Whether you are looking to hire your first fleet manager or reinforce your team, hiring the right profile is critical for your fleet business. As your operations grow, so do the complexities of managing vehicles, drivers, compliance, and costs.
A skilled fleet manager can streamline operations, improve efficiency, and save money — making the right hire a critical investment in your business’s success.
Creating an effective fleet manager job description goes beyond just listing the main duties and skills that you hope to find. You need to be specific in exactly what qualifications you’re looking for and what responsibilities a successful candidate will be able to take on.
In this article, we discuss the most important variables to address in your fleet manager job description — including the main roles and responsibilities — and give you a template you can use to build your own job description from the ground up.
Fleet Manager Role And Responsibilities
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
While specific duties may vary depending on the size and nature of your organization, here are some core responsibilities common to most fleet manager positions.
Planning And Budgeting
A successful fleet manager should be able to develop and implement a comprehensive fleet plan that provides direction for the entire life and use of company vehicles.
They also need to be able to prepare and manage a fleet budget and track expenses for fuel, maintenance, repairs, and new vehicle acquisition.
Finally, a fleet manager should be able to monitor and analyze fleet costs in order to identify opportunities where the business can reduce costs and improve efficiency.
Maintenance And Repairs
When it comes to maintenance and repairs, a fleet manager must be able to:
- Establish and oversee a preventive maintenance program to minimize breakdowns and extend vehicle lifespan
- Implement and analyze pre– and post-trip inspection checklists to prevent small issues from becoming big issues
- Monitor vehicle maintenance records and schedule timely inspections and repairs
- Develop relationships with reputable repair shops and vendors to ensure quality service at competitive prices
- Manage the procurement and inventory of spare parts and supplies
For more information on keeping your vehicles in top shape, take a few minutes to read these articles from the Coast blog:
Driver Management
Driver management encompasses a wide variety of activities including recruiting, hiring, and training new drivers to comply with all fleet policies, safety regulations, and standards.
Driver management also involves monitoring driver performance while they’re in the field and tracking hours of service (HOS) through the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs).
If issues are observed, the fleet manager should be able to implement and execute further training to improve safety, efficiency, and customer service.
Fuel Management
Fuel management is a big issue for most fleets since gas and diesel are one of the largest cost centers the business will face. Fleet managers should be able to:
- Optimize routes and implement fuel-saving strategies
- Monitor fuel consumption
- Identify opportunities for improvement
- Negotiate favorable fuel contracts with suppliers (when applicable)
For more information on how to improve fuel management in your fleet, check out these articles from the Coast blog:
- Fuel Monitoring 101: A Guide To Optimizing Fleet Fuel Usage
- 8 Fuel Management Strategies To Keep Your Fleet Running Smoothly
- How To Choose The Best Fuel Cards For Small Businesses
Vehicle Acquisition And Disposal
A lot is riding on the vehicles your business uses every day. And the fleet manager plays a big role in choosing which assets can help get the job done.
Be sure to include in your fleet manager job description that the successful candidate should be able to research and select the best vehicles based on factors such as fuel efficiency, safety standards, and job requirements.
Candidates should also be able to manage the vehicle acquisition process, including negotiating favorable terms, ordering, financing, and registration.
Once those vehicles reach the end of their useful life, the fleet manager should also be able to develop a disposal strategy (e.g., sale, trade-in, auction, or salvage).
Technology
Technology plays an integral part in day-to-day fleet activities so be sure to include in your fleet manager job description the software that a successful candidate should be familiar with (or, at least, willing to learn).
Examples of common fleet software include:
- Coast
- Fleetio
- Samsara
- Verizon Connect
- Lytx
- Azuga
- Geotab
- OneStep GPS
- Intellishift
- GPS Insight
Again, no single fleet manager candidate may know how to use them all, but they should have the willingness and ability to learn the ones you use in your business.
Regulatory Compliance
Fleet managers need to be able to stay informed about federal, state, and local regulations that affect their fleet operations, and then implement any changes necessary to maintain compliance throughout the fleet.
Examples of regulatory compliance include things like Department of Transportation (DOT) standards, emission specifications, and safety guidelines.
