– By Carolyn Taylor –
Automisation and self service seems to be everywhere. Paying bills online is now the norm and there is hardly a supermarket that has not replaced many of it’s traditional check outs with self service facilities.
Self service apps and online tools are also becoming essential in the fleet management sector. Easier access means that drivers can simply update essential statistics while having immediate access to information such as fuel and service locations, kilometre tracking and cost management.
Fuel company locators are not new. There are a number websites and apps that assist drivers to find nearby service stations, with the added functionality of trip planners, opening hours, fuel types, services offered and whether fleet and fuel cards are accepted.
In the leasing sector, self service can start even before a lease is in place. Most major fleet management organisations have lease calculators on their websites. These tools allow drivers to select the lease type, vehicle, estimated kilometres, lease term etc, to produce approximated costs and savings. These calculations often form the basis of an initial lease enquiry.
“But easy to use, mobile tools, designed to assist the driver are becoming a must have in the industry,” says Matt Gambell, Fleet Strategy Manager, Toyota Fleet Management (TFM). “Our DriverDirect app, allows drivers to simply record trips and expenses rather than using traditional paper based methods”, he says.
This type of application includes the functionality for drivers to manually enter trip details or record kilometres travelled in real time. DriverDirect, for example, uses the GPS location of a driver’s phone to record trip history. “This allows drivers to accurately track kilometres travelled including the percentage of business and private use,” says Mr Gambell.
These tools help simplify the administration process. Mr Gambell states that while most have the ability to convert trip history data into Excel or PDF logbooks, DriverDirect includes a range of features designed to enhance the user experience such as graphic functionality. This allows drivers to simply access visual indicators of kilometres travelled and the percentage of business to personal usage.
The ability to photograph and store expense receipts in the app also reduces administration. And by capturing kilometre and expenditure information DriverDirect and other similar self service apps can keep track of and assist in reporting on FBT liabilities.
Like the service station locator apps, the TFM app is not limited to fleet drivers only. It is available to download for free and not only provides time saving, must have functionality for fleet drivers, it also includes useful features for everyday drivers.
Summit Fleet Leasing and Management – Link for Drivers
Custom Fleet – Link for Drivers
