Small Fleet Management Tips: How Taxi Startups Implement Software for Operations

Transportation Software and Beyond

Although the taxi industry was set back by the global COVID-19 pandemic, demand is progressively returning to the market as less severe virus strains are dominant and mass vaccinations have spread worldwide. 

“Over the long term, the taxi industry is expected to grow due to increasing demand for ride-hailing and ride-sharing services, increasing demand from online taxi booking channels, and an increase in the cost of vehicle ownership. Compared to other modes of transportation, increasing traffic congestion and low taxi fare are the other major factors driving the taxi market.”

Source: Mordor Intelligence Taxi Market Analysis 

Innovation is key when growing your small fleet. Taxi, NEMT, & other transportation business owners need a transportation software system for integrating booking & dispatching.

Online Bookings are Driving the Market

According to a taxi market analysis by Mordor Intelligence, one of the primary factors fueling the market’s growth is the increased usage of online cab booking platforms, mostly because of the convenience they provide to clients. They also offer simple online payment options and the flexibility of choosing the pick-up and drop-off locations.

The ease of booking through an app or online booking portal has significantly attracted customers to prefer online booking over offline booking, with most of society using the internet and smartphones for almost everything. Additionally, the availability of information on the app like ride tracking, pre-estimated ride fare, driver contact, and vehicle details has further increased the customer preference for online booking.

 

Keeping Up with Competitors

As you may already know, the transportation industry has changed most notably as the ride-sharing players, like Uber, Grab, and Lyft have entered the game. The ease of online/app booking and automated dispatching changed the expectations society has for transportation management, and consumers look for that same convenience. 

Many taxi and other transportation owners have been resilient in their efforts to adapt, while others have had to close the doors on their businesses. The successful companies are always looking for new ways to provide a better service to their customers, a better experience for their drivers, and a cost-effective means to optimize operations.

Make the SmartMove

It can be overwhelming to choose the right taxi software for your business. Especially if you are starting with a small fleet, you need transportation software that can cater to your growth, without breaking the bank. That’s where SmartMove Systems comes into play.

SmartMove Systems is an all-in-one, one-stop-shop for all your transportation operation needs.

  • Customer Solutions

    • Custom Online Booking & Mobile Application
      • No login after initial setup
      • Easy to use
      • Fare estimates
      • ETA and car tracking
      • Pay using the app
      • Deliveries — order food and goods for collection and delivery through your app
      • Promo codes and vouchers
      • Upfront payment authentication
      • Choice of vehicle
      • Select prefilled pickup or destinations based on the travel history
      • Book for immediate pickup or pre-book
      • Accurate ETAs
      • Track the driver
      • Rate and review the driver
      • Digital receipts
      • Safe ride tracking — send a link to a friend to track your arrival
    • Corporate account portals with customizable options

Your drivers have access to SmartDriver, a state-of-the-art app which allows them to handle bookings away from their vehicles. At the touch of a button, SmartDriver will also respond to messages, access shift reports, and fill in the logbook.

  • Receive job offers, and interact with them.
  • Send and receive messages
  • Navigate to the next job using the phone’s GPS
  • View the ‘End of Shift’ report
  • Fill in the logbook
  • View flight Information
  • View future booking information
  • Easy access to job & financial information

 

  • Fleet Operations Solutions

    • SmartMove provides you with simple cost-saving options for the daily management of your call center. Using our SmartVoix phone system, you can automate common tasks, and you can easily eliminate data entry errors with the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) automatic booking systems.
      • See our SmartVoix video here for more detailed information on this feature.
      • You can choose to use the call center on a full time or part time basis to give you flexibility when you need it.
    • SmartMove uses leading edge technology to quickly dispatch bookings to the most suitable cars; however, it also handles your accounting, legislative, and quality insurance requirements giving you detailed information on every aspect of every job. We call these innovative accounting features DocketKiller as they eradicate paperwork and save you time and money by streamlining your book-keeping processes dramatically.
      • At the end of every job, the driver is required to record how the fare was paid. This can be made compulsory so that the details of every payment are captured and used in the paperless reporting processes.
      • Benefit for Owner/Operator 
        • Reports available which summarize the account work done by a vehicle. 
        • Formatted as an invoice from owner to fleet 
        • Owner can check details before invoices are issued to account holders.

 

    • The live mapping functionality shows the location of all cars and their states, for example, if they are vacant or currently engaged. This map can also show the booking details.
    • With SmartMove, you have unlimited and full access to all of your data, all the time at no extra cost. We also offer customized and centralized reporting to ensure you get the information where and when you need it. We also give you real time access to your data and reporting tools that streamline your paperwork and reduce manual data entry.
      • Invoices to account holders for work done on account
      • Financial transactions for invoiced work and claims from owners can integrate seamlessly with MYOB or QuickBooks.
      • End-of-shift report providing a complete history of work done on a shift along with a financial reconciliation can be produced in a few seconds. This is particularly useful for fleet-owned cars.
      • An invoice from bailor (owner) to bailee (driver) for work done can also be generated to assist with financial reconciliation.
      • Web booking users can have jobs charged to their account. This might remove the need to justify claims as the users themselves have made the bookings.

 

Why Choose SmartMove Systems?

With over 17 years in the industry, we’ve helped taxi companies from big to small fleets (2–200+ vehicles) optimize their operations within their budget, allowing them to grow more easily. As they grow, they have been able to add more features as their budget allows, rather than spreading themselves out too thin at the get-go. Work with us for a personalized plan that fits your budget. Small fleets rave about the ease and advantages they experience with SmartMove Systems

Let’s Chat

Our team is experienced in providing cost-effective taxi/transportation software that make running your business easy. Schedule a demo with us, and we can show you what you can expect and what the easy onboarding process entails. 

Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have about our services, and we’ll be happy to provide answers. 

Contact Us Book a Demo Call 206-886-0620

  • 70 million bookings serviced

  • 20,000 drivers have used SmartMove

  • 17 years supporting the taxi industry

Lower-cost, scalable booking, dispatch and call-centre solutions