Top Fleet Management System for Your Migrant Drivers

Singapore has managed to become a major global business hub. Over the years, we have attracted many workers from outside the country seeking the gainful employment that we offer. 

Migrant workers are significant contributors to our economy and workforce. According to Statista's December 2023 report, 1,525,500 people are migrant workers, making up 25% of the population. Many of these labourers are drivers working in local and cross-border travel, most coming from neighbouring countries. As a fleet manager, it is important that you support migrant drivers with the right technology, and we are here to help. Let us show you why we have the best system for this unique workforce.

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Challenges faced by migrant drivers and fleet managers

Singapore’s workforce faces a skilled labour shortage affecting many industries, including transport and logistics. This has led to our country’s growing reliance on migrant drivers. Fleet managers must be aware of the potential challenges that may arise when working with drivers who are unfamiliar with the country. 

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Navigating Singapore roads

Driving around unfamiliar areas can get confusing for drivers who are new to the city. Although Singapore roads are well organised, they also come with a few complexities that can be challenging for someone with little local knowledge, such as:

• ERP zones
  Unlike most countries, Singapore has an advanced Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system to manage traffic congestion. The prices of this system vary depending on location, time, and vehicle type. Drivers who are not so familiar with the system may end up using routes with higher charges, which will increase the fleet’s overall operating costs.
  
  
• Delivery restriction
  Some areas have strict loading, offloading, and parking time restrictions that commercial vehicles need to adhere to. Failure to do so will result in fines and penalties for the fleet business. Once again, migrant drivers might not be aware of these restrictions.
  
  
• Expressway interchanges
  Our country has one of the most advanced expressway networks in the world, which are built to ease traffic congestion around the cities. Drivers who are new to Singapore may struggle to understand the interchanges, miss turns and exits, or perform unsafe lane changes. This causes delivery delays and safety issues.
  
  
• Long routes
  Experienced local drivers often know the shortcuts and when to avoid traffic congestion. New migrant drivers often stick to the main routes, which might take more time and fuel. This also results in fewer jobs being completed per day.

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Compliance and documentation risks

Every worker from a foreign country needs to have the correct paperwork to be able to operate certain vehicles. Fleet managers must maintain a record of all work permits and ensure they are valid and comply with regulatory requirements. Failure to do so may result in legal issues for the company and its drivers, potentially leading to vehicle confiscation. Fleet managers also need to ensure that drivers are using the appropriate vehicle licenses.

Furthermore, the drivers might not understand the manual logbook system. This creates issues with keeping track of driver Hours of Service (HOS) regulation, where drivers need to know how to maintain an accurate record of rest periods and ensure they do not exceed the limit of continuous driving. Failure to accurately follow working hours rules may result in driver fatigue and legal penalties for the business.

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Insurance perception and risk

Most migrant drivers do not have consistent driving records. This poses a risk to vehicle insurers as there is limited trust, which therefore leads to higher premiums. If fleet managers fail to check if licenses and permits are up to date, it might also result in insurance disputes in the event of claims. Additionally, frequent recurrence of such claims may lead to insurers flagging the entire business as high-risk.

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How to boost migrant driver operations with the right fleet system 

The best way to ensure smooth fleet operations is by investing in a robust fleet management system.

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Improve route familiarity and reduce driving stress

A fleet management system uses GPS technology to help fleet coordinators plan and choose the most efficient routes. They provide route guidance before trips, which greatly helps the new drivers. This eliminates unnecessary expenses resulting from high fuel consumption due to excessive mileage or traffic. A good fleet management system will be able to factor in road restrictions and traffic conditions to ensure that drivers make their way with ease and are more efficient.

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Automate compliance tracking

A good fleet management software can automatically store and remind staff members about work permits and license expiry dates. This ensures that drivers remain compliant and the company avoids penalties. It also reduces the administrative burden and therefore saves time that can be dedicated towards something else.

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Build a strong safety record

It is important that fleet managers closely monitor driver behaviour. Reckless driving habits increase the chances of accidents, which lead to downtime, expensive repairs, and constant insurance claims. A fleet management system is the best way to keep a close eye on how drivers operate the vehicle; it gives you detailed reports on harsh driving habits so you can spot patterns and quickly address the issues. Encourage healthier driving habits, give feedback, and offer incentives. A clean safety profile improves your fleet’s insurability, even with migrant drivers.

