Fleet management software

Fleet management software (FMS) is a software platform used for fleet management that enables businesses to manage and coordinate their commercial vehicles through a single interface. The software's purpose is to improve operational efficiency, enhance safety, and ensure regulatory compliance by processing data collected from in-vehicle telematics devices.^[1]

Control room staff monitoring a real-time bus tracking system in Lebanon.

FMS is an element of Fleet digitalization, and tens of millions of commercial vehicles are managed on these platforms worldwide.^[2] The software integrates functions such as vehicle tracking, maintenance scheduling, and driver management.^[3]

Fleet management software functions

The main function of fleet management software is to accumulate, store, process, monitor, report on and export information. Information can be imported from external sources such as gas pump processors, territorial authorities for managing vehicle registration (for example DVLA and VOSA), financial institutions, insurance databases, vehicle specification databases, mapping systems and from internal sources such as Human Resources and Finance.

Vehicle management

Fleet management software can manage processes, tasks and events related to all kinds of vehicles - car, trucks, earth-moving machinery, buses, forklift trucks, trailers and specialist equipment, including:^[4]

• Vehicle inventory - the number and type of vehicles
• Vehicle maintenance - specific routine maintenance and scheduled maintenance, and ad hoc requirements
• Licensing, registration, MOT and tax
• Vehicle insurance including due dates and restrictions
• Cost management and analysis, including fuel management
• Vehicle disposal

Driver management

• Driver license management, including special provisions
• Driver scoring and behavior monitoring
• Logging of penalty points and infringements against a licence
• Booking system for pool vehicles
• Passenger safety (SOS)

Incident management

• Accidents and fines, plus apportioning costs to drivers
• Management of stolen vehicle recovery procedures

Tracking

• Telematics
• Real-time location data
• Route planning
• Logbooks and work time
• Alerts

Commonly tracked metrics

Commonly tracked metrics include:

• Identification metrics, such as vehicle ID, company ID, location ID, and driver ID
• Utilization metrics, such as mileage and fuel data (often collected by a fuel level sensor)
• Behavioral metrics, such as average speed and harsh acceleration
• Trip metrics, such as number of trips and average duration
• Maintenance metrics, such as maintenance costs and number of diagnostics

Software procurement and deployment

The market for fleet management software is large and diverse, with several distinct models for how a fleet operator can procure and deploy a system. While some large corporations may develop their software in-house, most fleets acquire it from a third-party provider through one of the following channels:

• Direct from specialized providers: A business can purchase a specialized solution directly from a software company. This is common for specific needs like video telematics, where providers such as Lytx and Samsara offer dedicated camera and software systems focused on driver safety.
• OEM platforms: Most modern commercial vehicle manufacturers, such as Volvo Trucks and Mercedes-Benz, offer their own factory-installed telematics platforms. In this model, the telematic control unit and the software subscription are bundled with the purchase of a new vehicle.
• Telematics service providers (TSPs): This is the most common model, where a single provider offers a bundled, end-to-end solution that includes the hardware (the GPS tracking unit), the software platform, and the cellular connectivity as a complete service. Major global providers in this category include Geotab, Gurtam, and Verizon Connect.^[5][6]

See also

• Vehicle tracking
• Intelligent transportation system