Time management and productivity in fleets

In fleets and transport operations, efficient time management and productivity are fundamental to the proper administration of all stages and departments of your company.

This is especially true for drivers, who play a central role in turning plans and strategies into concrete actions by meeting the routes, schedules and deadlines set by the manager.

In this sense, drivers' time management does not seek to fill every minute of their routine. It should organize work feasibly, respect applicable rest periods and make visible the factors that really delay the operation.

Take a look below:

• What time management and productivity in fleets are and what they are for;
• Why time management and productivity in fleets are necessary;
• Ways to manage and balance drivers' working hours;
• The role of productivity in drivers' time management.

What are time management and productivity in fleets and what are they for?

Time management and productivity are a set of processes and activities to plan and execute tasks efficiently according to priorities and urgency. In fleets, this is one way to ensure operations are carried out effectively and without delays.

This management serves to better organize day-to-day transport operations and make unforeseen events visible. Vehicle breakdowns, waiting for loading or unloading, route restrictions and planning discrepancies are examples that deserve recording and analysis rather than being treated only as delays.

Therefore, time management and productivity emerge as a fleet strategy to prevent these issues and maximize the efficiency of resource use in transport operations.

Why are time management and productivity necessary for fleet drivers?

Understanding drivers' routines is essential to identify the main issues that cause delivery delays and other operational problems. In addition, efficient management of these professionals' time and productivity brings a range of additional benefits.

Among them are better vehicle preservation and durability, since the preventive maintenance routine is carried out more consistently and precisely. It is also possible to observe reduced fuel consumption because vehicles are properly maintained and operate more efficiently.

There are also broader advantages, such as increased company credibility and competitiveness in the market.

3 ways to manage and balance drivers' working hours

Balancing drivers' working hours is an important aspect of managing an efficient fleet, and these are some approaches to achieve this objective:

1 – Control drivers' working hours

In Brazil, the Driver Law (in Portuguese) brings together rules on working hours, driving time and rest for professional drivers. Law No. 13.103 provides for an 8-hour daily workday for employed professional drivers, with extensions allowed in certain circumstances. In ruling on ADI 5.322, the STF, Brazil's Supreme Federal Court, declared splitting the rest interval between workdays unconstitutional; rest between workdays is 11 consecutive hours within each 24-hour period.

Since rules may change and contracts and operations have particularities, the company should consult the current text, its agreements and legal or labor law guidance before configuring controls. Accurately recording working hours is as important as the productivity goal.

Compliance with the rules and establishing healthy routines help promote a safer operation. This control can be handled through means suitable for the company, such as spreadsheets, logbooks or software, provided the records are consistent and auditable.

2 – Define goals and rewards

Goals need to be tangible, understandable and compatible with safety, working hours and service quality. Before linking rewards to meeting deadlines, assess whether the rule creates an incentive to ignore breaks, inspections or indispensable procedures.

Financial or nonfinancial rewards can be part of company policy, provided the criteria are transparent and do not make safety or compliance negotiable.

3 – Use tools and technologies for time management and productivity

Some technologies can contribute to better time management and productivity. Delivery management systems and route planning tools can support task and resource allocation, provided the data is reviewed by the team familiar with the operation.

Management tools, such as the kanban method, make it easier to delegate activities and keep track of them.

In addition, fleet-specific systems, such as maintenance management software, have resources and features that also help understand and increase employee productivity.

For example, they can record the time needed for tasks, providing data to improve overall efficiency.

Combining these approaches not only balances drivers' working hours, but also contributes to more productive operations, motivated employees and a well-managed fleet.

What is the role of productivity in drivers' time management?

In a fleet, productivity is not just completing as many tasks as possible in the shortest possible time. It should combine meeting what was planned with quality, safety, rest and compliance.

When applied to fleet drivers, this means optimizing not only their driving activities but also operational ones, such as vehicle inspection.

By pursuing this objective, you are practicing effective time management and productivity for fleet drivers, resulting in impactful actions and significant benefits for operations.

Start by choosing a few indicators the team can explain and act on: recorded working hours, adherence to breaks, waiting time, delays by cause and completed inspection tasks. Explore our free spreadsheet for fleet driver control (in Portuguese) and adapt it to your routine.

Source consulted

• Presidency of the Republic — Law No. 13.103/2015: legal text on the driving profession and rules on working hours, driving and rest.
• Supreme Federal Court — ADI 5.322: official case proceedings, with decisions by the Plenary and on motions for clarification regarding the Truck Driver Law.