Managing a team on the road is challenging, but improving fleet communication can help. Not only does streamlined communication improve product delivery, it can decrease driver turnover and increase customer retention. In this piece, we review the benefits of improved communication and how you can leverage Motive’s communication tools to give your fleet a competitive edge.
Benefits of streamlined communication
- Less time spent calling drivers. By avoiding avoiding check-call phone tag, you can ensure fewer distractions for your drivers and more time for you to expand your operations and broker your next load.
- Quick access to real-time driver locations through GPS tracking. Regular updates from drivers are important for fleet management because it allows for you to update customers about relevant information including delays and delivery times.
- Documented communication. When trying to stay organized, it’s important to have a record of communication and associated documents to save money and ensure responsibility on the part of drivers and fleet managers alike.
- Time-stamped records to prevent fraudulent claims. Time stamped communication ensures you always know when conversations took place, which can be helpful when coordinating disparate team members.
How to streamline communication with Motive
- Consolidate driver communication by using the Messaging feature. Use the Messaging feature as your main method of communication so you can exchange relevant information like delivery changes, traffic updates, route alternatives and parking recommendations with your drivers. Consistent communication and regular updates not only improve driver-dispatcher relationships, but they eliminate problems that can arise from he-said-she-said situations.
- Use Location History to replay GPS breadcrumb trails. Knowing where drivers and vehicles are at all times is critical for effective fleet management. With Location History, you can view all the current locations of all drivers on an interactive map, meaning you don’t have to call for delivery updates. Learn more about using Location History.
- Ask drivers to upload supporting paperwork to the Documents feature. Sometimes it can be difficult to collect supporting documents. The Documents feature eliminates time delays and paperwork by making it easy for drivers to directly upload supporting documents, like a fuel receipt or bill of lading, right in the app. Once uploaded, you can easily access them from the dispatcher portal.
