Verizon Connect- ACA Research effort charts pressure differences due to company size
Fuel costs are a central concern of Australian fleet owners, with efficient use front of mind, according to a newly released report.
The report also identifies a challenge for a segment of fleet owners that have grown to the point that company managers’ personal authority and control is diluted but not enough for dedicated fleet managers to be employed.
Software firm Verizon Connect, in partnership with ACA Research, has launched a new research report – 2020 Australian Fleet Trends Report – aims to identify key challenges facing transportation and logistics companies operating vehicle fleets.
Based on responses from 200 senior Australian fleet executives the survey measured driver behaviour, fuel usage, fuel tax credits and vehicle maintenance and also covered the following industries: services, construction, production, retail and education.
The report outlines a situation for a majority of fleet owners where, though they trust their staff, they feel they have no choice but to check records such as timesheets to identify possible errors.
Automated time sheets are seen as a solution for errors and overpayments by 52 per cent of respondents.
Interestingly, ACA Research records a lessening of confidence over the past three years on these points amongst fleets of 5-19 vehicles and 20-49 vehicles – by as much as 24 per cent amongst the former.
Read how fleet concerns looked when ACA examined them three years ago, here
It points to a significant reduction amongst small operations of trust not only in staff but in technology, to below 50 per cent.
This is not replicated amongst bigger fleets.
“Larger fleets will have more structured processes and procedures in place, so their challenges primarily lie around verifying,” the report states.
On the other side of that coin are concerns rise with the fleet size over fraudulent use of fuel cards, at 62 per cent of fleets with 150+ vehicles, while the two smaller cohorts see that concern falling by 31 and 32 per cent of 5-19 vehicle and 20-49 vehicle fleets, to 26 and 38 per cent respectively.
Fuel prices continue to test fleet-owners, with the middle two cohorts, 20-49 and 50-149 at 84-91 per cent, around 10-15 per cent more concerned about how to manage fluctuations than either the small or big end of town.
A generally higher fuel spend, at an average of eight per cent on the previous 12 months, brings the claiming of fuel tax credits into sharp relief with most businesses making claims at both rates.
Interestingly, given larger fleets tend to have more resources to throw at their systems and truckmakers have never made it easier, firms of all sizes report difficulties in handling vehicle maintenance. But those with fleets of more than 50 vehicles find it more of an issue than those with fewer by 14-19 per cent.
More than three quarters find it challenging either to keeping track of vehicle maintenance schedules or finding time to take vehicles off the road for scheduled maintenance or just generally.
Though the survey was conducted 10 months ago, a spokesperson for Verizon insists the issues are as relevant now as they will be in 10 months’ time.
More detail on the survey findings will be found in the next edition of ATN.