According to a recent survey by GE Capital Fleet Services, the biggest concern for fleet managers is ensuring the safety of their drivers. With more than a third (36%) of fleet managers citing it as their predominant concern, driver safety outpaced cost-savings goals and workforce productivity (22% each).
The results signal a shift since 2012’s survey when just 23% cited driver safety as their leading concern. At that time, meeting cost-savings goals (26%) was the most pressing issue facing fleet managers.
Cost savings is still a leading concern. To help manage costs, fleet managers are using a number of different tactics. Forty-two percent cited vehicle purchasing decisions as the greatest opportunity for savings. This was followed by activating telematics and analytics solutions (31%) and managing maintenance expenses (28%).
“Even as fleet managers remain sharply focused on cost savings, more of them are making safety and well-being of their drivers a top priority,” said Mark Hayes, chief marketing officer of GE Capital Fleet Services. “At GE, we’re committed to maintaining a product and service suite that takes on cost savings and safety challenges side-by-side to help organizations meet their business goals.”
Additional key findings from the survey included:
•Productivity—The two biggest areas of focus for enhancing fleet productivity were refining preventative maintenance strategies (36%) and defining a comprehensive vehicle replacement/cycling plan (28%).
•Alternative fuels—Sixty-one percent of fleet managers said alternative fuel vehicles were already in their fleet, with an additional 11% planning to incorporate them within the next two years. Just 19% of fleet managers stated they do not have plans to incorporate AFVs into their fleets, down from 30% in 2012.
•Analytics—When asked how analytics have most helped their fleet, 33% of fleet managers cited improved operational efficiency, with an additional 25% naming cost savings.
For more information, visit www.gefleet.com.
