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Fleet Management Resources – From Courses to Books

Discover a wealth of valuable fleet management resources in this comprehensive compilation, from courses to research papers, interactive tools, and more.

Knowledge is power. This is true in fleet management, too. 

Discover a wealth of valuable fleet management resources in this comprehensive compilation, from courses to research papers, interactive tools, and more.

Comprehensive fleet management resource centers

Several U.S. government websites and other reliable online sources provide comprehensive fleet management knowledge repositories.

The Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has resources for motor carriers and drivers, among others, and categorizes materials by role, topic, format, etc., for your quick reference.

Motor carriers, for instance, can get various factsheets on CSA’s seven Behavioral Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). You can access the FMCSA portal, learn about CSA’s Road Smart program, and more.

For guidance on electronic logging device (ELD) compliance, the FMCSA has factsheets, brochures, tips for selecting compliant ELDs, and others. 

The Program Support Center of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services features a list of fleet management resources, such as tools, manuals, documents, templates, etc.

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) also publishes blog posts, podcasts, videos, publications, and other resources on safety standards for motor vehicles operations.

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) of the U.S. Department of Energy offers valuable materials to guide you on fuel management. 

The Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) features maps, data, statistics, tools, copies of regulations, blog posts, and many more. You can even view the information by state or vehicle application, such as delivery service.

Alternatively, the EERE Publication and Product Library lets you browse by topic (e.g., vehicle owners and operators) and content type for quick and easy searches.

In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides specific content about vehicle tires, such as purchase, maintenance, aging, labeling, and fuel efficiency. It also offers tools, plus additional related resources.

Here are some extensive NHTSA references:

The FMCSA also compiled driver-relevant content materials on safety, registration, and licensing.

Fleet management course and driver training

The General Services Administration (GSA) is the U.S. government’s primary procurement arm. All public acquisitions, including vehicles, go through this office.

If you supervise a fleet of federal agencies’ vehicles, you can join the GSA’s Federal Fleet Manager Certification Program, which is open to all levels of federal fleet managers.

This comprehensive course gives an overview of federal vehicle policies and procedures. It consists of six courses and two electives. You can receive a certificate after completing the entire program.

You can also join the GSA’s FedFleet — a yearly educational event where federal fleet managers gather for a week of training. Sessions can include topics such as federal fleet electrification, fleet management best practices, expert panels, etc.

If you have heavy-duty vehicle drivers with less than a year of interstate driving experience, enroll them in FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). This training is also available to those applying for a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for the first time.

Fleet management guides

Get a variety of Safety Management Cycle manuals from CSA. These guides help address any safety and compliance issues you may have with your fleet, e.g., driver fitness, HOS, alcohol and controlled substances, etc.

You can also refer to the ANSI/ASSP Z15 Standards developed by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). With the guide, you can assess fleet risks, create an action plan to fill in the gaps, execute corrective measures, and repeatedly review your fleet management processes.

If you handle a federal fleet and need to buy vehicles, get the GSA Fleet Vehicle Purchasing Guide 2021 to learn the process.

Data, research, and statistics

Access relevant, up-to-date data, statistics, and research studies from transportation-related U.S. government agencies. The materials you obtain from the agencies can help you make informed decisions, refine your plans and budget, and bolster your fleet’s performance. You can even study them alongside the performance data in your fleet management software program.

FMCSA has periodic editions of its Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics. It includes data on large truck and bus census, inspection and enforcement, collisions, and more.

The agency also has an Analysis and Information (A&I) online database of descriptive statistics and analyses on commercial motor carrier, vehicle, and driver safety information.

The NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis also presents a range of studies (e.g., vehicle safety, crash avoidance, etc.), data tools, traffic records, crash data systems, and more.

For fuel regulation, view the AFDC’s graphs or download its data sheets.

Fleet-related regulations

To maintain your fleet’s compliance, keep copies of relevant U.S. government regulations.
The FMCSA provides links to rules, such as:

The FMCSA additionally lists rules specifically for carrier companies:

The AFDC has an interactive bank of federal and state laws and incentives on alternative fuels and more. Search by keyword or topic, check out summary tables and select a state, among others.

Fleet management tools

CSA offers useful tools for motor carriers (mentioned earlier) and drivers. These include factsheets, program overviews, FAQs, search portals, registries, etc.
FMCSA also provides links to robust information systems:

  • DataQs
  • Electronic Document Management System 
  • Motor Carrier Management Information System
  • Query Central

Support your fleet fuel management with AFDC’s interactive tools:

  • Vehicle Cost Calculator
  • Heavy-duty Vehicle Emissions
  • BioFuels Atlas
  • Fuel Properties Comparison
  • EVolution: E-Drive Vehicle Education
  • State Information
  • Coalition Locations
  • Alternative Fuel Station Locator
  • Vehicle Search
  • AFLEET Tool (to compute your petroleum consumption, cost of ownership, and emissions)
  • TransAtlas (study vehicle densities and locations of production facilities and fueling stations), etc.

Fleet management magazine, publications, newsletters, and bulletins

Here is a list of fleet and fuel newsletters and other content materials:

You can also sign up for the FMCSA’s email updates.

Fleet management blog and news

U.S. transportation government agencies have comprehensive news pages and blogs. The topics range from commercial driving tips to fuel management, trucking, and more. Below are the links to the mentioned resources:

Fleet management books

If you want printed copies of FMCSA-issued mandates (49 Code of Federal Regulations), you can buy hard copies from the U.S. Government Printing Office.

To purchase a copy of ANSI/ASSP Z15.1-2017 Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations, contact the ASSP office.

Other fleet management resources

The FMCSA requires motor carriers to know their drivers’ records. To do that, they can use employer notification services (ENS, available in certain states). These systems instantly alert you on significant drivers’ record updates. Check this ENS jurisdiction list for your reference.

Deepen your understanding of FMCSA’s rules and preserve your compliance with the agency’s interactive Motor Carrier Safety Planner. 

Set up your carrier account to customize your guide by saving forms and chapters, highlighting the content, and adding notes.

Here are other helpful resources:

Maximize these fleet management resources

Make the most out of the fleet management resources to improve your workflows and operations. Stay up to date with official, accurate industry information to help you make the correct fleet decisions and improve your business performance.