Fleet Management for Construction Businesses

What is fleet management for construction businesses? And how will it benefit the way you manage your fleets?

Fleet management is all about knowing where your vehicles are, how they’re being used, and in what condition they’re in.

For construction companies, this is pretty essential. Why? Firstly, because it means managers will always have a comprehensive list of available vehicles for potential projects.

Secondly, it gives managers the best chance of keeping vehicles in tip-top condition, helping them avoid expensive repair bills and insurance breaches.

Read on to find out why you should be investing in fleet management for construction.

What is fleet management for construction businesses?

Combining GPS tracker hardware with innovative software, fleet management is a form of vehicle tracking that provides construction companies with heaps of data relating to their fleets.

It’s a system that works with any type of vehicle. As long as it has an engine, you can attach a GPS tracker to the diagnostics, and benefit from a load of data that enables you to access the vehicle’s whereabouts and assess its condition.

For construction companies, that means your fleet of JCBs, cement mixers, bulldozers, and more are all perfect candidates for vehicle tracker installation.

Once fitted, you can set the GPS tracker to ‘ping’ (send data) a number of times a day, refreshing your database with hot-off-the-press stats about the condition and location of your vehicle.

GPS trackers will send data back to the software as long as there’s an internet connection. Then, you and your employees will be able to access that data via the software app on a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop.

What data does a fleet management system collect?

A construction fleet management system collects lots of data that’ll help you make important decisions when it comes to your vehicles. And that’s not just diagnostics data – your team can manually input data using the app, helping you gain a full insight into your construction vehicles.

Mileage

Mileage isn’t just about collecting data on how many miles that particular vehicle has covered – it’s about setting mileage limits. How do you like the idea of your fleet management software automatically sending you an email every time a vehicle surpasses a certain number of miles? That way, you know exactly when to book it in for routine maintenance.

Location

Again, location data isn’t just about knowing where your vehicles are at a given time. It’s about having a full bird’s eye view of where your assets are situated, so you know which ones are in use and which ones are idle.

You can also use the software to set up geo-fencing, which puts a virtual GPS boundary around your construction site. If a vehicle happens to cross that boundary, you’ll receive an alert, so you can let the police know it’s gone missing as soon as possible.

Engine hours

By collecting this data, you’ll be able to see how much usage a particular vehicle is getting. Managers can then assign vehicles to projects accordingly, ensuring no vehicle is left idle while others are getting all the use.

Fuel usage

Fuel is one of your largest expenses, so when it comes to fuel costs, it’s good to have all the figures in front of you. Some fleet management software integrates with your fuel card system, so figures are automatically updated. Alternatively, you can request that operators manually input fuel data so you have a full overview in one place.

Repair details

Make it easier to track maintenance details by inputting all of the data into your fleet management system. Most fleet management systems will allow you to store maintenance dates, details, and costs. The system will also automatically clock engine mileage, and send you a maintenance alert once the vehicle has accrued a certain number of miles.

What are the benefits of investing in a fleet management system?

It goes without saying that the biggest benefit of investing in fleet management for construction is the ability to better manage your fleet. But there are other benefits, too. Here are just a few:

Provide a safer working environment

They say that prevention is always better than cure, and the same goes for your construction equipment. With your fleet management system flagging up when maintenance checks are due, faults will be found long before they turn into full on breakdowns. This not only saves you money in the long run, but prevents nasty accidents involving employees too.

Work more efficiently

How about that time you spent ages trying to locate a stray JCB? Or that time you rented a digger unnecessarily, because you didn’t know that one of yours would be free from a project the next day?

By investing in fleet management for construction, not only will your team spend more time being productive, you won’t be wasting any hours or money on renting equipment, either.

More accurate financing

Fleet management software tracks asset expenses, which means you’ll have the figures you need to work out how much a project may cost you. Whether it’s the cost of running a vehicle, or the cost of renting one, use trends to work out estimates and bid for the right projects.

The best construction fleet management system suppliers

Who is the best fleet management system supplier? According to our research, Verizon Connect, Samsara, and Quartix have come out as the top UK suppliers of fleet management systems for construction businesses.

Let’s see how they square up against each other.

Verizon Connect

Samsara

Quartix

How much does a construction fleet management system cost?

How long is a piece of string? The cost of fleet management for construction businesses really depends on the size of the fleet, and the level of detail of the data you want to collect. That’s why it’s almost impossible to find standardised pricing on any fleet management supplier site.

Any decent supplier will listen to your needs, then provide you with a tailored solution and a unique quote. You can receive bespoke quotes to compare yourself by simply filling in our form with a few details about your construction business.

Expert verdict

If you’re looking to track your construction vehicles, fleet management is certainly the way to go. It combines GPS location services with data collection to provide you with a complete overview of your vehicles.

Whether you’re looking to get on top of your maintenance, cut down on your spending, or accurately bid for more projects, a fleet management system really does have your back. Fill in our form to receive fleet management system quotes today.