The Role of Fleet Managers in 2018

Fleet management has no doubt evolved over the years, which has, in turn, meant the role of the fleet manager has changed. We are well into 2018 now and with new alterations in legislation and alternative fuels coming into play, the new shape of the fleet management industry is already forming. The traditional role of the fleet manager has changed dramatically over the years and there are many factors which has contributed to this overall change. So, what is the role of fleet manager today and just how has it changed? Increased Responsibilities The modern role of the fleet manager is more towards an overall business manager today. This is mainly because managing a fleet comes with significantly increased strategic and financial responsibilities. While the role of a fleet manager has always been important, the enhanced reliability of this individual makes it even more so. The work of the fleet manager can be the difference between making a profit and not. They are often not just responsible for the fleet, but the plant equipment, generators, IT equipment, logistics, financial data, the people, and many more business assets, not to mention the legislation to keep up to date with. Technological Advancements We are all aware that technological developments seem to be unstoppable. They are constantly developing at an unprecedented rate and the technology we use today has revolutionised the way we operate, monitor and control vehicles within a fleet. Telematics deliver a great wealth of data to fleet managers that enables them to optimise efficiency and performance; vehicle locations can be discovered, jobs can be scheduled, journey routes optimised and so on. The data can then be analysed and can help to improve the structures. The fleet managers of today must understand all the technology and tools which are available to them, have the flexibility to adapt to all these tools and use the data provided to them to improve company-wide performance. Technology is a huge part of the fleet managers role today, which it never was before. Financial Responsibility In previous decades, the financial responsibility of the fleet manager didn’t have much to do with financial security – this was left to the businesses accounts or financial department. However, the modern fleet manager has an increasingly greater responsibility for financials. The fleet is one of the largest costs that many businesses have, so controlling it is essential. With larger scope to reduce costs these days than there was beforehand, certainly with new technologies, the fleet manager can seriously help; especially when it comes to analysing data. As a result of this change, fleet managers today are responsible for improving efficiency, which includes financial planning, reducing financial risk and measuring and optimising costs. This is of course in addition to managing the fleet budget itself and involvement in the entire company’s processes.

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