The biggest new trends in fleet management in 2023

Looking after a vehicle fleet is a complex and ever-evolving job, one that requires you to have your finger on the pulse of the latest industry developments. As we move into 2023, here are some of the biggest trends on the horizon that will undoubtedly shape how fleets are managed this year and beyond.

With no fuel needed and extremely low maintenance requirements due to the lack of moving parts and fluids in the engine, EVs are now a far more attractive proposition than ever for fleet managers.

Although Australia is trailing the rest of the world when it comes to the uptake of electric vehicles, chiefly due to a lack of national fuel efficiency standards and government incentives, things are beginning to change.

Labor has introduced an Electric Car Discount Bill that makes EVs, plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and hydrogen cars below the luxury tax threshold ($84,916) exempt from fringe benefits tax, a step made to incentivise employers to supply EVs to employees via a company fleet (the Treasury estimates that this could result in employers saving up to $12,500 on the cost of an EV for an employee).

EV options for fleets have been on the increase, too: LDV has released the eT60, Australia’s first electric ute, as well as the eDeliver 9 van; Mercedes-Benz has the eVito van; SEA Electric Australia has a range of all-electric trucks available; Volvo Trucks Australia has recently launched the all-electric medium duty truck range for Australian transport operators, and Australian company Janus Electric has revealed the country’s first electric prime mover fleet with swappable batteries.

Labor has also committed to spending $20 million to accelerate electric truck use, so expect to see a whole lot more on Aussie roads before too long.

Sure, it may seem a little Big Brother, but cameras mounted on the dash of fleet vehicles are a great way to protect your assets. They can be incredibly helpful when it comes to important issues such as monitoring for unsafe driving behaviour, or providing evidence in relation to an accident or altercation that may result in a legal situation or an insurance claim.

AI-assisted dash cams can help you zero in on any issues relating to the vehicle while it’s on the road, with the AI typically able to review footage based on driver behaviour triggers such as hard braking, hard cornering or rapid acceleration.

Improved driver-safety protection from false claims, reduction of accidents and reduced insurance costs are all key positives when it comes to dash cams, which is why there’s been a steady increase of them making their way into vehicle fleets.

Unfortunately, supply chain issues caused by the global pandemic won’t be easing up a great deal going into 2023, with instability and a lack of reliability still very real problems. According to Gartner Research, 50 per cent of global product-centric businesses will invest in real-time visibility across their supply chain by the end of next year in an effort to monitor both freight issues and the threat of cyber-attacks, which have occurred recently in the freight and transport industry.

To avoid becoming vulnerable, businesses are being urged to take cyber-crime seriously, especially in light of the recent Medibank and Optus hacks.

Now that the government has set a target to deliver net zero emissions by 2050, fleet managers are starting to look seriously at how they can accurately track fleet emissions – an important step in implementing effective target-reduction strategies. Location technology will begin to monitor planning, operation and maintenance to reduce downtime along the supply chain, which will in turn assist in reducing fuel costs and, ultimately, carbon emissions.

Analysing data involving vehicle types, traffic conditions and maps of transport routes (including gradients) will assist fleet managers in successfully monitoring emissions and deciding what steps to take to lessen their carbon footprints.

^Disclaimer

^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}