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How Cartrack’s fleet system enhances driver management 

You must understand that drivers who are new to the country may need some time to adapt to certain things. Our fleet management system has advanced features that simplify things for you and your drivers. Here’s how: 

• Live tracking
  Access vehicle locations at any time with our GPS live tracking software. This ensures that you always know where drivers are and can easily pick up when drivers take longer routes or miss turns. Through this software, you can quickly check up on the drivers and ensure they make their way back into the planned routes.
  
  
• Easy-to-use driver app and dashboard
  We have a user-friendly visual interface that can be accessed through our mobile app or website. This ensures that drivers easily understand instructions and have fewer difficulties completing tasks. 
  
  
• Geofence
  Our geofence feature helps you create virtual boundaries around areas of your choice so you get alerts when drivers enter or exit those areas. This allows you to instantly notice when drivers have gone to no-go areas or too far out of the city.
  
  
• Route optimisation
  The Cartrack route optimisation feature is a smart tool that helps you plan better routes. It factors in things such as historical traffic patterns, travel trends, and real-time data to give you the most efficient routes for drivers to get to their destinations. Improving delivery times and accommodating those who might not know the shortcuts.
  
  
• Automated compliance notifications
  Our logbook feature helps you keep track of driver working hours by automatically logging all vehicle trips. This eliminates human errors, ensures that all trips are accurately documented, reduces paperwork, and keeps your fleet compliant. 
  
  
• AI cameras
  You can also install our AI-powered cameras into your vehicles. These cameras can detect things such as driver fatigue, cellphone use, and smoking. When this happens, drivers will get instant audible alerts, allowing them to quickly correct their actions. AI cameras are a great way to enhance safety and build a good driving record for your fleet.  
  
  
• Driver harsh events notifications
  Cartrack GPS tracking devices have telematics capabilities, which allow you to identify and get detailed reports on driving behaviours such as speeding, rapid acceleration, harsh cornering, and harsh braking. This gives you insight into how drivers are behaving on the road, so you can put them into training and encourage safer driving habits.
  
  
• Coaching
  Our driver coaching platform further encourages driver safety by helping you identify patterns so you can send the drivers for training. It displays how many times a driver repeated unsafe driving habits and allows coaches to leave notes on what was discussed during the sessions.
  
  
• DID tag
  The Cartrack driver identification (DID) tags are a great way to instantly identify who is driving which vehicle. They come with a start-prevent option that prohibits unauthorised drivers from operating vehicles they do not qualify for. In doing so, you ensure that all drivers abide by the license laws so the business avoids costly penalties.

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Case Study: RichLand Logistics 

No matter where your staff is from, the main goal is to get a fleet management system that improves your fleet’s efficiency and simplifies tasks for drivers and managers. Here’s a true testimony from one of our clients, RichLand Logistics. 

RichLand is a leading logistics solutions provider that caters to customers’ needs in various sectors across the Southeast Asia region. They fulfil more than 40,000 deliveries monthly.

Richland needed a system that could provide them with updates on fleet and driver information to ensure their deliveries remain on track and on time, so they can maintain good service levels. 

They also wanted insights into ways they could reduce their operational costs and boost productivity. 

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How we helped them: 

1. Our geofencing feature allows RichLand’s fleet managers to set virtual boundaries around dispatch and delivery zones. This allows their fleet managers to see if delivery points are reached on time. If there are any delays, managers can contact drivers to find out why and manage expectations with customers, ensuring good customer service and on-time deliveries.
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2. The Cartrack fleet management system allows this logistics company to pinpoint problematic driver behaviour that could cause late deliveries or reflect poorly on the company’s image through driver behaviour reports. Richland uses these reports to inform drivers on where they are going wrong, which encourages accountability, resulting in higher productivity levels, better driving, and improved customer relationships.
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3. RichLand makes smart business decisions from the automatic updates they receive about their fleet, like fuel usage. Cartrack’s onboard fuel sensors can detect fuel consumption levels. Fleet managers can use the fuel consumption data to see which drivers and vehicles are more efficient and why, such as assessing the l/km per vehicle as well as the impact of unproductive idling. This allows them to decrease operational and fuel costs.

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Why Cartrack:

“Cartrack's fleet management system provides us with automatic updates on fleet information that help us make intelligent business decisions to decrease operational costs and maintain our service levels." | Frankie Koh, Head QHSSE, Fleet Management and Procurement, RichLand Logistics

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Empower drivers and protect your fleet with Cartrack 

Cartrack is one of the leading companies that specialises in vehicle tracking. We have solutions that cater for fleet workforces of all kinds and always strive to bring you cutting-edge innovations. Reach out to us and let us help you grow your fleet and maximise returns.

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