Roles And Responsibilities Of A Fleet Manager

There are many types of construction projects, such as industrial, residential, and commercial construction. All these types of construction projects are different from each other in many ways. But the thing that is common in all these construction projects is that they use a fleet of machines and vehicles. These vehicles and machines are used to serve different purposes on construction sites. Doing construction without these machines, equipment, and vehicles is impossible. As the construction projects are complex, they need machines and vehicles to carry out the complex tasks.

Also Read: Roles And Responsibilities Of A Fleet Manager In Construction

During construction projects, the vehicles and machines are often overused or misused, but this is usually ignored by the construction companies. The misuse of the machines adversely affects the life of machines, and that can have an impact on the finances of a company. Therefore to avoid such instances, companies hire fleet managers to look after the logistics of vehicles and machines during the construction project. In this article, we will discuss the basic roles and responsibilities of a fleet manager.

What Is Fleet Management?

The construction fleet management includes effective handling of all the commercial vehicles and also ensures the proper use and maintenance of vehicles and machines. The role of a fleet manager in a construction project is to supervise the use of all the construction equipment and vehicles such as dump trucks, excavators, pick-up trucks, and loaders.

Basically, the fleet manager looks at the logistics of vehicles and equipment needed at a construction site. The construction fleet manager needs to acquire all the appropriate equipment and machines that are needed for the construction project. The fleet manager does not only acquire these vehicles but also needs to take care of their registering, licensing, and maintenance. The fleet manager needs to make sure that all the machines and vehicles that are used in the construction project remain in excellent condition and are not damaged.

A fleet manager needs to have the following qualities.

• Efficiency and constant delivery

• Great communication skills

• Good leadership and analytic qualities

• Technical knowledge of the construction industry

• The ability to multitask and prioritize

• Proactivity

• Time management

Keep in mind that along with the aforementioned qualities, the fleet manager needs to have the relevant certifications.

Roles And Responsibilities Of A Fleet Manager

A construction fleet manager is entrusted with a very significant role and is entrusted with the following roles and responsibilities.

Making Decisions Regarding Vehicle Acquisition

The most important role of a fleet manager is to acquire the vehicles and machines needed for the construction project. The construction fleet manager needs to do all the research before buying any machine for the construction project. Their job is to bid for vehicles and negotiate with sellers in order to get the machine at a favorable price that comes within the budget of the company. It is also the job of the fleet manager to decide whether to lease a machine or to buy it.

The decisions made by the fleet manager should be solely based on what is in the best interest of the company’s construction needs. Because the decisions made by the fleet manager affect the finances of a company. Therefore the fleet manager needs to make decisions that are in line with the company’s budget.

Selling And Disposal Of Used Vehicles

A time comes when the construction machines and vehicles reach their usage limit. Just like every other machine, they reach a point where they have served their purpose and need to be replaced with better and more efficient machines.

So, when a time like this comes, it is the responsibility of the fleet manager to auction or sell these machines at the best price. It is the job of the construction fleet manager to oversee the negotiation and transaction in order to avoid any loss to the company and to get the right price for the vehicle.

Managing And Hiring Drivers For The Fleet

It is the job of a construction fleet manager to recruit qualified drivers into the company. The role of a fleet manager is to hire drivers, train them properly to maintain the high levels of customer services, and set schedules that can help to increase the profit.

In order to fulfill this responsibility, the fleet manager needs to have a logical, clear, and well-structured fleet policy that aims to fulfill the purpose of the fleet. The fleet policy should include details on how and when to handle vehicles, the responsibilities of the drivers, and the do’s and don'ts of the company. The fleet manager needs to make sure that the drivers are complying strictly with the fleet policy and are working according to the schedule and the time limit.

Apart from this, the fleet manager needs to make sure that the drivers have all the necessary gadgets, mobile devices, and equipment needed for the job. The fleet manager is also responsible for approving drivers’ paychecks and timesheets.

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