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Driver Fleet Management
and Operations

Introduction

The movement of people and goods
is an essential component

of an organization's operations,
providing reach and flexibility

in how they deliver products and services

in challenging international environments,
such as those where

natural disasters or security risks
place life safety at risk.

Mobility is critical
to an organization's ability

to respond and move people
out of harm's way.

This capability relies
not only on the safe driving competence,

knowledge, and skills
of a matured driving team

but also the effectiveness of how
vehicle fleets are managed and operated.

The nature of vehicle fleets
will vary greatly

in terms of the vehicle types, numbers,
and the roles they are employed at.

Larger fleets will typically be managed
by dedicated Fleet Operations Managers,

particularly with a fleet that's engaged
in high-volume freight operations.

Typically,
fleets are of a more modest scale

and typically engaged in the movement
of people, and the transport

of limited volumes of stores
and equipment.

In these cases,

fleet operations management
will often fall to an operations,

administrative, or logistics officer

who may have limited direct fleet
management experience.

We will call this individual
the Fleet Operations Manager,

and it is this individual
and the wider management

team of organizations operating fleets
at this scale in international locations

who are the primary focus
of this training module.

Training Objectives

The objective of this training module
is to provide the individuals

or teams responsible for vehicle fleet
management and operations

with knowledge and understanding of,

the recruitment, development,
and management of drivers,

vehicle types, and inventories
and the implications of these for fleet

management and operations.

How technologies can support
effective fleet management and operations,

the basic infrastructure requirements
associated with vehicle fleets,

and key fleet management standard
operating procedures and processes,

such that the organization is able
to establish and maintain a sound,

practical, and field-proven approach
to fleet operations

and management.

The key Components
of Vehicle Fleet Management and Operations

Vehicle fleets are one of the key

enablers of operations
in international locations,

and particularly those
where natural hazards or security

risks are present,
and where an organization's operations

entail frequent travel
to often dispersed outstation locations,

work sites, beneficiary communities
or target research areas.

It is also worth considering that,

in addition to the essential
operational reach

and flexibility well-managed
vehicle fleets provide to an organization,

they also frequently represent the single
largest concentration of capital assets,

or even half a dozen vehicles, equipment,
support infrastructure

and associated maintenance contracts
and insurances,

will approach a quarter
of a million dollars worth

of organizational investment,

where directly expended in their purchase,

or assumed as a liability
under leasing arrangements.

Road travel also frequently presents

the highest area of potential risks
for most organizations.

As such, the sound management
and operational employment

of this resource
is important at many levels,

not only from a safety
and security perspective

but also from a business
continuity standpoint.

This should not however daunt
those charged with fleet management

and operations
if a practical and systematic approach

to establishing and maintaining
the fleet management

and operations is adopted.

An effective means of doing this
is to consider the key components

of fleet management and operations,
and then analyze what the requirements

and planning factors
associated with these components

are in the context
of the organization's location,

profile, and activities.

The key components of fleet management
and operations are;

the drivers and fleet support staff;

the vehicles and their general
and specialist inventories;

support equipment and technologies;

fleet infrastructure;

and, standard operating procedures
and processes.

Safe trip planning
is also a fundamental component

of the overall management of fleets.

We will now consider
each of these in turn,

exploring what requirements
and planning factors

are associated with them.

The Drivers and Fleet Support Staff

Fleet Operations Managers
are not only responsible

for the management of assets

and the planning and control
of how these are used.

They're also importantly,
personnel managers

responsible for the drivers
and in larger fleets,

fleet support staff such as mechanics
and administrative and coordination staff.

This may for smaller fleets
involve the liaison and management

of subcontracted garage repair and service
vendors to the maintenance of the fleet.

In terms of the management of driver
and support staff,

Fleet Operations Managers should consider

the following factors and requirements.

Managing operational performance.

Fleet Operations Managers
fulfill a technical function

in that the organization
rely on them to orchestrate a service

that delivers consistently

high standards in terms of safe
driving and smooth coordination.

As such, the process for travel
planning vehicle and trip

booking and driving
task assignment must be clear and simple.

This process must be communicated
within the organization,

but also the whole driving team
so that they unambiguously

understand what their role is
in providing this service.

The Fleet Operations Manager
may be supported by an administrator

or coordinator who will provide
the day-to-day link

between the driver team
and the organization's wider staff

and responsible for practical aspects
of operational management,

such as the collation
of driver time cards,

and overtime records.

The operational performance standards
the drivers will be expected

to achieve must similarly be
clearly communicated,

and this is an essential part of the Fleet
Operations Manager's role.

It is recommended
that a driver code of conduct is developed

that sets out the minimum
standards expected,

both in terms of safe driving competence
and personal conduct, such as punctuality,

standards of personal dress
and presentation,

zero tolerance of aggressive behavior,
drug or alcohol use.

These codes of conduct will then act
as the primary reference point

in communications between the Fleet
Operations Manager and their driver team.

