Communication breakdowns? How fleet managers can avoid them
Summary
The success of fleet management companies depends on effective communication between managers and drivers. Communication breakdowns can lead to delays, stress, and loss of customers. To avoid such situations, fleet managers should train their drivers to use communication technology, listen to their team’s feedback, share information, and implement a communication plan.
They should also choose the right technology that streamlines communication and makes it easier to manage the fleet. By avoiding communication breakdowns, fleet management companies can ensure efficient operations and satisfied customers.
Communication is the key to carrying out an operation successfully.
When all parties are informed about all the situations, how to interact, when to interact and whom to interact in which circumstances, it reduces confusion and improves the performance of the entire team.
In fleet management companies, communication is of utmost importance. Managers inform drivers about the duties, drivers inform them about the possible delays, the problems on the roads, managers inform the team about the targets, customer requests, etc.
FMS technology has changed the way managers can communicate with their staff.
By streamlining a never-ending communication process, fleet management companies work successfully.
Communication Breakdown
A communication breakdown is when two parties are unable to interact when they need to.
It is an unwanted situation that hinders the work process and affects efficiency. With the DRS app, these unwanted situations don’t arrive.
What Causes A Communication Breakdown?
Various factors lead to a communication breakdown. These are discussed below.
1.Unclear Roles
If the employees don’t know whom to contact in which situation, it causes confusion and delay connecting with the right person.
2.Language Barrier
You never know where your employees come from. Knowing about them and the challenges they might face is important.
When managers are not aware of the language barrier between them and their drivers, things are bound to get out of hand.
3.No Communication Plan
When a communication plan is not in place, drivers work as per their best judgment, leading to talking to the wrong person or passing on the wrong message to the wrong person.
How Can Fleet Managers Avoid Communication Breakdown?
Fleet managers hold the key to the successful operation of a fleet.
They encourage the use of the DRS App, make the drivers understand the importance of dashcams, help them understand the components of fleet management software and how it can reduce communication breakdowns.
Fleet managers can avoid communication breakdowns in the following ways-
1.Train The Drivers
DRS App is configured to allow the driver to communicate with the team if they can’t reach the concerned person directly and update the situation or delivery.
Managers’ duties here are to train the drivers to use the technology. A well-trained staff would know what to do in a communication breakdown.
2.Observe And Analyze
Managers must listen to the team, look for any problems, bottlenecks, and see if an event is occurring repeatedly.
Say, a GPS tracking system can inform if a route is always blocked and drivers are facing problems on that route, resulting in delays.
Ask the team for the problems where your present communication system lacks, and come up with solutions. It is the team who can tell you about the practical problems. Form detailed communication procedures and inform the team about it.
3.Share Information
Internal communication is the backbone of a successful team.
Through communication, managers can only minimize gossip in the workplace and ensure that the entire staff has the necessary information about their duties, their vehicles, and what they are supposed to do in a specific situation.
The bridge between the managers and drivers should always be open, an updated rule, a new policy, or a safety norm.
With DRS apps, drivers and managers don’t need to call each other continuously to update the trip status. Drivers can update the trip status on the app, and managers can see it in real-time.
4.Implement A Communication Plan
A communication plan is the manager’s responsibility. It defines how, when and whom to reach out to. Defining a communication plan consists of various steps, which are as follows-
A.Define Roles
The role-bearers should be aware of their responsibilities and duties and the situations they must handle.
B.Create A Training Program
From junior managers to drivers, everyone should be aware of the purpose of the training and why it is necessary. Ensure that they understand the importance of the training program and accept it.
C.Create Training Content
Design training content that is easier to understand and complete the training quickly. The duties of a fleet management company staff do not include long hours of study.
They must be on the road, carrying out their duties.
D.Use The Right Technology
Technology is supposed to be an aid in stopping communication breakdowns and not be a hindrance in itself.
The apps you are using must be simple to navigate, it should have all the required functions and access to all the necessary data.
Your staff has people of all age groups, from young drivers to old drivers. Keep everyone in mind while choosing the technology.
Following these steps, implement a communication plan that provides an all-inclusive solution against communication breakdown.
5.Choose The Right Technology
There are several fleet management software available in the market, but you must choose the one which allows you to operate your fleet using a single software.
It must have all the required technologies incorporated. It should come with a DRS app for drivers, dash cam, GPS tracking, asset tracking, fuel monitoring, route optimization software, etc.
A DRS app allows drivers to complete the scheduled trips on time, plan their routes as per the assigned duties, optimize the route in case of recent development, inform the team to warn other drivers, update successful trip completion, etc. It is also user-friendly.
Why Is It Important To Avoid Communication Breakdown?
Communication breakdown causes several problems, and it needs to be addressed to avoid the following problems-
- Unnecessary stress
- Losing customers due to delays
- Time wastage
- Inefficient management
- Employee turnover due to dissatisfaction
- Loss of motivation among team members, etc.
One problem leads to another and creates a mess. A fleet manager’s responsibility is to take communication breakdown seriously and avoid it.
Conclusion
Installing fleet management software and encouraging drivers to use the DRS app can drastically reduce problems caused by a communication breakdown.
Apart from it, managers should go over the following ways and address the problems and put a system in place.
Team VAMOSYS
Team VAMOSYS have been into GPS business since 2014 and have good experience on GPS Vehicle Tracking, Fuel Monitoring, Fleet Management and GPS Tracker Devices. Writes article on various topics to share the industry experiences and knowledge.