Weather the warnings with proactive planning

Heavy snowfalls, sudden rainstorms and severe flooding - when bad weather arrives it can affect everyone. Road closures, maintenance work to clear debris or repairs, high winds causing hazards, breakdowns due to extreme temperatures (frozen or overheating), these affect journeys to work and school, and the rail and bus network.

All of these factors not only can prevent staff getting to work, but transport and utility businesses that rely on vehicle fleets for customer service operations or deliveries can be particularly affected. There is no doubt that bad weather creates havoc for road users. Even avoiding congested roads with a new route may still create problems as traffic is diverted, causing more delays.

How fleet managers respond to these factors to minimise disruption to service can make or break a company’s reputation - and business. Companies that can respond to accurate forecasts and weather warnings and efficiently plan for what’s ahead can minimise disruption to their business and keep it on track.

Weathering the storm

No one can control the weather, but armed with a focused inclement weather plan, as well as having the right systems in place to communicate with customers during dismal conditions, a business can weather the storm.

There are three aspects a fleet manager should consider when planning for bad weather: vehicle management, driver support and customer services.

Looking after your vehicles

When extreme weather hits, we rely on our vehicles more to get us through, yet the nature of severe snow or high temperatures is that they put a stress on vehicles, increasing the likelihood of breakdowns.

For managers of vehicle fleets, whether in the transport or utility business, a management solution can help monitor vehicle servicing and maintenance to ensure peak running condition. Keeping service records up to date, regular checking of tyres and wiper blades for resilience in bad weather - all can be monitored and tracked. It can also provide real-time monitoring for mechanical information ranging from battery health to engine temperature, helping to reduce the risk of breakdown.

Drivers beware

Fleet managers should also consider their drivers in bad weather. They often find themselves requiring more support as they are forced to try new routes as a result of road closures and may need extra assistance to navigate unfamiliar territory. Poor visibility may mean they struggle to read road signs or miss key turning points, again requiring help to get back on track.

Adopting a fleet management solution that can provide intelligent turn-by-turn navigation helps to guide drivers to follow the optimum route. With hands-free two-way communication you can guide them through the routes and help them reach their destination safely and efficiently.

Customer care

Finally, and probably the most important factor to consider, is your customer. When bad weather strikes they may be prepared for some delays - but not knowing how long that delay might be or whether an important delivery or service engineer is going to arrive at all would be a disaster for reputation and service.

Worse still, you may find some customers migrating to companies that can provide them with a reliable delivery time or service appointment.

Keeping customers informed when they may expect their service call or delivery is key to maintaining good customer relations - and their business. A fleet management solution enables you to track and monitor your vehicles’ progress to keep your customers informed of revised delivery times, meeting their expectations.

In some instances, you might even choose to provide access to a secure website that enables them to track where the vehicles assigned to their deliveries are and their expected arrival time.

As we face more unpredictable and severe weather patterns, it is important that companies look at how they can best prepare for possible disruption. Adopting the right technologies can help businesses to track and manage operations and meet customer expectations in good times and bad. Customer loyalty is hard earned but easily lost - the right investment ensures the best service to ensure they don’t defect.

Image credit: ©freeimages.com/profile/trin