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Multinational corporations are changing the way they source and manage their vocational fleets to better identify true costs and to leverage opportunities to reduce spend and to maximize the operating efficiency of these specialized vehicles.
There isn’t a single trait that epitomizes a great fleet manager; rather, it is a multitude of traits interacting with one another. The best fleet managers are jugglers who can balance a variety of variables to make the fleet program work efficiently.
There is a difference between a well-managed fleet and a best-in-class fleet. A “best-in-class fleet” is one that represents the top-tier performance level in its specific industry segment.
A great global fleet manager is a strategic thinker and visionary who has the ability to develop and communicate this vision. There isn’t a single trait that epitomizes a great global fleet manager; rather, it is a multitude of traits interacting with one another.
Fleet managers have to deal with other department managers who may not be team players or who have egos the size of a Class 8 truck. As a result, there are the inevitable fleet-related interdepartmental conflicts, typically driven by the challenge of balancing HR/driver requirements versus finance/accounting department requirements, which are often at odds with one another. Some criticize this involvement of “non-fleet” managers, rather than seeking ways to partner with them.
Fleet management metrics are not a new phenomenon, but has gained increased emphasis in recent years. Senior management and sourcing groups are demanding the use of metrics to measure the performance of the fleet and its suppliers. In addition, tight budgets and high expectations by management make metrics a crucial element to maintaining a cost-efficient fleet.
Experts share their advice on how fleet managers can most effectively manage an upfit “crisis” and get things back on track.
Increasingly, fleet managers find themselves interacting with procurement or purchasing functions. This can lead to confusion and frustration, unless fleet managers understand how to deal with procurement pros.
The best time to control cost is before it occurs, and the way to do this is by establishing policies and procedures that inhibit unnecessary spending. Fleet policy has wide-ranging cost-containment ramifications. For instance, defining who is eligible for a company vehicle, in effect, determines the size of the fleet.
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