Opinion: What fleet operators can do to adapt to the increasing challenge of extreme weather

By Shane Mann, CEO of Tranzaura

The recent spate of severe storm across Britain and Ireland, with one in particular, Storm Darragh, resulting in the closure of Holyhead Port, have been stark reminders that extreme weather events are no longer rare disruptions but recurring threats that can upend the entire fleet ecosystem. 

For fleet operators, this is a wake-up call. What once may have been seen as isolated incidents are now urgent challenges requiring a complete rethink of how we manage transport and logistics. 

The industry cannot afford to rely on outdated crisis management tactics - resilience must be built into operations from the ground up that identify single points of failure in the system and design them out.

The recent closure of a key transport hub like Holyhead caused ripple effects far beyond its immediate surroundings. 

Delays cascaded through supply chains, affecting businesses, customers and fleet schedules across the UK, Ireland and Europe. 

This isn’t just a local problem. When a storm disrupts a major port or transport route, it sends shockwaves through an interconnected web of suppliers, logistics and retailers. 

One point of failure or bottleneck at a crucial juncture can lead to missed deliveries, inventory shortages and financial losses that stretch far beyond the storm’s reach.

For fleet operators, this underscores a critical reality that the vulnerabilities in our logistics networks have been exposed as extremely fragile, and we must act now to address them.

The traditional approach to disruptions - reacting as crises unfold - isn’t sustainable in the era of AI and advanced technology. 

Instead, fleet operators must take a proactive stance, embedding resilience planning into every aspect of operations. 

This means rethinking contingency planning, investing in smarter technology like AI to introduce agile planning and routing, helping to ensure that businesses can continue functioning even in the face of severe disruptions. 

One of the biggest shifts we must embrace is moving from a reactive mindset to one that anticipates and mitigates risk long before it materialises. This mindset is engineering in agility. 

A key part of this shift is adopting AI-powered fleet management software that can provide real-time insights that transform how fleets are monitored and managed, and analyse supply chain bottlenecks and a single point of failure to provide operators with dynamic rerouting options.

Instead of waiting for delays to occur, fleets can adjust routes on the go, ensuring that deliveries are completed with as little disruption as possible. 

This kind of agility is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity in an era where extreme weather is a growing threat. To be agile fleet operators need AI and advanced technology tools. 

Instead of reacting to closures like Holyhead after they happen, fleet managers can plan days in advance, adjusting schedules and rerouting shipments before a storm even makes landfall. 

Investing in this level of foresight can mean the difference between business continuity and catastrophic supply chain failure.

But rerouting alone is not enough. Multi-modal transport options need to be part of the industry’s broader strategy.

Fleets must explore ways to diversify their logistics approaches, incorporating rail, inland waterways and alternative freight options to ensure continuity when road transport is compromised. 

The most resilient supply chains are those that do not rely on a single mode of transport but instead have a variety of fallback options ready to deploy. 

The rise of smart cities adds another dimension to this challenge. As urban centres increasingly rely on AI-driven traffic systems and dynamic tolling, fleet operators must integrate with city-wide digital infrastructure to avoid congestion hotspots and optimise deliveries. 

The push for greener logistics, including low-emission zones and last-mile delivery automation, also requires a rethink of how fleets navigate urban landscapes while ensuring efficiency.

A well-connected city is only as strong as its logistics backbone, and without robust contingency planning, the vision of a smart city may crumble in the face of real-world disruptions.

The reality is that extreme weather disruptions are becoming the norm, not the exception.

Climate uncertainty is no longer a distant concern - it is happening now, and its impact on transport and logistics is only going to intensify. 

Fleet operators must stop viewing severe weather as an occasional setback and start treating it as a fundamental business challenge that requires long-term strategic planning. 

Those who fail to adapt will find themselves caught off guard time and time again, while those who embrace proactive resilience will set the standard for a more stable, reliable and efficient fleet industry. 

Climate-proofing fleets isn’t just about individual business survival, it’s about ensuring the stability of entire supply chains. Storm Darragh was not just another storm. It was a warning sign.