It’s summertime and while the livin’ may be easy, as for the driving, well, that can be another story entirely. In fact, summertime driving can be downright dangerous.  

For starters, with Americans packing up the car and traveling to summer vacation destinations, there’s more traffic than usual on the roadways. More traffic means more congestion and a greater chance of accidents.

And then there’s the weather.

Summer brings an abundance of steamy, sticky days and unsettled weather patterns that can ramp up the potential for torrential afternoon

thunderstorms that strike with little warning, limit visibility, and boost the chances of one of the most common causes of traffic accidents: hydroplaning.

There’s no doubt that managing a fleet is a complex undertaking — one that requires a broad range of skills and experience to keep the numerous areas of operation running efficiently and within budget.

But the fact is, as highly skilled and experienced as the most successful fleet managers are, one thing that’s hard to tackle is predicting exactly what liability issues might crop up — making such predictions is next to impossible.

However, reducing liability exposure with winning strategies and solutions that improve the areas most affected by common liability issue is very possible to achieve.

With areas of the Gulf Coast and Puerto Rico still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey and Maria in 2017, it may seem too early to even be thinking about the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. But the truth of the matter is, it’s never too early to be thinking about — and preparing for — hurricane season.

With the blizzards, whiteouts and ice-covered roads of winter in the rear-view mirror and the warm, sunny days of summer just around the corner, you might be looking forward to your drivers traveling on roads that are safer and much easier to navigate.

Sorry to disappoint.

After being in decline for nearly a decade, vehicle fatality rates have increased in the U.S. over the past few years.

If you are a fleet manager, there is no question that driver shortage is a significant and ongoing concern. In fact, in its annual top industry issues report — 2017 — the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) found that, for the first time since 2006, driver shortage was the top-ranked issue, followed by ELDs and hours of service.

Whether your fleet is just a few vehicles or a few hundred, properly managing it and staying on top of the multiple challenges, details and requirements can be an overwhelming task.

From finding cost-effective solutions that control fuel prices and cut operational expenses, to figuring out new ways to ensure driver safety while complying with government regulations, fleet management can be a complicated undertaking with lots of disconnected nuts and bolts coming at you from every direction.

However, fleet management doesn’t have to be so co

mplicated and discombobulated. Software solutions and technologies can simplify and streamline the management of your assets on a single platform that is cost-effective and comprehensive.

Pinpointing the location of fleet vehicles, optimizing their performance by staying on top of maintenance, and determining if their routes are the most efficient are all aspects of fleet vehicle management that telematics can help control.

But, of course, successfully managing a fleet isn’t only about managing vehicles. It’s also about managing drivers. And, the good news for fleet managers is that the real-time vehicle data that telematics provides, such as fuel use, wear and tear, braking, idling and speed, can also furnish real-time insight into exactly what drivers are up to when they’re behind the wheel.

Are they speeding? Idling excessively? Hard braking and accelerating? Driving aggressively? Not following approved routes? Wearing their seat belt? Or, are they doing everything “by the book” and operating their vehicle in accordance with fleet policy?

While there’s some debate among fleet managers regarding the most efficient and cost-effective solution to handle vehicle maintenance and repair work— in-house, outsourced or a hybrid of the two — there’s absolutely no debate that routine maintenance and timely repairs are crucial to operational safety, productivity and customer satisfaction.

Just as with choosing a telematics solution or the right vehicles for your fleet, there’s no one-size-fits-all maintenance solution. In-house may be the most beneficial for some fleets, while outsourcing may be best for others. Or, maybe a bit of both is the most efficient and cost-effective.

If you manage fleet vehicles for your organization, you’re well-versed on all the ins and outs of the most common methods for obtaining fuel — bulk deliveries to fuel tanks, mobile fueling and purchasing at retail locations with fuel cards. However, there’s another fuel delivery method that you may not be quite as knowledgeable about. And, that’s unattended fuel outlets or UFOs.

Unattended fuel outlets are exactly what the name implies — unmanned fuel stations. They are also known for being reliable, computerized, fully-automated and a fast and convenient way for drivers to fill up vehicles and get back on the road without the time-consuming hassle of convenience store lines and the safety hazards associated with crowded lots.