Fleet managers are constantly tasked with coming up with new ways to reduce costs. Two fleet industry professionals present multiple strategies to help facilitate that goal.
One of the easiest ways a fleet manager can reduce truck acquisition costs is not over-spec’ing for fleet needs. But, there are a few out-of-the-box ways of thinking to further reduce costs.
BMW is a global fleet provider with operations in almost every country. BMW wants to expand its fleet market share in the U.S. by implementing an aggressive fleet strategy.
Crossover utility vehicles (CUV), or simply known as crossovers, represent one of the fastest growing segments in the retail auto industry. Likewise, commercial fleet sales are also reflecting an increased acquisition of crossover vehicles. Today, as a percentage, fleet registrations of crossover models are beginning to mirror the market share found on the retail side of the business.
Keeping fuel spend low is the No.1 challenge fleet managers face. The fluctuation in gasoline and diesel prices over the past few years has given fleet managers a sobering reality check on how quickly the price of fuel can cause operational budgets to hemorrhage.
Government-mandated CAFE standards are exerting pressure on OEMs to develop smaller, more lightweight models and add more alt-fuel vehicles and hybrids to their lineups. Lower fuel costs will shift TCO focus to depreciation.
One of the “fleet management basics” is determining vehicle selection: what type, make, model, and equipment are best suited to the company fleet mission.
Overall, personal use charges stayed flat in 2012 versus 2011; however, fewer fleets are allowing personal use of company-provided vehicles and many are structuring policies to push more fuel-efficient vehicle selections.
Although the basic process is the same, the criteria, options, and driver needs for the selection of fleet vehicles have evolved over the years. Where the industry was, is, and will be is an interesting story.
Just as vehicles have changed over the decades, so have the selector forms fleet managers have used. Vehicle specifications have gone through significant changes, having been impacted by the economy, products and programs offered by manufacturers, operational requirements of the vehicles themselves, and the emergence of the import vehicle.
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