Are data blind spots affecting fleet performance?

Fleet decision-makers have access to more information than ever before, with data now coming from vehicles, drivers, suppliers, finance platforms, maintenance providers and leasing companies.

This information, however, is often scattered across the business and its suppliers, making it difficult to understand how the fleet’s performing.

It can be hard to pinpoint where money is being lost, where vehicles are underused, where driver behaviour is increasing risk or where compliance and emissions reporting is falling short.

Fleet, finance, operations and procurement teams need to have right information at the right time to make informed decisions.

Here we bring you five areas where better information can help you manage your fleet more effectively.

The true cost of running each vehicle

Although businesses know what they spend on leasing, fuel and maintenance in isolation, many won’t know the total cost of running each of their vehicles across their fleet lifecycle.

As a result, it can be difficult to compare vehicles, identify those that are performing well, those that are costing more than they should and to decide when to replace vehicles, how to fund them and whether they should rethink their supplier arrangements.

A vehicle may seem cost-effective on paper, but when it’s used every day, it may be more expensive than you think – its fuel consumption may be high, it might spend a lot of time off the road or it might need frequent repairs.

A vehicle with a higher upfront cost may still be worthwhile if it costs less to run and is better suited to the job in hand.

Fuel card reports will show how much fuel is being bought, but they won’t always explain why costs are going up so fleets need to also look at how vehicles are being used, how far they’re travelling, the journeys they’re making, how they’re being driven.

A total cost of ownership analysis is called for here and consideration given to where changes can be made to improve the bottom line.

Vehicle utilisation and availability

When vehicles are underused, they’re a drain on business finances, while those that are off the road can disrupt work and put pressure on the rest of the fleet.

Many businesses, however, still don’t have a clear picture of how their vehicles are used day to day. This can lead to unnecessary hire costs or vehicle orders, inefficient vehicle allocation or missed opportunities to right-size the fleet.

Utilisation data can help show whether vehicles are being used effectively, highlighting, for example, where there are opportunities to share or reallocate vehicles.

Availability is also important. Downtime can directly impact productivity, especially where vans or specialist vehicles are business critical. Better visibility of service, maintenance and repair data can help fleets plan ahead and spot problems earlier.

With more joined-up information, decision-making will generally be less reactive, support strategic planning and be based, more accurately, on operational requirements.

Spotting driver risk before it escalates

Information may be collected on everything from licence checks, collisions and speeding to mileage, vehicle defects and driver behaviour, but important warning signs will be missed if these are viewed in isolation

Considered on its own, a minor collision, missed vehicle check or repeated incidents of speeding, may not be concerning, but when these are looked at together they can reveal when a driver needs support to prevent more serious issues from happening.

Driver behaviour, which can be monitored and addressed using advanced telematics platforms, can have a direct impact on everything from fuel consumption and tyre wear to insurance, maintenance costs and vehicle downtime.

Risk data should also extend beyond the main company car or van fleet. Employees using their own cars for work, occasional business drivers and people with long commutes may also need to be considered when assessing driver safety and compliance.

The important thing is to make sure the right information is visible to the right people. Data is only useful when it leads to action.

Understanding where EVs will work in practice

As more organisations consider electric vehicles, gaps in fleet data can make planning more uncertain.

A fleet may know which vehicles are due for replacement, but lack the detail needed to judge whether EVs are practical for everyone. This calls for an understanding of mileage patterns, where vehicles are kept overnight, and whether charging is realistic at a driver’s home, at work or on their regular routes.

Without this insight, fleets can make a decision to transition to EVs too soon or, in some cases, cause them to be too cautious.

The most effective EV strategies are built on real-world fleet data, including journey patterns, odometer readings, dwell times, vehicle payloads, route requirements, charging access, reimbursement processes and operational downtime. This helps businesses identify the vehicles that are suitable for electrification now and which may not yet be viable.

Good data helps show where to start and where more planning is needed, while balancing commercial and sustainability objectives.

Sustainability and emissions reporting

More and more businesses are now being asked to show what they’re doing to reduce emissions and, for many, their vehicles are an important part of this.

The difficulty is that emissions data is not always held in one place. Fuel use, mileage, vehicle choice and charging behaviour all affect overall emissions, but they need to be viewed together to show where progress is being made or where more work is needed.

This is no longer just a concern for large corporates. Smaller and mid-sized businesses are also facing growing pressure from customers, employees and supply chains to demonstrate environmental responsibility.

Sustainability reporting should not be treated as a once-a-year exercise. The same information that helps businesses report more accurately can also help them improve their carbon footprint, control costs and plan more effectively.

Making sense of fleet information

By bringing together data on cost, vehicle use, risk, compliance and emissions, businesses can see where performance is being held back and where change could make the biggest difference.

It also helps different teams answer the questions that matter to them. Fleet teams gain better visibility and control, finance teams can manage costs and forecasts more confidently, operations teams can plan around vehicle availability and procurement teams can make more informed decisions about suppliers and funding.

Fleet Operations can help by combining consultancy expertise with technology that brings fleet information together, enabling businesses to turn data into practical insights.

Data alone does not improve fleet performance. Better decisions do.