5) Get Feedback and Ideas from Every Team Member

Many managers get into the headspace of thinking that they are the only source of innovation and must bring in productivity methods from the outside. However, both your office staff and your field technicians have a great perspective on how to eliminate inefficiencies because they work closely with the existing system every day.

Running a field service business successfully is a marvel of coordination, logistics, and teamwork. The office team manages the customers and books the work orders, the garage team keeps the vehicles in good condition and ready to go, and your technicians are responsible for everything in-between leaving the facility and coming back at the end of the day. 

Managing a corporate fleet of vehicles isn't like managing a delivery route, long-haul trucking, or even being the headquarters of a taxi service. Vehicles that are used by big businesses for internal corporate purposes are usually ferrying execs around, taking traveling employees to and from the airport, or serving as an in-house town car service for highly valued clients.

Within the last twenty years, the idea of green business practices has grown increasingly popular. Where once people's primary concerns were to see corporate responsibility with pollutants and natural resources, the recent trend has been one toward overall renewability and efficiency.

As a fleet manager, you already know how problematic maintenance is to your fleet of trucks. This year alone, preventative maintenance costs on fleet vehicles rose 3% over last year. Most of this was due to rising labor costs and the increasing use of more expensive synthetic motor oils.

Though many feel like fleet maintenance is a waste of time, it is really important for the health of your business. 

Even if you are watching every penny that you spend, a regular vehicle maintenance program is needed for your fleet. It is still worth it, even if you have to hire an additional employee to make sure that your fleet is ready to go.  

Here are some reasons why you need to maintain your fleet.

Tire maintenance is important for the safety of your drivers, as well as your fleet. Though you should be keeping an eye on them regularly, at the very least, you should complete monthly inspections to ensure that your tires are safe. 

A good looking fleet vehicle operated by a safe driver is a moving advertisement for any company. Fellow drivers on the road will notice the vehicle and how it is being driven. They will remember the company's name for future needs of service. Empowering employees to take better care of their fleet vehicle will make a company shine. 

The winter time is usually when people think about car battery maintenance. As the cold saps the power of your fleet's startup batteries, it becomes increasingly important to keep your battery clean and fully charged.

While the charge is easily handled simply by driving regularly and not leaving any internal lights on, keeping your fleet worth of vehicle batteries clean is another matter entirely.

Every fleet manager has their own style and system for maintaining the vehicles in their care. You decide when and how every vehicle is inspected, your standards for maintenance requirements, and what qualifies a vehicle for service the next day.