Cost containment is now the top priority for most fleet managers and the executives above them, according to a recent survey conducted by GE Capital Fleet Services.
Almost half – some 48% – of the 75 fleet managers polled by GE Capital at the annual NAFA Institute & Expo in Detroit said cost savings is the main focus for fleet management in 2010, vs. 36% from a year ago.
Specifically, 36% found meeting the company’s goals for cost savings to be the highest priority, up from 28% in 2009, while 21% were most concerned about driver safety, up from 12% in 2009.
“As we emerge from the downturn, companies continue to be strategic about their fleets while remaining attentive to costs and working to improve overall fleet efficiency,” said Clarence Nunn, CEO of GE Capital Fleet Services.
He said that to reach cost and operational efficiency goals, fleet managers are turning to fleet management analytics. When asked in which areas analytics helped their companies the most, respondents were split, with 31% saying fleet operational efficiency had improved through the use of analytics, while 32%indicated that analytics helped their company with cost savings. Third on the list was purchasing decisions followed by compliance.
Consistent with last year’s survey results, fleet managers said real-time asset data, such as miles driven and fuel consumption, are the most important metrics for managing their operations. Of those polled, 21% indicated workforce productivity metrics, such as jobs per day, travel time and deliveries per day, were other important data points that allows them to most efficiently manage their fleets.
