It seems that every year, major advances are made in technology, and quite often it has an impact on fleet management. This has been true since the beginning, and it is just as valid in the modern world. For example, recent improvements in technology have allowed fleet managers to obtain detailed information on how long drivers are behind the wheel, how fuel is being used, and how vehicles are being driven.
All these things are critical aspects of fleet management, and when best practices are implemented, they can significantly upgrade the performance of an entire fleet of vehicles. With competition being what it is in the business world, any advantage gained can result in greater profitability, whether you own all fleet vehicles or you prefer fleet leasing. In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the most exciting and useful trends in fleet management for the present year and beyond.
Fleet Trends occurring in the past two years
Global developments of the past couple of years were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and fleet management was no exception. With a great deal of emphasis being placed on sanitation and health and safety procedures, it was necessary to keep drivers safe by implementing new cleaning routines and requiring drivers and other employees to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Curbside vendors sprang up all over the country to provide vehicle sanitation services, so that vehicles could be accessed safely and efficiently.
Remote Fleet Management improved considerably, allowing more and more fleet members to meet through video conferencing and fleet managers were required to monitor their team’s performance through improved software. Those operations which implemented the newest technology were capable of tracking data much better and managing their fleet teams from a remote location. Another major trend of the past couple of years was a surge in online ordering transactions, brought about by the many people who preferred to acquire goods without visiting physical storefronts. This, of course, triggered skyrocketing demand for shipping, and that put an additional strain on all fleets around the country.
Fleet Trends for 2023
During the height of the COVID pandemic, innovative developers created improvements that helped businesses everywhere continue to provide services and goods even while global health conditions were deteriorating. With all that largely behind us now, it’s possible to focus on other areas, such as these trending areas below:
- Safety – in 2023 and beyond, there will be a renewed emphasis on safety for vehicles and drivers. Stricter cleaning requirements will be enforced to prevent the spread of disease, and new technology will become available for even greater driver safety. Drivers will receive alerts about reckless driving, inappropriate seat belt usage, and excessive speed.
- Navigation – virtually all fleet operations make use of GPS technology these days, and in the future, it will be combined with telematics so that drivers can be accessed at virtually any time of day. GPS services will determine the most advantageous routes for drivers to take, and idle time will be closely monitored to ensure that drivers are staying productive.
- Telematics – telematics was already growing in popularity in the past couple of years, because of its ability to provide real-time data to monitor vehicle progress. Video footage can substantiate or refute claims, while also improving driver safety, and even offering educational opportunities. Telematics will become even more sophisticated in the coming years, monitoring the number of hours vehicles are in operation and running engine diagnostics periodically. Insurance companies will be able to use telematics to monitor driver data and assess risk factors for inappropriate driving. Vehicle tracking will become even more important, providing information on a vehicle’s location, approximate time of delivery, and even the closest available driver for any new work opportunities. Telematics systems will increase communication functionality and improve driver safety.
- Supply chain – supply chain issues became readily apparent during the pandemic, as bottlenecks cropped up everywhere in the country as a direct result of the pandemic. Stores struggled everywhere to keep products on the shelf because fleets could not provide products that were most in demand. There were also problems with putting enough fleet vehicles on the road to meet shipping demands, and this forced fleet managers to bring back into service older trucks that were more likely to fail and contribute to the burgeoning problem of supply chain management. However, many of these supply chain issues of the past have now disappeared entirely, and a great many corporations have revamped their supply chains, allowing them to be much more efficient and much less subject to breakdown due to external factors.
- 5G technology – 5G technology was slowly being rolled out to the major metropolitan areas over the last couple of years. Fleets transitioning to 5G can take advantage of the much faster data transfer speeds, and that is allowing a corresponding growth of software and hardware for 5G compatible systems in fleet management. Expect 5G to cause fleet management to become more streamlined and more efficient than ever. This advanced technology will allow fleet managers to receive much more accurate telematic data, regardless of external factors and weather conditions. A great many more fleets will adopt 5G technology in 2023 and beyond, and this will improve fleet management all around the country.
Contact Corporate Fleet Services for free fleet analysis
Any company aiming to improve its fleet efficiency should start by having its whole operation analyzed by a professional organization capable of providing that kind of comprehensive review. Contact Corporate Fleet Services today to obtain your operational analysis, so you can begin to install some new efficiencies wherever appropriate. When you know where you’re losing efficiency, either of personnel, resources, or other materials, you can improve weak areas and turn them into strengths. That will make your organization more competitive and more successful in carrying out your fleet operations
