December 28th, 2010 
Tech Guru Few tend to realize the sheer number of vehicles that any municipality may own. Even the smallest town tends to have a number of vehicles available for the town’s use, and those in colder climates may have to deal with a veritable fleet of snowplows. Even in the most temperate areas, a given township will still have the need to keep track of a number of vehicles for which they are liable. The best way to accomplish this is through the use of fleet management software. Though long a staple of the trucking industry, this software can be quite useful for a city or a county.
In general, fleet management software should be able to handle two separate functions: logistics and personnel supervision. Depending on the size and purpose of your fleet, logistics may encompass a number of different functions. At the very least, a municipality will need a program that can track location, mileage, and the cargo, which is being transported. These particular functions may range from on board GPS tracking to manually entered data, and the cost will tend to reflect the program’s sophistication. Personnel supervision will generally be tightly connected to the logistics function, allowing the individual in charge to track employee location, the number of miles driven, and hours on the road. A simple program that requires a master password to make any significant changes is usually beneficial for this portion of management, and is included with most packages.
When searching for the correct fleet management software package, always be aware of the size and composition of your municipality’s fleet. What works well for a small number of vans, for example, may be insufficient for several dozen snowplows. Try to find software that is particularly marketed towards civic use, as most programs are created with trucking fleets in mind. Still, with a bit of research you should be able to better keep track of your town or county’s vehicles.
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