Fleet managers are responsible for every task that involves vehicle selection, maintenance, and management in a fleet’s operations. Since they deal with a significant portion of their company’s expenses, they cannot afford to make mistakes. The following are five things that great fleet managers avoid at all costs.

No matter what business you’re in, your employees will be seen as the face of your brand. Your staff is made up of people who are essentially real-life representations of the products and services you sell. This is why it’s important that all employees uphold the principles and standards you’ve set for your brand and business. The following are some of the ways your employees can make or break your business’ reputation.

Introducing new software to your business can be trying even in the best of circumstances, but if your team is rather tech-challenged you will face additional obstacles. Managing resistance to change in the workplace—especially tech-based change—is tricky when your team is set in their ways. Fortunately, there are some foolproof ways to introduce new software to even the most reluctant adopters.

One of the most important (and one of the most overlooked) aspects of any fleet-operating business is said business’ vehicle maintenance program. Keeping your fleet in prime condition is essential, as breakdowns and other symptoms of poor maintenance can wreak havoc on your company’s operations. Instituting a regular maintenance schedule for each vehicle can reduce your fleet’s operating costs, improve driver safety, and increase your fleet’s productivity.

In the commercial vehicle fleet industry, compliance with DOT regulations isn’t just a good idea—it’s the law. To avoid time-consuming audits and expensive penalties, it’s important that you and your drivers follow all mandates and regulations issued by the DOT this year. Make an effort to make DOT compliance a goal that your whole fleet works towards. To help, we’ve created the following 2017 DOT compliance checklist for commercial vehicle fleets:

Typical fleet manager responsibilities usually involve establishing a vehicle maintenance program, managing drivers, supervising the fleet’s financial activities, and ensuring overall efficiency. While all of these responsibilities can easily overwhelm some ill-prepared fleet managers, there are many who rise to the occasion and find great ways to optimize their fleets. The following are five things successful fleet managers do to promote fleet efficiency and ensure the safety of the workforce.