What is fleet management?
A fleet refers to the drivers and vehicles involved in the delivery process. Fleet management is the process of ensuring that the operations of the fleet are productive. It involves all the actions and processes that are meant to keep the fleet operations well functioning. It enables the fleet to be functioning on time, efficiently, and according to the budget. It is an essential part of delivery management operations.
Why is fleet management extra important in Ramadan?
Appropriate fleet management is important in Ramadan even though this is not a very popular topic and not all fleet or delivery managers understand why. Research data reveals that the chances of accidents on roads increase by at least 35% during the month of Ramadan. These are not just claims, but there are many reasons to believe why this is in fact true and highly possible. Fasting has a direct impact on people’s behavior in traffic and their driving capabilities. One of the main reasons for this is the impact that fasting has on the blood sugar level and blood pressure of the individual who is fasting. A decrease in these levels can result in decreased concentration span and an increase in symptoms of weakness such as dizziness, fatigue, and sleepiness. If not considered to be a serious factor by drivers, this can lead to road accidents. Apart from drivers, this also applies to pedestrians who might even experience blurred vision from weakness, and thus drivers must be extra careful about this during the month of fasting.
Other than this, a spike in the blood pressure levels can also result in some extreme responses while driving, such as an increased rate of irritation from traffic or a flight or fight response which is more prominent than the natural response that is not usually triggered by the increased blood pressure. While most practicing Muslims try to be as patient as possible during the time of fasting, some instances in traffic might temporarily cause increased signs of road rage. Hunger can also result in a higher rate of mood swings or increased irritability.
In such times, if the fleet is overburdened or the drivers are not well aware of the possible impacts of driving while fasting during Ramadan, it can result in potential damage to the goods or the orders that the driver is transporting. Fleet management is essential for this purpose, as it will help keep the delivery process and also the safety and performance of the drivers to an optimum level.
How to ensure the most suitable fleet management during Ramadan?
Fleet management must be given special attention during Ramadan and there must be a whole protocol dedicated to it. Some of the main considerations that must be made for fleet management during Ramadan must include the following:
- Ensure to create awareness among drivers about being considerate of others to avoid any instances of accidents or any road rage.
- Make sure to manage order allocation smartly so that all drivers get an equal load of orders over appropriate distances to carry out the delivery journey safely.
- Create awareness regarding signs of low blood sugar, hypertension, or any other health symptoms that may affect driving skills.
- You must also equip them to understand and properly deal with the health-related symptoms caused by fasting.
- In case the delivery time is clashing with the time for the drivers’ suhoor or iftar, provide them with the appropriate meals to manage these times.
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