Fleet and safety management today can be viewed from two different angles. On the one hand, operations are being disrupted by rising prices and a lack of new, readily available vehicles. In addition, leaders struggle to attract and keep the next generation of drivers. On the other side, improvements in fleet and safety technologies are fundamentally altering the sector. Fleets of all sizes are becoming more efficient and growing faster thanks to tools like AI and analytics. Right now, opportunities and difficulties are interacting in never-before-seen ways.

Therefore, what strategic areas ought fleet leaders concentrate on when the number of high-level issues gets longer and longer? A planned, intentional approach may ensure that your fleet organization focuses on the trends and opportunities that will have the most significant impact.

Technology and Security

Fleets are essential to success in many different businesses, including landscaping, construction, and utilities. Customers’ needs are met and exceeded by drivers and the vehicle assets themselves. They do, however, carry a danger by nature. Fleets and their products are at the mercy of safe driving circumstances. Therefore, one accident could affect your company and other drivers that share the road with your staff. In fact, safety issues have gotten so bad that it seems increasingly likely that laws will force national fleets to ban all non-emergency smartphone use in commercial vehicles.

Nevertheless, safety technology can offer a significant chance to boost productivity in 2022. Many fleets now in use lack basic features that could save lives and increase profits. For instance, multiple lane departure sensors, rear cameras, and seat belt sensors have become standards in consumer vehicles and lower the accident rate. However, fleets today don’t all have the same level of safety equipment. 

Fleet managers can perform their duties more dependably by taking the technological lead in enhancing incident prevention in commercial vehicles. The firms that put off updating their safety strategy will be the first to suffer high-impact losses from an increase in accidents, insurance costs, and problems with driver retention.  Fleet managers should review how many vehicles are needed for fleet insurance and make sure they get the best protection.

AI Strategic Implementation

Deploying an AI solution into fleet management has been shown to provide advantages, such as enhancing the driving experience or intelligently anticipating client wants to increase operational flexibility. Nevertheless, each organization is different. Knowing exactly what’s best for your fleet can seem difficult, considering that AI is at the center of a complex ecosystem that includes machine learning, predictive analytics, and various other technological advancements.

For instance, contemporary in-cab video solutions with an AI foundation may intelligently spot risky driving tendencies, remedy the situation, and provide coaching for real-world behavior. Applying to a complete fleet can raise the overall driver community’s average performance ratings. Safer and happier drivers are more likely to stay on the job. In addition, AI can help those who are performing at lower levels to do better. Furthermore, this technology can draw in new employees who perceive the sophisticated in-cab coaching support as a chance to enhance their driving game. 

Controlling Supply Chain Breakdown

Sustained supply chain disruption, a problem in recent years, will be a major problem for fleets in 2022. Consumers and fleets have seen how microprocessor shortages are shaking the auto industry and how material costs are growing as important transit routes are exposed to Covid-related lockdowns. Everyone is feeling the impact across industries. Although these problems will probably persist over the course of the upcoming year, fleet managers and executives can take steps to lessen their impact.

In other words, you will increase operational efficiency by focusing more on the parts of the business you can control in the face of uncontrollable external events. For instance, you might bring in technology to improve route assignments or possibly completely do away with some human operations. In the latter scenario, fleet managers may lower human error for a healthier, more accurate look into their business by automating administrative activities like time sheets. Therefore, leaders can adjust to changing conditions more flexibly when as little as possible is left to chance.

Reasons for Hope

Despite persistent difficulties for large and small fleets, today’s environment is full of opportunity. The pieces are in place for fleets to enhance their organization and provide better experiences to consumers and staff alike. This is largely due to technological advancement and rising demand. Therefore, by seizing the chance provided by intelligent operations, 2022 might turn out to be a successful year for future fleets.