How do you future proof your role in fleet management? Fleet managers give their views

To future proof the role of fleet management, the evolving role of fleet managers now requires a broader skill set, including strategic planning, communication, and leadership.

• How has the role of a fleet manager evolved in recent years?
• What skills do you believe are essential for future fleet managers?
• How do you foster leadership and continuous learning within your team?

These questions were put to managers at the December meeting of the Fleet200 Strategy Network.

This topic was discussed by fleet decision-makers from Belron (Autoglass), Eric Wright Group, Morgan Sindall and Smith Brothers Stores.

Here are some of the outcomes from the debate.

Quotes are not attributed.

Fleet News: How has the role of a fleet manager evolved in recent years?

This question resulted in a broad discussion about how the role has increased in stature and visibility within an organisation, with fleet decision-makers bringing together multiple stakeholders to make key decisions, to how the role has also diminished due to the lack of formal qualifications to run a fleet of cars or vans.

“It can be an add-on role to save money, particularly for cars, but there’s a massive cost benefit to having a fleet manager,” said one fleet.

Another added: “Where the role has been outsourced, there is an assumption that a leasing company is better equipped to run the fleet. But the role of the fleet manager is strategic as well as problem solver, more than operational.”

“If a leasing company advises a company to make certain changes, they may not necessarily do anything about it, especially if they don; have a fleet manager. The fleet manager is key for supplier management and for understanding and diagnosing problems. But lack of accreditation and professional qualifications is diluting the role.”

“A fleet manager can have a massive impact on the performance of the business.”

“We find that staff appreciate what we do and the collaboration with multiple stakeholders and departments means we are across the board; we are no longer solied.”

Fleet News: What skills do you believe are essential for future fleet managers?

“Fleet managers wear many hats and have a broad range of knowledge. We are 30% strategic and 70% operational. While we can’t be an expert on everything, we know a lot about all the fundamentals, and we know where to go to get the right answers.”

“The role is definitely more strategic. I’m around 80% strategy – horizon thinking and planning the fleet profile for five-to-six years’ time. We have to be looking further ahead.”

“I’m planning for when I’m no longer here with a 10-year rolling plan. You have to put succession plans in place; doing nothing is not an option.”

“I’ve dealt more with our HR teams in the last 12 months than ever before, with the focus on mental health and fatigue. We have to give the driving population the confidence to come forward with any concerns.”

“We need to engage and get the buy in of drivers. For example, electrification – you won’t succeed without drivers. So a key responsibility is the wider engagement piece to support the company’s initiatives. But you also need the support from HR and finance, so the fleet manager is more collaborative than ever before. Pre-Covid we sat away from the main teams; now we are at the forefront of conversations and budgeting.”

“It’s no longer about just managing the vehicles; it’s managing the team and the driver skills. We are going from old-school operations/mechanics to strategy and data.”

Fleet News: How big a role does data play in the way you lead your fleets?

“With so much more data available now to manage the fleet, leadership and negotiating are key skills.”

“Data has to be carefully managed. It can be dangerous because it can be used to tell you anything if you go into it with an agenda. You can’t start with assumptions because that can lead you down the wrong path. You have to use data openly and in the right way.

“You have to have a clear plan about what you want to achieve when using data. We sold ours (internally) as a benefit in road traffic incidents – it’s an independent witness that can defend the driver.

“We showed incidents where the camera protected the driver to get widespread buy-in.”

Fleet News: How difficult is it to plan long-term?

“When I started, I could forecast five years ahead for policy, strategy and procurement. Now, with electrification and fuels, and the way the role and the industry are evolving, it’s difficult to plan that far ahead.”

“A key skill for a fleet manager is the ability to react quickly and adapt to change.”

Fleet News: What are your priorities for the next 12 months?

“Transition of vans to electric and managing our low-level incidents. We have identified 20% of our van fleet that can change now, and we have identified the drivers that are willing to do it; now it’s persuading the directors to invest.”

“Electric vans are out big challenge, especially with bespoke chassis cab conversions which we run at heavier weights.”

“Electrification of cars in there; for vans there are lots of configurations and use cases that the battery has to be able to accommodate.”

“We have seen an attitude change with our business and a big push on health and safety and reducing time off for illness and injury. These are our priorities.”

Fleet News: When hiring new team members, what skills are you looking for?

“We’ve just hired for a number of new roles. We want someone to bring new skills that we don’t have, different demographics and ideas to future proof us with modernised thinking.”

“A fleet coordinator used to be a case of can you handle that data and the invoices in a certain way; now it’s we are changing the way we do things, can you support that process change.”

“You still have to have an interest in the industry to work in it; but it is evolving, and you have to buy in to change.”

“It’s a career, not a job.”

“Attitude and willingness is key in this role. You can train skills in weeks and months, but it takes years to train/change attitudes.”