A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
Reducing fleet fuel expenses is one of the most significant challenges cited by more than 80 percent of fleet managers going into the new year, according to the results of GreenRoad’s “Fleet Leader 2013 Outlook” survey.
Nearly all respondents (70 percent) think the price of fuel will “modestly” rise in 2013.
The survey was conducted in late November 2012 and included fleet managers and decision-makers in fleets ranging from private delivery to construction, company cars, and more. More than 300 respondents completed the survey. Respondents were evenly distributed among fleet sizes, from fleets with fewer than 25 to greater than 1,000 vehicles, according to GreenRoad.
Most pressing concerns include the economy not recovering quickly enough or not at all; fuel costs remaining high or uncertainty around fuel costs; and limiting budget and resource constraints. Most positive reasons are related to anticipating new fleet technology implementations; adding new, fuel efficient vehicles to the fleet; seeing positive economic indicators; and having strong teams and well-trained drivers in-place.
Issues related to saving money are the top 2013 fleet leader challenges and managing the cost of fuel is predicted to be the No. 1 challenge.
According to the report, 25 percent of fleet leaders cite saving money on fuel as their top 2013 challenge. Improving vehicle maintenance-related expenses is the second most commonly cited challenge at 17 percent. And, ensuring drivers are driving safely and hiring and retaining qualified drivers tied as the third most pressing challenge.
Fleet leaders have a broad range of plans for dealing with rising fuel costs in 2013.
- Nearly 62 percent plan to purchase more fuel-efficient or alternative-fuel vehicles.
- 40 percent plan to implement driver performance management technology.
- 29 percent plan to deploy fleet GPS tracking technology.
- 21 percent plan to implement fleet fuel cards.
- 7 percent plan to retrofit existing vehicles for alternative fuels.
Where do you fall in line with these cost saving categories? Share your comments below.