We have reviewed how centralized service management with a known set of prices and consolidated reporting creates a foundation for a comprehensive fleet management program. Another positive of the technology provided by a fleet management system is that it can optimize operator and truck productivity. By collecting and analyzing data in real time, the system can collect information from the truck, control access to the truck, and transmit data to a central management system. The information provides a comprehensive view of operations that can be used to help reduce damage and truck wear.

Collecting data is only part of the process of fleet management. Utilizing the data to support decision-making is equally important. When it comes to safety compliance with OSHA regulations, a comprehensive fleet management system can be a valuable tool. In our third segment of Forklift Fleet Management, we will review how this technology contributes to improving/following compliance with workplace regulations (OSHA).

A vehicle-mounted wireless management system collects information from the truck that can be used for compliance management. The technology provides impact monitoring and access control. The management console controls access to the vehicle and can support compliance with OSHA inspection and training requirements. For example, vehicle operation can be controlled to allow only certified operators. Additionally, it can integrate an inspection checklist to ensure operators are going through the pre-start inspection of their vehicles. The system also obtains the time spent on inspections and compares it to standard times. This helps ensure that the operator performs the inspection with care. Further, the system saves the checklists to support compliance management.

The real-time monitoring of a fleet management system increases efficiency by automating tasks such as maintenance scheduling, training management, and compliance reporting.

We have touched on the three main challenges to forklift fleet managers and how a fleet management system can provide the information to face these challenges. It’s clear the technology available provides valuable information used to improve productivity and boost safety in the workplace. It's important to note that a fleet management system can be introduced in a phased process—it doesn’t need to be all or nothing. Centralized service management or real time operation systems can be implemented separately depending on the priorities of an organization.

Questions? There’s never been a better time to discuss a forklift fleet management system with one of our experts.  CONTACT us to learn more.

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