- Employee background checks and performance reviews.
During your fleet audit, ensure your legal documentation is updated and accurate. In many cases, you need these documents present both in vehicles and your office records.
3. Examine Your Budget
You can also analyze your spending while you complete an audit. Analyze costs like:
- Average fuel costs per vehicle.
- Maintenance costs per vehicle.
- Toll fees.
- Additional expenses for repairs.
It's often helpful to conduct a budget audit before a new fiscal year starts. That way, you can compare your previous budget to actual spending throughout the year, then update your upcoming budgets as needed.
You can also adopt new ways to decrease spending. For instance, you might notice excessive spending on toll management. In response, you could invest in a toll management solution like Bestpass to better manage these expenses.
4. Check Your Maintenance Strategies
Be sure to examine vehicle safety and maintenance procedures in your fleet. Because vehicle safety consists of many aspects, it's often helpful to use a safety auditing checklist. These are some features you can implement as part of a vehicle audit:
- Pre- and post-trip vehicle inspections by drivers
- Mileage checks and seeking the required maintenance for certain miles reached
- Monthly or quarterly maintenance reviews by your service team
By using strategies like these throughout the year, you can create an ongoing audit. These thorough measures ensure your vehicles are safe to use and can work at optimal efficiency.
