Pressure on UK car and van fleets is increasing the risk of mistakes, according to new research from Fleet Operations.
A study of 250 UK fleets found 80% believe growing pressure has made errors more likely, while almost six in 10 (59%) said managing their fleet is more time-consuming than it was three years ago.
“These findings should concern any business that depends on cars or vans to operate effectively,” said Richard Hipkiss, Managing Director of Fleet Operations.
“When fleet teams are under sustained pressure, they can find themselves reacting to issues rather than planning ahead. Important decisions can be delayed, and this is when mistakes are more likely to happen.
“The consequences can quickly spread beyond the fleet team, whether through rising costs, compliance risk, vehicle downtime or reduced support for drivers.”
Among fleets that said fleet management had become more time-consuming, the leading causes were greater demand for fleet data and insight and rising cost pressures, each cited by 43%. Increased compliance requirements were cited by 39%, followed by vehicle supply and replacement challenges at 35%.
The business impact is clear. More than half (53%) of fleets experiencing increased workload said it had placed greater pressure on internal resources, while 44% said it had delayed vehicle replacement decisions. A further 43% said it had left less time available for strategic fleet planning.
The findings also highlight how fleet management has become more demanding, with businesses expected to make faster, more informed decisions, often with limited internal resources.
The research found that fleets are looking for practical ways to reduce the time spent managing vehicles. Almost a third (32%) said more automation of routine tasks would help. Better visibility of fleet data and costs and improved supplier performance were each cited by 26%.
Hipkiss added: “If businesses don’t have the right systems, processes and support in place, it becomes much harder to keep track of what’s happening across the fleet.
“Reducing the burden on internal teams helps businesses make better decisions and can prevent avoidable issues from becoming costly problems.
“The aim should be to give fleets the time and support they need to move from reactive administration to more proactive management.”
