Why You Need LinkedIn
As a fleet manager, you have enough on your plate, from procuring vehicles to coordinating maintenance on vehicles, having a LinkedIn profile probably isn’t top of mind. However, LinkedIn is a great professional resource to help you grow as a fleet manager. We’re here to encourage you to get started and hopefully help make it easier for you to set up your profile with one of the internet's leading network builders for the fleet industry.
1. Build Your Professional Network
Your LinkedIn network is an extension of your professional interests. In today’s era of digital connection, LinkedIn is the place to build your network of fleet professionals outside of your current zip code. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned professional, LinkedIn has a group of people waiting to connect with you.
Pro Tip
Use LinkedIn to see which fleet management conferences your network is planning to attend. This allows you to start networking before the event even begins.
2. Stay Up-To-Date On Industry Trends
While that fleet management newsletter is helpful for staying on top of trends, there’s an entire space of untapped industry insights waiting for you. Instead of primarily being a place for showcasing your professional prowess, LinkedIn has become a coveted source of information sharing between professionals and industry-leading organizations. Here, you have the chance to get ahead of the conversation or, even better, be a part of it.
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3. Follow and Learn From Thought Leaders
When you think of a “Thought Leader,” who is the first person that comes to mind? On LinkedIn, anyone can be a thought leader. And there are plenty of them out there that specialize in fleet management. Whether you’re looking to learn more about your industry or gain a professional edge, keeping up with thought leaders is one of the best ways to get the most out of LinkedIn.
Follow our team’s top picks for fleet industry thought leaders:
- Greg Gray (Geotab)
- Sean Killen (Geotab)
- Andrew Kimbrough (Samsara)
- Dawn Marie Wood (Ford Pro)
- Andrew Boyle (Boyle Transportation)
- Amy Dobrikova (Rexel Energy Solutions USA)
- Al Curtis (Terrapinn UK)
- Dave Persad (City of Boynton Beach)
- Cedric Roberts (City of Birmingham)
- Aisha Cox (Tesla)
- Lauren Fletcher (Bobit)
- Andrew Phelps (Samsara)
- Eric Richardson (City of New York)
- Erin Rugg (Intellishift)
- Sherry Calkins (Geotab)
- Keith Kerman (DCAS, City of New York)
- Fleetio (That's us!)
Did you know?
A thought leader is a company or individual who is exceptionally experienced and successful within their industry. Our own Clay Shewey would be considered a thought leader, not just for Fleetio but for fleet management in general.
Setting Up Your LinkedIn Profile
You have 3 seconds to grab and hold someone's attention to your profile. Things like your cover photo, headline, experience and your about me section are what keep their attention.
Profile & Cover Photo
Your profile picture represents you as a professional. Make sure that your profile picture is bright and clear and that you are centered within the image. No selfies or cropped images that clearly have other people in the photo. People looking at your profile need to see your face to know who they’re talking to.
Your cover photo is another essential piece of presenting who you are on LinkedIn. It’s likely the first thing people see when viewing your profile (outside of your headshot). Since this is the case, your cover photo must communicate what you do professionally or who you are as a person. You could have a photo of yourself in the fleet yard, an aerial shot of a vehicle on the road, or perhaps a branded image provided by your organization.
Headline
The headline sits right below your headshot. Keep it clear and concise, with a message that communicates what you do.
Steal these examples for your LinkedIn headline:
- Passionate Fleet Operations Specialist focused on elevating efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness for fleet operations. 🚛
- Strategic Fleet Management Professional | Optimizing Efficiency & Cost Savings 🚚
- Seasoned Fleet Manager | Driving Operational Excellence in Procurement, Maintenance, and Compliance ✅
- Certified Fleet Professional | Favorite fleet tools include Fleetio, [tool], & [tool] ⚒️
Featured Posts
Any piece of content that you have reshared or posted yourself has a chance to be featured on your profile. These posts are placed at the top of your profile, so we’d recommend choosing posts you’re passionate about or ones that showcase your industry expertise.
About Me
This section of your profile encapsulates you as a person and expands on your professional career journey. We recommend sharing a brief overview of your professional career, and then touching on your major accomplishments. This is the place to really brag about yourself while demonstrating your long-standing professional journey in fleet.
Experience
The best part about this section is that it’s fully customizable to your professional journey. Highlight your career journey and your achievements within the different positions you've held over time. One of our favorite features is Media, where you can visually showcase your impact in the role.
Licenses & Certifications
CAFS or CAFM certified? ASE certified? Put it all here for profile visitors to see. Adding these showcases your commitment to professional growth and personal development and adds credibility to your expertise.
Projects
This section lets you highlight projects you were a part of or executed as an individual. For example, if you implemented Fleetio as your organization’s fleet management and maintenance tool, add it as a New Project.
Skills
As a fleet manager, you tend to absorb a lot of different skills, and, yes, part-time mechanic counts as a skill. You can add skills relevant to your past and current roles, like; Training, Fleet Management Software, or Vehicle Procurement, to this section to make you stand out.
Recommendations
As you build your network and work on projects with people, reach out with a request for a recommendation. Having a recommendation makes it three times more likely for your profile to be viewed.
Honors & Awards
Highlight awards you have personally received for your work at your company. No accolade is too small to be recognized here. Show off what makes you an expert by highlighting your professional achievements.
Ultimately, having a LinkedIn presence is a relatively easy setup if you follow these guidelines. Take a chance on expanding your network, being proactive in your professional development and getting ahead of fleet industry trends by joining us on LinkedIn.
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