Fleetio + Motive: Turning Data into Uptime

Look around online and you’ll find tons of fleet management software claiming to be all-in-one solutions. Many tout impressive feature lists seemingly covering every workflow a fleet could ask for.

But no matter how comprehensive a solution is, it alone cannot fully support the needs of a technologically sophisticated fleet. These days, robust integrations with telematics devices, fuel cards, and transportation management systems are essential to build a fleet management system (FMS) capable of providing a comprehensive view of your fleet.

That’s why Fleetio and Motive recently expanded the integration connecting our platforms. With the introduction of two automated data exchanges, tracking vehicle issues and fuel transactions is easier than ever before.

In a recent webinar, Fleetio’s Stefano Daneri and Motive’s Jeet Chitgopker walked through how the integration expansion will benefit fleets. Here are the highlights of their talk:

1. Two-Way DVIR Defect Resolution

The longer a fleet takes to address reported vehicle issues, the more that can go wrong. Small defects can snowball into breakdowns that put personnel at risk and result in considerable towing fees, repair costs and lost revenue.

To help fleets service their assets more quickly, Fleetio and Motive enhanced how our platforms relay vehicle issues. In the past, issues described by DVIRs in Motive had to be manually entered into Fleetio to get the repair process rolling. Today, fleet managers can mobilize their technicians as soon as a failed DVIR is submitted.

Thanks to this automation, fleets can triage their vehicle issues more effectively and maintain better visibility of their open service tasks. On top of that, the fact that the integration works in both directions eliminates uncertainties around whether a vehicle has or hasn’t been returned to service.

2. Motive Card Integration (Fuel Entries)

Many fleets spend more on fuel than any other operating expense. This means that addressing even minor sources of inefficiency can result in serious cost savings in the long run.

Fleetio and Motive aim to help fleets find more ways to optimize their fuel spend with this new feature. Before, fuel transactions had to be manually entered into Fleetio. Now, fleets can review them as they occur, enabling quick responses to suspicious fuel consumption trends (possibly indicative of vehicle problems, idling, or fuel theft).

Additionally, that flow of real-time fuel data makes tracking cost per mile (CPM) and total cost of ownership (TCO) easier and more accurate. Many fleet managers swear by these metrics when planning budgets and evaluating when to replace vehicles, so making them more precise could help fleets make even better-informed decisions.

3. Less data entry = more productivity

It’s all about turning data into action, action into uptime and uptime into long-term performance. Stefano Daneri, Fleet Ecosystem Strategist at Fleetio

The first thing Fleetio-Motive users will probably appreciate about these integration expansions is the convenience they bring. Eliminating data entry for vehicle issues and fuel transactions is sure to save fleets considerable time each week. Furthermore, less need to constantly jump between systems will result in a smoother user-experience for fleet managers.

But, in the long run, the most meaningful benefit from these updates will come from what fleet managers do with their additional time. Compared to data entry, there’s an infinite number of more productive things fleet managers can do. Whether that’s coaching drivers to be safer behind the wheel, perfecting next year’s budget or taking inventory of their parts, the value of having more time for tasks that actually move the needle shouldn’t be underestimated.

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