While the majority of people do not associate university campuses with vehicles, the truth is that contemporary university fleets include a wide variety of cars. A full-time fleet management specialist is frequently needed to assist with the construction and upkeep of that fleet. In order to maximise the utilisation of the vehicles under their supervision, the university fleet manager needs to take into account the following elements.

How Universities Build Fleets

Few institutions have a large fleet when they first open for business. Fleets are carefully constructed in response to the evolving needs of the university. Committees must review purchase decisions before new cars are purchased.

Vehicle purchases are frequently made with grants and other financial assistance. The cost of buying a car is occasionally factored into the operating budget. University fleets are constructed gradually in both cases, adding cars as the need for that specific service grows.

How Universities Manage Fleets

Fleet management experts must employ fleet analytics to identify the optimal use for their assets due to the complexity of the university fleet. Since most universities don’t have a lot of extra cash to spend, they need to make sure their fleets are operating as efficiently as possible.

Software for fleet management may be essential to this procedure. To make sure that vehicles are where they should be and are performing the tasks for which they were acquired, university fleet best practices essentially require the installation of Quartix vehicle tracking. This is particularly true for the passenger cars that students or instructors might drive around town.

Why does this matter so much?

Fuel and maintenance costs are increased by any needless driving done in university vehicles.  Additionally, it causes cars to wear out more quickly, reducing their intended lifespan. When the university operates buses or shuttles for its students, GPS fleet tracking also aids in vehicle routing. When two shuttles traveling the same route follow each other back-to-back, excessive fuel consumption results. Careful routing ensures that students are not left waiting for buses for an extended amount of time.

Maintenance is Essential

On a university campus, fleet management needs maintenance. Most colleges offer on-site maintenance facilities to keep their cars in good condition. These facilities could be integrated into auto/diesel training programs, giving students a practical learning environment.

Due to the fleet’s diversity, this training can be quite helpful for students, giving them a well-rounded education and guaranteeing that campus vehicles are maintained in good operating order.

Categories of Vehicles in University Fleets

University fleets can be very complicated, with many different kinds of vehicles serving various purposes on campus. The bus or shuttle is the vehicle type that is most visible to the general population.

Depending on the services provided to students, these transport them throughout campus, to academic or athletic events, and, in certain cases, to places in town where they might need to buy or receive medical attention. Large coach buses, tiny shuttle buses, and even shuttle vans may be included in this fleet segment.

University fleets will feature a variety of utility vehicles in addition to the often-viewed assets.  Vehicles of all kinds, from commercial-grade lawnmowers to skid loaders for moving goods from one location to another, are necessary to maintain the buildings and grounds in good condition.

Endnote

The majority of university fleets have limited funding, thus effective management is crucial. Through the effective use of their fleet cars and technology, modern institutions may provide outstanding service to their students without significantly increasing their budget.