Fleets focus on resources over cost
Fleet management is reacting to the current shortages of drivers, vehicles and fuel by becoming resource rather than cost-based.
This is according to fleet software company FleetCheck, which predicted the situation would persist for some time.
Peter Golding, managing director, said: “Without realising it, fleets have been operating through an extended period of plenty. If you needed drivers or vehicles or fuel, you could get them and they were in sufficient supply that you could afford to aim for the best cost.
“We’ve now very clearly moved beyond that. Virtually every cost that fleets face is rising while, at the same time, supply has become noticeably limited in several essential areas. This really does represent something of a paradigm shift. Beyond safety, which should be the first consideration of every fleet, we are now moving into a situation where resource management, rather than cost, is frequently becoming the key consideration.
“Shortages mean that simply keeping your fleet moving is taking up more and more management attention and so cost is taking a metaphorical back seat. We have seen this in recent weeks with fuel shortages, where many fleets have had to pay whatever price was being demanded for petrol or diesel, just to keep their operations functioning. In the longer term, there’s a similar situation underway with drivers and rapidly increasing wages.”