The code should be printed
and signed by the individual drivers

and kept on their personnel records.

Motivation and morale.

Fleet Operations Managers occupy
positions of leadership

as well as fulfilling a technical role.

The Fleet Operations Manager must seek
to maintain high levels of motivation

and morale within the team as this will
translate to enhanced performance.

The ability to lead is something
that some people inherently have.

For others,

it is something that can be learned
or aided through applying

some basic principles and techniques
such as,

providing, top cover to the team.

This means that where
the team or individuals within the team

are the subject of criticism,

the Fleet Operations Manager
will put themselves

between the team or the individual
and the source of the criticism,

understanding that as a leader,
they should assume responsibility

for any perceived or actual shortcomings
within their team.

The Fleet Operations Manager
must diligently investigate any criticism

and only then take this up
with the team or individuals.

Where the criticism is justified
the Fleet Operations Manager must show

moral courage in applying
consistent fair sanctions or punishments.

The fleet manager
must also support the drivers,

especially where safety and security
protocols are being questioned

or undermined by passengers.

Good leaders are always consistent

and never show favoritism or single out
individuals for unfair treatment.

This can apply in a simple context
such as task or shift scheduling

where the Fleet Operations

Manager is scrupulously even-handed
in who they allocate to tasks or shifts.

The Fleet Operations Manager
should lead by example,

maintaining full hours
and working hard and long

when they are requiring
their team to do the same.

They should also seek out

opportunities to praise and reward members
of their team for good performance.

It will generally not be possible
to do this through financial rewards,

although, of course,
recommending an individual for promotion

may well achieve this effect,
and this is something the Fleet Operations

Manager should do where merited
and where there is scope for advancement

within the team
or the wider organization.

Praise should be public

such as during morning briefing sessions
and delivered with sincerity,

and,

where possible the Fleet Operations
Manager should identify opportunities

for professional development and promote
these opportunities to the team members.

A good example of this
would be identifying advanced

driving skills courses or specialist
skills courses

such as off-road driving or non-vehicle
related courses, such as first-person

on-scene medical training,
which would have obvious utility

for the wider organization also.

Recruitment and selection.

The Fleet Operations Manager

will play a key role in the recruitment
and selection of drivers.

While the process itself

will fall to the organization's human
resources function,

the Fleet Operations Manager
will provide inputs to aspects

such as the individual role descriptions
used in advertising the posts,

in developing the selection criteria,
and in working alongside human resources

and long and shortlisting potential
drivers and other support team staff.

At interview, the Fleet Operations Manager
will typically physically attend

and be one of a two
or three-person selection panel.

In addition, men critically were practical,
safe driving skills, knowledge,

aptitude, and attitude are being evaluated
during recruitment and selection.

The Fleet Operations Manager will design
and conduct practical tasks.

The companion module
on Safe Driver Training and Evaluation

sets out in some detail what performance
evaluation criteria should be used

and how safe driver evaluations
should be conducted.

Safe driving skills development,
evaluation, and maintenance.

The Fleet Operations Manager
must seek to ensure that the skills

and knowledge of their team are sound

and that they are maintained
and as required enhanced.

This subject is covered
in the Safe Driver Training

and Evaluation Module,

that acts as a companion module
to this one.

However, in broad terms,

the Fleet Operations Manager
is responsible for

designing, developing, and implementing

a consistent and effective program of safe
driver training.

This is likely to require external support
to initially develop.

However, once instituted
such a program will ensure safe driving

performance standards
are consistent and maintained.

Training should be provided immediately
after the initial recruitment

of a new driver,

and then on an ongoing basis
as scheduled refresher training.

Additional refresher training
may be required, or an individual driver

has been involved in an incident
such as a road traffic collision

or reported poor performance,
or where the Fleet Operations Manager

becomes aware of a trend of issues
that require the full team to undertake

focused refresher training.

Evaluating safe driving performance.

As a natural adjunct step
to the safe driver training,

the Fleet Operations Manager

will be responsible for the evaluation
of the driver's performance,

records of their performance,
and any remedial training necessary

as a result of the evaluation
must be kept.

Record keeping.

The Fleet Operations Manager
will be responsible for maintaining

accurate records of all training,
evaluation, and general performance

reporting for all of their team members.

Enhancing team and individual skills.

In specific context, the Fleet Operations
Manager must also actively identify

whether there is anything about the nature
of the organization's activity,

the environmentthey operate in,
or the vehicles used

that create a requirement for enhanced
skills training.

For instance,

in environments that involve frequent
travel over difficult terrain,

the Fleet Operations Manager may advocate
to the organizational management

team that additional training,

such as first-person
on-scene medical training,

off-road driving,

or vehicle self-recovery
techniques is required.

In high-security threat environments,

counter surveillance awareness
and response skills may be identified

and in the very highest threat
environments,

armored vehicles,

and consequently,

the specialist driving skills
required to use them safely

may be necessary.

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