Fleet management software

Fleet management software (FMS) is computer software that enables people to accomplish a series of specific tasks in the management of any or all aspects relating to a fleet of vehicles operated by a company, government, or other organisation. These specific tasks encompass all operations from vehicle acquisition through maintenance to disposal.^[1]

Fleet management softwares are based on mathematical models and computation techniques in order to optimize and simulate transport fleets' management.^[2]

Fleet management software functions

The main function of fleet management software is to accumulate, store, process, monitor, report on and export information. Information can be imported from external sources such as gas pump processors, territorial authorities for managing vehicle registration (for example DVLA and VOSA), financial institutions, insurance databases, vehicle specification databases, mapping systems and from internal sources such as Human Resources and Finance.

Vehicle management

Fleet management software should be able to manage processes, tasks and events related to all kinds of vehicles - car, trucks, earth-moving machinery, buses, forklift trucks, trailers and specialist equipment, including:^[3]

Vehicle inventory - the number and type of vehicles
Vehicle maintenance - specific routine maintenance and scheduled maintenance, and ad hoc requirements
Licensing, registration, MOT and tax
Vehicle insurance including due dates and restrictions
Cost management and analysis
Vehicle disposal

Driver management

Driver license management, including special provisions
Logging of penalty points and infringements against a licence
Booking system for pool vehicles
Passenger safety (SOS)

Incident management

Accidents and fines, plus apportioning costs to drivers

Tracking

Telematics
Route planning
Logbooks and work time
Alerts

Fleet management metrics to track

Identification Metrics such as vehicle ID, company ID, location ID, Driver ID
Utilization Metrics such as mileage and fuel data
Behavioral Metrics like average speed and harsh acceleration
Trip Metrics like number of trips, average duration
Maintenance Metrics like maintenance costs and number of diagnostics

Software procurement and development

Fleet management software can be developed in-house by the company or organisation using it, or be purchased from a third party. It varies greatly in its complexity and cost.

Fleet management software is directly related to fleet management. It originated on mainframe computers in the 1970s and shifted to the personal computers in the 1980s when it became practical. In later years however, Fleet Management Software has been more efficiently provided as SaaS. Fleet management software has become increasingly necessary and complex as increasing amounts of vehicle related legislation has been brought in.

References

^ Bennett, Sean (February 2, 2010). Heavy Duty Truck Systems (5 ed.). Delmar Cengage Learning. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-1435483828.
^ Bielli, Maurizio; Bielli, Alessandro; Rossi, Riccardo. "Trends in Models and Algorithms for Fleet Management". Science Direct. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
^ "Fleet Management Software Functions". DT Driver Training Resources.

[1] Bennett, Sean (February 2, 2010). Heavy Duty Truck Systems (5 ed.). Delmar Cengage Learning. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-1435483828.

[2] Bielli, Maurizio; Bielli, Alessandro; Rossi, Riccardo. "Trends in Models and Algorithms for Fleet Management". Science Direct. Retrieved 4 January 2024.

[3] "Fleet Management Software Functions". DT Driver Training Resources.

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