Skills And Qualifications
Organization And Planning
Managing the essential duties and responsibilities in the fleet manager job description takes a lot of organization and planning — both short-term and long-term.
Successful candidates should have the ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and meet all the deadlines set by the business and other regulatory organizations.
Analytical Ability
Fleet management in the 21st century revolves around a lot of data and information from two, three, or four or more sources.
A skilled fleet manager should be proficient at analyzing that data in order to identify trends, opportunities for growth, and potential problems the fleet may face in the future.
Problem-Solving
No fleet runs completely without problems.
Whether it’s a driver who forgot his fuel card or a vehicle with a flat tire all the way across town, the fleet manager you want for your team should have the ability to think critically in the short term and find creative solutions to any challenges that come up.
They also need to be able to exercise that same problem solving in the long-term in order to prevent small issues from becoming large (more expensive) issues in the future.
Communication
Fleet managers need to communicate with a wide variety of people in the course of their job — drivers, mechanics, vendors, and management (just to name a few).
A complete fleet manager job description should include the communication skills necessary to make this possible. Specify that your business needs a candidate who can communicate well through a variety of mediums, including face-to-face, verbal, written, and online.
Leadership
Leadership is another important quality to include in your fleet manager job description. Candidates should have the ability to motivate and lead a team of in-office staff, drivers, mechanics, and any other employees that fall under their purview.
Fleet Manager Job Description Template
Below you’ll find a fleet manager job description template. Use it to build your own job description and attract the top talent your business needs to succeed.
Keep in mind that this template is only a starting point. You may need to add or delete information so that it matches what you’re looking for from candidates.
Start Template
About The Company
Paragraph 1: Start with a short description of your business.
Example: Fleet X is a medium-sized business that specializes in manufacturing and distributing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) field tile (i.e., drainage pipe) to customers and retailers around the country.
Paragraph 2: Describe briefly your fleet, how many vehicles you have, and the type.
Example: Fleet X has a total of 35 vehicles in the field: 25 medium-duty trucks for regional delivery and 10 heavy-duty semis for national deliveries.
Paragraph 3: Explain the current priorities for the fleet and the challenges to get the candidates excited.
Example: We have ambitious electrification plans for our fleet and aim to switch to a 100% electric fleet by 2030. As the fleet manager, you will be responsible for this strategy.
Paragraph 4: Describe your company culture to showcase what makes the role unique.
Example: At Fleet X, we foster a collaborative and innovative culture where employees are empowered to take ownership of their work, driven by our core values of integrity, excellence, customer focus, and continuous improvement.We prioritize open communication, respect for diverse perspectives, and a strong commitment to personal development, creating a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and can thrive.
Job Summary
The fleet manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s fleet, including, but not limited to:
- Vehicle acquisition
- Maintenance
- Fuel management
- Driver management
The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the transportation industry, excellent organizational skills, and a focus on cost-effectiveness and safety.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
- Planning and budgeting
- Vehicle acquisition and disposal
- Vehicle maintenance and repair
- Driver management (including recruiting, hiring, and training)
- Fuel management
- Route planning
- Dispatch
- Vehicle tracking
- Regulatory compliance
- Risk management
Qualifications And Skills
- 5 years of experience in fleet management or a related field
- Knowledge of fleet regulations and standards (e.g., FMCSA, CVSA, IFTA)
- Proficiency in essential fleet software (e.g., telematics, FMS, fuel management)
- Organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Valid driver’s license
Technology
A successful fleet manager candidate will have experience using common fleet technology, including, but not limited to:
- Telematics (e.g., Samsara)
GPS - Fleet management software (e.g., Fleetio)
- Fuel management software (e.g., Coast)
- Accounting software (e.g., Intuit QuickBooks)
End Template
Fleet Fuel Management Made Easy
As we’ve discussed throughout this article, an important part of every fleet manager’s job is controlling fuel costs.
Coast can help. The Coast smart fuel card makes fleet fuel management easy with powerful spend controls, Visa acceptance, rebates with no cap or minimum spend, and real-time transaction reporting.
Give your fleet manager the tools they need to succeed. Give them Coast.
To find out more about how Coast can help managers optimize fleet operations, visit CoastPay.com today.
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