Fleet leaders are under pressure from every direction. Fleetio’s recent survey uncovered the 6 key challenges fleet managers face:
- Rising service and maintenance costs
- Technician and driver labor shortages
- Limited vehicle and parts availability
- Fuel price volatility
- Compliance pressures
- Complexity in adopting new technologies
These aren’t abstract concerns. They have real business consequences. Maintenance delays lead to breakdowns. Vehicle downtime mean jobs get missed. Fuel spikes erode your bottom line. And compliance missteps can cost real money.
The Ripple Effects of Driver Safety
Here’s a sobering reality: motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S. (CDC).
Commercial auto insurance rates are now among the most expensive lines of business, higher than general liability and commercial property insurance. Claims, settlements, and premiums are rising fast. (CIAB)
Employers feel this in more ways than one: beyond human costs, crashes come with:
- Lost productivity
- Increased premiums
- Repair and replacement costs
- Litigation exposure
- Worker downtime
Why Monitoring Driver Behavior Matters
At its core, fleet safety isn’t about luck. It’s about behavior. And according to recent scientific research, telematics turns driver behavior into measurable, actionable risk indicators.
- Speeding and harsh driving events are significantly associated with crash risk. (Elsevier)
- Large-scale telematics data (speed, acceleration, braking patterns, etc.) can be used to generate meaningful risk indicators. (Elsevier)
- Targeted feedback, incentives, and gamified challenges can meaningfully reduce risky behavior, especially among moderate-risk drivers. (MDPI)
This is evidence that fleets can move from reactive safety to preventive risk management.
And OSHA agrees: a robust driver safety program, supported by data, can greatly reduce risk and protect your bottom line.
Vehicle Health: The Early Warning System You Can’t Ignore
With maintenance costs rising, every unplanned breakdown is an expensive interruption.
During slower months, it seems like your fleet can “get away with” ignoring seemingly small issues, like a few overdue preventive maintenance schedules. But once peak season hits, those small issues turn into expensive ones.
Suddenly, you’re dealing with:
- Unplanned breakdowns
- Vehicles stuck in the shop
- Missed appointments
- Overworked technicians
- Increased safety incidents
- Preventive maintenance compliance pressure
And you’re trying to solve all of it while still keeping customers happy. That’s why relying on gut instinct just isn’t enough anymore. Holman recommends that fleets stick to optimal PM schedules, and proactively manage replacement cycles reduce both cost and downtime.
Telematics helps you proactively manage maintenance rather than discovering issues the hard way: after a breakdown.
The next two charts tell the story of two fleets, based on a study conducted by Holman. The blue fleet has high PM variability, meaning it isn’t consistently completing recommended preventive maintenance. The green fleet has low PM variability, staying on schedule with PM and replacing vehicles consistently.
The difference is clear: high PM variability is directly tied to higher costs, including cost per mile, average cost per vehicle per month, and the cost of unscheduled maintenance.
While both fleets have seen expenses rise in recent years (largely due to inflation), the fleet with inconsistent PM and replacement practices has experienced costs climbing at a much faster rate.
Driver Efficiency: Fight Waste Where You Can
When your fleet is dialed in for peak season, every gallon and every mile matters. Telematics sheds light on:
Idling
According to energy.gov, idling can waste ¼ to ½ gallon of fuel per hour. And shutting down engines for inactivity longer than one minute can save money.
Speed and mileage efficiency
Mileage decreases rapidly above 50 mph, and according to energy.gov, each 5 mph over that threshold feels like paying an extra $0.27 to $0.54 per gallon— money you literally throw out the window.
Why This Matters Now
Today’s fleets face tighter margins and higher expectations than ever. Telematics gives you visibility into these patterns so you don’t just hope drivers are efficient — you know. Visibility turns operational chaos into a strategic advantage. Zubie gives fleet managers the tools they need to:
- Measure driver risk profiles and reduce risky behaviors
- Enforce driver safety programs
- Track vehicle health and enforce preventive maintenance schedules
- Monitor driving behavior like idling and fuel usage
- Get data-driven insights to make better business decisions
Ready to learn more and get your questions answered?
Take five minutes to watch a short demo, then book a meeting with one of our fleet experts to talk through your goals, get all your questions answered, and get started with Zubie.