Fleets come in all shapes and sizes. There are fleets with fewer than ten vehicles and those with more than 100. A small fleet business is any fleet that has fewer than 15 fleet vehicles. An enterprise fleet is any fleet with more than 15 vehicles. Naturally, these two fleet types make for very different businesses with contrasting needs and goals. In this article, we’ll discuss enterprise fleets vs. small business fleets.
What Challenges Do Small Fleets Face?
Small business fleets face unique challenges that larger fleets don’t necessarily need to worry about. Let’s explore three main obstacles that these fleets face:
- Competition: Small businesses often have to deal with competitors that are larger than themselves. Larger businesses have more resources and tools than smaller fleets, which can be challenging to compete with.
- Tighter Budgets: A smaller business often means less income than competitors. Tight budgets can make it difficult to improve or grow, particularly concerning expanding, gaining more customers, and hiring more staff. Therefore, small businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs.
- Less Room for Error: A small business’s reputation and budget are essential to success. Even a minor mistake can cost money that you don’t have or make you lose a customer you can’t afford to lose. Large businesses have more cushion for these problems, but small businesses don’t have the same luxury.
What Technology Should Small Businesses Prioritize?
You need the right technology solutions to support your fleet if you want to solve these problems. You may have noticed a theme when reading about small business issues. The number one priority for these companies must be efficiency and accuracy. Fleet management software can help achieve both of these goals.
Firstly, it can automate many processes, such as route planning, maintenance tracking, and more, so you eliminate any chance for error and free up time that you would otherwise be spending on administrative tasks.
Secondly, fleet management software helps you better track data, including operating costs. Once you know what it costs to operate your fleet, you can use fleet management software to reduce spending. For example, if you find that you are spending too much on fuel, you can track fuel consumption and put new policies in place to limit fuel use.
What Challenges Do Enterprise Fleets Face?
Enterprise fleets have different types of challenges than small business fleets do. Let’s go over these now.
- Asset Utilization: Large fleets can quickly lose track of which trucks and assets are being used and which are just sitting around. Fleets often underutilize their assets, resulting in purchasing excess equipment, more expense, and more upkeep.
- Driver Turnover: With the trucking shortage, driver turnover can be a problem in any fleet. However, in enterprise fleets, a driver turnover problem can begin to feel like a revolving door. Each driver needs proper attention and the opportunities they’re looking for to succeed, no matter how many employees you have.
- Too Much Data: Data is a good thing! However, if you’re running an enterprise fleet, you may have several different software solutions. This means data is coming at you from all angles, which quickly gets confusing and overwhelming. Enterprise fleets need an all-in-one solution to their telematics needs.
What Technology Should Enterprise Businesses Prioritize?
We mentioned fleet management software for small businesses, which is also a given for larger businesses. An all-in-one fleet solution helps you easily track data in all aspects of fleet management, including safety, maintenance, fuel use, and more. However, there are certain aspects of fleet management software that you should focus on if you are a larger business.
For example, asset tracking is a crucial technology for enterprise fleets. It helps ensure that you are getting the most out of your assets. It also enables you to avoid any unnecessary purchases. Fleet safety tracking is essential as well. This helps you track the performance of each driver. You can even find specific areas of improvement you can use for coaching and support. This individualized attention puts a stop to that revolving door problem.
Azuga’s Fleet Management Software Has it All
What makes Azuga’s fleet management solution unique? It is scalable, meaning that small businesses and enterprise fleets can use it to their advantage. Pick the features you want in your package with our three-tier system. We work with fleets of all shapes and sizes to help accomplish a wide variety of fleet goals. Speak with one of our experts today to see how we can work together to improve your fleet business.
