The weekend has just passed and I spent most of it socializing. At such social events, people chat about everything from current events to the busy schedules that come with their careers. As a fleet manager, I am frequently reminded of work and various fleet-related matters. This happens often when I ride on-demand rides, and it helps me reflect. Needless to say, we've all been there for those taxi rides that have us on tenterhooks, hoping we'll reach our destination on time. However, it's interesting to explore the nuances involved in being a "good" taxi driver.

Not only are taxi drivers rated by customer reviews, but fleet managers around the world are taking significant steps to ensure taxi drivers have disciplined daily schedules to reduce labor costs and increase efficiency. The basis of this complex system is to develop a plan that involves as little idling as possible and the most efficient route to take each driver from their first outing in the morning to their last outing in the evening. By implementing planned and accurate routes for all drivers, fleets can optimize dispatch plans and minimize route coverage, improving cost-effectiveness per driver.

Gone are the issues of drivers dozing off, taking long lunch breaks or tampering with records, as connected car technology overshadows all other monitoring and evaluation aspects. Today, drivers must understand a range of different reports that cover everything from objective driver safety to comprehensive efficiency reports. Time management enables drivers to efficiently maintain a radius that is conducive to their general operating area and curb overly aggressive driving behavior by keeping the average distance at an optimal level.

Today, fleet managers have access to reports that take into account driver behavior patterns on a daily basis. These patterns are recorded, analyzed and evaluated over time. By providing data on a vehicle's journey from origin to destination, additional usage outside of working hours, unusual time movements of the vehicle, and reduced total miles driven, fleet managers can gain a complete view of how each driver is performing within the fleet's larger system. Such reports can also provide fleet managers with insights into how insurance is being managed for each driver and vehicle, providing better premiums to drivers with higher overall ratings. Not only this, but by getting the details of vehicle faults through regular vehicle maintenance, you can know the defects of the vehicle and carry out regular repairs to avoid any roadside disruption, which is the worst nightmare in terms of time and money value for both the driver and the business. .

Through strict monitoring of each driver, the company's output per vehicle will also increase. With less overhead to worry about, drivers can focus on getting more done in less time, lowering the company's labor costs and increasing revenue per vehicle. Such solutions not only make drivers happy, they also result in better dispatches and greater customer appreciation, which is often reflected in individual driver and business testimonials.

Connected vehicles can also provide information about vehicle condition and output, which directly relates to costs. Fleet managers must establish a culture and practice of regular maintenance and repair of vehicles, failure to do so adds an additional 5% to the original cost of each vehicle.

We have observed that fleet managers are very rigorous when it comes to evaluating efficiency and finding new ways to improve efficiency and reduce labor costs. Businesses like cartrack.com offer such comprehensive services in fleet management and connected vehicles that every variable of driver behavior is recorded, analyzed and evaluated. Not only does this help drivers feel guided and supported, it also helps them improve their performance and ratings over time, making their services more valuable over time.