Fleet managers are leaders in safety and sustainability

Fleet managers in Australia are constantly striving to gain more knowledge to boost sustainability at their organisation. They are in charge of daily operations, ensuring that processes run as efficiently as possible. However, one of their main responsibilities is also to maintain the safety of company equipment and vehicles, making them leaders in sustainability.

1. Fleet managers as safety leaders

Fleet safety is paramount. This ranges from maintaining vehicles, to choosing safe routes, avoiding road works, bypassing traffic jams and promoting a safe driving culture. Advanced fleet management technology can help fleet managers to prioritise the safety of their team, creating higher levels of safety. 

Let’s see how fleet management technology can benefit fleet managers: 

By enhancing fleet safety during daily operations: GPS and telematics technology allows businesses to prioritise their team’s safety. You can track your fleet in near real-time and obtain valuable data on driver behaviour and vehicle performance, which means that if there is an emergency, you can quickly take action and get help.

By establishing a safe driving culture: Driver behaviour is directly linked to the higher risk of accidents along with the safety of drivers and vehicles. In fact, speed has been found to be a major contributory factor in accidents. According to BITRE, “there were 1,194 road crash deaths for exceeding posted speed limits in 2022” (1). 

Embracing a safe driving culture is key to decreasing the risk of accidents or preventing them altogether.

By planning your routes to boost safety: Route planning can help decrease the risk of accidents. As an employer, the safety of your team is a main concern. Choosing safe routes and only driving the kilometres necessary can form part of your long-term strategy.

GPS tracking solutions improve the safety of teams and fleets daily. 27% of respondents in Australia said that GPS tracking solutions helped improve safety, 46% improved routing and 47% stated that they decreased accidents in the 2024 survey.

By assisting with vehicle maintenance scheduling: GPS tracking solutions can help to combine preventive and predictive vehicle maintenance, keeping your fleet in optimal condition, allowing vehicles to be used safely by the team. 

Furthermore, GPS tracking solutions also assist fleet managers in extending the life of their vehicles, achieving a profitable ROI. Insights obtained from telematics solutions can help fleets identify optimal maintenance intervals, staying on top of maintenance scheduling. 

In Australia, 37% of respondents said that GPS tracking solutions improved preventive maintenance which helps to keep vehicles roadworthy for longer, contributing to less vehicle wear and tear. 

2. Fleet managers as green (sustainability) leaders 

Fleet managers are the new sustainability leaders, helping their company become greener. Consumers and governments are demanding that companies commit to making their fleets more sustainable, reducing their impact on the environment.

In this sense, Australia’s transport sector “is the third largest source of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, amounting to 19%”. (2)

The Australian Government has committed “to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050” for the transport sector. (3)

Let’s see how fleet management can help fleet managers become sustainable fleet leaders:

By cutting down on unnecessary idling:  Longer idling time increases fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear. According to research, “the estimated fuel consumption of an idling engine is 0.6 litres / hr per litre of engine displacement. This means that an idling 3.5 litre engine consumes more than 2 litres of fuel per hour”. (4)

By increasing fuel efficiency: Coaching your drivers around eco-driving techniques and monitoring their behaviour behind the wheel can make a significant impact to your business. In fact, the most important and immediate benefit of sustainable is cost savings. 

Research found that “drivers could save up to $400 per year, based on a fuel price of $2 per litre, if they adopted “eco-driving” strategies by reducing fuel use and cutting their vehicle’s carbon emissions”. (5)

By lowering carbon emissions across your entire fleet: With the new CO2 standards, all fleets are facing the challenge of becoming greener and reducing carbon emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 (6) in order to contribute to a zero-neutral future. 

In the latest quarterly update of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory there is a report on the latest greenhouse gas emissions. It was reported that “emissions for the year to June 2023 are estimated to be 465.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e1), an increase of 0.8% (3.6 Mt CO2-e) compared with the previous year” (7). 

Also, they pointed out that transport emissions increased (up 7.8%; 7.1 Mt CO2-e) in comparison to last year (8). 

The Australian Government stated that “it is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050”. (9)

Fleet based businesses in Australia can be a part of the solution to reduce emissions, becoming greener and more sustainable businesses. 

The last Fleet Technology Trends report in Australia 2024 revealed that 42% of GPS tracking users were able to reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to becoming a greener fleet and 31% improved sustainability within this new sustainable ideal.

By promoting an environmentally friendly, top-notch vehicle maintenance program: The main objective of vehicle maintenance is ensuring that the equipment is safe to use. This needs to be complemented with a vision that combines safety, sustainability and respect (commitment) for the environment.

A sustainable vehicle maintenance program considers the carbon footprint of the entire vehicle fleet, along with the amount of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. In addition, there are emissions resulting from wear and tear, or from tyres and brakes that may result in more CO2 in the atmosphere; not to mention, a higher fuel consumption.

These aspects will be included in the new comprehensive maintenance program (preventive and predictive) for all vehicles in the fleet. The program places safety and sustainability at the heart of the company’s strategy.

Advance your fleet to the next level of safety, sustainability and excellence

By working with vehicles daily, fleet managers learn how to improve strategic areas, continuing to advance - not stagnate.

Focusing specifically on sustainability, daily actions would include:

- Monitoring the team’s driving behaviour, taking action to prevent poor driving practices.

- Analysing the planned routes (which ones are safer, where have accidents occurred, which are susceptible to traffic jams, etc.).

- Knowing precisely which vehicles require more maintenance (due to mileage, type of use, etc.).

- Knowing each fleet vehicle’s carbon footprint,

- Monitoring gas emissions and the direct relationship with fuel consumption.

Implementing these actions daily, mobility professionals can utilise fleet management technology to develop a significant competitive advantage.

Advanced platforms that collect real-time information on safety and sustainability, and that allow the data to be easily interpreted, can make a significant impact to a company and its sustainability journey.

Learn how companies in Australia have improved safety, sustainability and several other strategic areas in their business after implementing an advanced fleet management solution.

Download the Fleet Technology Trends Report Australia 2024 or request a demo to see it in action. 

Sources Australia

• (1-) https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/road_trauma_2022.pdf

• (2-3) https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-and-infrastructure-net-zero-roadmap-and-action-plan#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Government%20doing,net%20zero%20emissions%20by%202050

• (4) https://ecomobile.gouv.qc.ca/en/ecomobilite/tips/idling_engine.php#:~:text=The%20estimated%20fuel%20consumption%20of,without%20ever%20moving%20a%20kilometre!

• (5) https://www.racq.com.au/articles/drive/2021/10/eco-driving-benefits-the-environment-and-your-budget#:~:text=Simple%20changes%20to%20the%20way,cutting%20their%20vehicle's%20carbon%20emissions.

• (6) https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-and-infrastructure-net-zero-roadmap-and-action-plan#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Government%20doing,net%20zero%20emissions%20by%202050

• (7-8) https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/national-greenhouse-gas-inventory-june-2023.pdf

• (9) https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-and-infrastructure-net-zero-roadmap-and-action-plan#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Government%20doing,net%20zero%20emissions%20by%202050