2025 Fleet-management Trends: What to Expect in the New Year

Managing a fleet today is vastly different to what it was a decade ago, and tomorrow's fleet managers will surely have a very different job ahead of them again.

Verizon's recent 2025 Fleet Technology Trends Report has given us a peek into this future, revealing how 5G communications, artificial intelligence (AI), and other emerging technologies are being embraced by forward-looking Australian fleets and driving gains in everything from efficiency and safety to sustainability.

For companies wanting to join these pioneers on the path towards a more productive, profitable and sustainable tomorrow, keeping on top of these trends will be critical moving into 2025.

Fleet telematics

Underpinned by ever more powerful AI software, the latest fleet GPS tracking and telematics solutions are not only able to crunch more data than ever before but also present it in a more helpful way. It can highlight hidden patterns and provide insights, recommendations and predictions for everything from routing and maintenance to driver behaviour.

Australian fleets are fast making this technology the norm, with the 2025 Fleet Technology Trends survey revealing that 75 per cent of respondents were already using it and 67 per cent of those found it very or extremely beneficial in reducing fleet costs.

With the predictive and other powers of telematics systems already proving widely beneficial – and those powers only set to grow in 2025 and beyond – fleets not on the bandwagon will be facing extra pressure to get on board or be left behind.

Smart fuel management

One of a fleet’s biggest operational costs is fuel, and today’s telematics systems allow a vehicle’s data such as fuel consumption, idling time, and how it is driven, to be tracked and interpreted like never before.

With sustainability concerns for business increasing, and 46 per cent of Fleet Technology Trends Report Australia survey respondents using telematics technology saying it had helped to lower their fleet’s fuel consumption, expect more companies to make data-driven adjustments to minimise their fuel bills and emissions moving forward.

Fleet electrification

More Australian fleets are turning electric, with 51 per cent of Fleet Technology Trends survey respondents saying they were already incorporating electric vehicles (EVs) into their businesses. That trend will gather pace in 2025, driven by continued expansion of the number and variety of EVs available, continued charging network growth, and the fundamental attraction of lower maintenance, running costs and life-cycle emissions than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

The exclusion of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) from the Federal Government’s EV discount policy from April 1, 2025 – leaving only full battery EVs eligible for the policy's Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption – will also nudge more Australian companies into adopting more sustainable fleets.

Camera-based safety solutions

Some telematics systems combine camera and AI technology to detect fatigue and undesirable or risky driving behaviour while providing real-time alerts, coaching and scorecards, giving drivers the information and incentive they need to improve their performance.

With evidence of the effectiveness of this fleet-safety technology becoming more compelling – 73 per cent of 2025 Fleet Technology Trends survey respondents using it said it had helped improve driver safety – expect more businesses to adopt camera-based technology to maximise the performance and well-being of their most valuable assets.