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Fleet Manager

Top 10 Mistakes in Equipment Inspections and How to Avoid Them

Inspections are a critical part of equipment rental- helping ensure the efficiency and safety of your operation. These mistakes cause various potential issues and are easily avoided with the right tools.

  1. Failure to follow a consistent inspection process

Making it up as you go along is not the best practice in an equipment rental business- especially when it comes to the standards of your inspections. Without clear guidelines and consistency, there is no way of knowing if things have been missed.

  1. Not properly documenting details before and after a hire

Comprehensive documentation is a crucial aspect of effective equipment inspection. One of the most common mistakes people make is forgetting to keep (or choosing not to) a detailed account of each inspection and its outcome. A lack of documentation can lead to disputes, confusion, and reduced customer satisfaction- not to mention the potential for things to slip through the cracks.

  1. Inadequate staff training

Quality inspectors conduct quality inspections. You wouldn’t want someone operating one of your vehicles without the proper training. Don’t let someone inspect without the necessary preparations. A lack of staff training can lead to a slip in quality standards and expose your company.

  1. Lack of safety precautions

Working with heavy equipment can be dangerous- even if you are only inspecting it. Failure to follow compliance requirements and pay attention to potential safety hazards can lead to serious consequences. Even a lack of organization at workstations can hinder safety efforts.

  1. Inaction following inspections

If you don’t take corrective actions when issues arise, you delay bigger problems. Once you have identified issues, there must be a feedback loop and a proactive approach to continuous improvement.

  1. Failing to use the right equipment

Ensuring accurate results should be a priority, and that is hard to do if you don’t use the right inspection equipment. People sometimes fail to check that products meet the requirements and are doing their job properly.

  1. Poorly timed inspections

When things get busy, it can be difficult to arrange a prompt inspection. Timing inspections matters, and doing them too early or too late can cause major problems.

  1. Brushing over the small things

Minor defects cause major problems, but they are often overlooked. It is vital to pay attention to details. Too often, people miss things because they don’t take a good enough look.

  1. Underestimating the importance of an official inspection

Laid back, unofficial investigations rarely have the same effectiveness as something official. Other factors can distract people, and it can feel less serious than it should.

  1. Ignoring the potential of modern software

Businesses that don’t use modern technology to better their practices put themselves at a disadvantage. The right software can provide insights, reduce errors, and enhance performance- helping companies make an informed decision about every inspection.

Record360: Quality Control, Process Improvement, and Proactive Inspection Solutions for the Equipment Rental Industry

Record360 drastically reduces the likelihood of errors in the inspection process by simplifying and streamlining the way things work. The mobile app lets you create a comprehensive inspection checklist- as well as highly detailed photo and video evidence of every rental vehicle.

Make inspections safer, more accurate, and easier to arrange, and protect your equipment rental business in the process because it leaves no room for ambiguity. 

Learn more about what Record360 can do for you today!

The Role of a Fleet Manager: Responsibilities and Best Practices with Record360

When you rent a vehicle, truck, or piece of heavy equipment, do you ever stop to think of what it takes to run such a huge fleet?

The maintenance of a streamlined process usually falls squarely on the shoulders of the fleet manager.

 

This article will briefly look at some of the responsibilities and best practices of a good fleet manager working for a large organization such as Record360.

1. Management of Stellar Sales Development Representatives

A business is only as good as its team members. That is why a fleet manager needs to hire the right person for each job and ensure their seamless integration with the rest of the team.

In a vehicle rental company, it is the sales department that often makes up the backbone of the organization. They drive the equipment rentals that ensure positive cash flow to allow the business to meet its goals.

2. Streamlining the Rental Process

The efficiency of the rental process is essential in maintaining a good company image among customers and other stakeholders. However, the bigger the organization, the more complicated the process becomes.

A manager’s job is to ensure that if, for example, a fleet of trucks is on its way to a customer while some heavy equipment is being returned, the entire process happens smoothly.

Any delays cannot be tolerated, as this will open the door for competitors to get a foothold.

3. Scheduling/Conducting Digital Inspections

Streamlined inspections can help identify any potential problems before they occur. As such, a reliable fleet manager has to be comfortable with all kinds of inspection software/ inspection app platforms.

This will help protect the business’ valuable assets while giving the team time to come up with innovative solutions for any problems that may occur.

Using a combination of both short and long inspections, a fleet manager can reduce costs that may have been incurred in the future while saving time by avoiding equipment breakdowns.

4. Juggling Multiple Systems

Between ensuring accurate documentation and keeping the rental process in top shape, a fleet manager may struggle to find time for a few quick coffee breaks now and then.

However, being able to juggle so many operations at once is a major requirement for this kind of job.

Best Practices in Fleet Management

A fleet manager needs to be able to use data to make better decisions, digitalize the dispatching system (using powerful integration software, geo-tags, time stamps, photos, videos, etc.), and prioritize preventative maintenance.

These are just a few of the many best practices that Record360’s fleet managers embody. They are the difference between stellar and mediocre service.

That is why when you need top-notch rental solutions, you should visit the Record360 website today.