Top 5 Trends in Fleet Management

1. A Safer and more Efficient Fleet Future.

Fleet management from Cartrack instantly helps you to reduce your fuel costs and increases your business’ productivity. With our innovative telematics system you can:

• measure fuel efficiency on-line via clear dashboards and reports
• stay on top of individual driver behavior with our driver behavior comparison and help your drivers implement more fuel-efficient driving habits
• map out the routes for your drivers beforehand to ensure that they are taking the quickest routes possible and avoiding stop-start driving
• receive comprehensive feedback to stay on top of driver behaviour analysis in terms of harsh braking, fuel consumption, fuel theft, odometer reading, excessive idling and GPS positioning.
Cartrack’s promise of continued innovation for fleet vehicle systems assures fleet managers of improved productivity in managing their fleets.

2. Green Fleet Initiatives.

Ensuring your business has a ‘green’ identity has become a growing trend in recent years. Corporate green initiatives often go hand-in-hand with fuel reduction initiatives. Many fleet managers are looking to offset petroleum usage with biofuels. Biodiesel is growing in popularity, since it requires no modification to the vehicle’s engine. One can expect to see more non-traditional fleet vehicles entering the market place such as hybrid trucks and biofuel light-duty trucks as the interest in alternative fuel usage grows. More and more fleet companies are searching for expertise to help them decide which, if any of the alternative-fuel vehicles are right for their fleet. Understanding the choice from multiple perspectives, such as cost, performance, and support infrastructure are critical to making the right decision.

Read our tips on ‘How to manage your fleet’s carbon footprint’

3. Fleet Maintenance.

Over the last few years there has been an upward trend in fleet maintenance prices, for example, the increase in the cost of products such as; lube, oil, tyres and filters. The newer diesel trucks that have entered the marketplace have had an effect on higher maintenance expenses. In order to prevent these costs, fleet companies are training drivers to deal with the intricacies of operating and maintaining a diesel vehicle. Repairs on fleet vehicles are getting a little more complex as the technology employed in the vehicles increases in expense too. The more advanced the technology, the more skilled a technician is required to be and these higher skill set technicians are in short supply – exerting stress on the repair process, thereby increasing time. A positive maintenance trend in fleet vehicles is the growing use of LED lighting technology. With an average life span of 10 years, increased intensity, and ease of installation, more and more fleet companies are opting for LED lighting instead of strobe lighting.

4. Fleet Safety and Accident Management

Accidents impact not only a company’s bottom line, but the safety of a fleet’s greatest resource – the drivers and the vehicles they operate. Accident avoidance and the associated cost reduction is a top priority as emphasized by fleet managers. Strategies used to reduce accident-related expenses include the employment of fleet technologies, extensive driver selection, and driver training. Cartrack’s Drive Vision is a tool that firmly places the spotlight on safety, by means of on-board audio and visual equipment paired with Cartrack’s comprehensive telematics technology allowing fleet managers to take a virtual ride with their drivers. Reducing accidents, potential liability and operational costs will always be a goal for Fleet Managers. The implementation of technology such as Drive Vision, is having a significant impact on fleet drivers and their safety on the road.

5. The Driverless Fleet of Tomorrow.

In November 2013, the first autonomous car steered, braked, accelerated, merged into traffic and changed lanes independent of a driver behind the wheel. The Japanese electric Nissan LEAF started a global trend in autonomous cars; Nissan claims that a commercially viable version will be available as early as 2020. With the push for driverless cars trending, the idea might extend into incorporate fleets as well. Fleet companies who have an ingrained safety culture may be the first to adopt this new trend. Autonomous fleet vehicles could mean a new breed of rental companies operating fleets, with an Uber-style reservation system. Corporations would simply pay for actual usage of fleet vehicles, eliminating vehicle depreciation expenses, which is currently one of their main expenses. Ultimately fleet companies may see themselves evolve into highly sophisticated vehicle dispatch companies.