Fleet Mobility: The Future of Fleet

Fleet Mobility: The Future of Fleet?

Barely a day goes by without one of the fleet publications talking about fleet mobility and how it, along with getting the right fleet insurance, can help reduce fleet running costs.  But what exactly is ‘fleet mobility’?  And how can fleet mobility help owners of fleet vehicles – be they mini-fleets or large scale company fleets – save money and time?  In this article we’ll look at these issues in turn and ask is fleet mobility the future of fleet?

What is Fleet Mobility?

Put simply fleet mobility is a new way of looking at how companies organise the movement of their people.  In a world where businesses large and small increasingly need to be able to move their staff from place to place, firms are looking to reduce costs of fleet travel while lessening their environmental impact.   Fleet mobility programmes often involve the merging of fleet, travel and compliance departments as employers look to reduce costs and create travel efficiencies.   Given such a sprawl of responsibilities – particularly the inclusion of travel – fleet mobility can encompass not just private fleet cars but also public transport as businesses look to diversify their fleet costs.  As Martyn Briggs of leading research company Frost and Williams puts it, ‘We are witnessing a shift away from just considering the total cost of ownership of fleet towards managing the total cost of mobility for the organisation.’

What’s Driving the Fleet Mobility Change?

The most significant driver of this change is cost. Despite the low levels of fuel prices and the availability of cheap fleet insurance, fleet costs are still significant for businesses large and small and any way to reduce them are always welcomed.  As we have said above, some organisations are using fleet mobility to merge roles to decrease the administration costs of running fleets.

Environmental issues are also a big factor.  Large corporations in particular have to closely monitor their carbon emissions with some even reporting them in their annual results.  Fleet mobility, with its diversity of transport methods, can effectively off-set their carbon footprint. 

Technological advances have undoubtedly facilitated this change.  10 years ago, before the advent of smart phones such as the iPhone, fleet mobility would have struggled as the required level of employee communication and vehicle tracking would have been nigh-on impossible.  Today, with intelligent apps being able to give travel cost comparisons and get live updates at the touch of a screen and fleet managers able to track vehicles efficiently enough to allow fleet car sharing, fleet mobility is not just possible but often preferred.

The British Government has also thrown its weight behind the idea of fleet mobility.  As part of their ‘sharing economy’ plans, incentives are being made available for car sharing clubs and government employees are being  asked to make use of new technology to reduce costs and the environmental impact of flee travel through sharing.

Is Fleet Mobility The Future of Fleet?

The short answer to that question is: it depends.  For large scale organisations with a large fleet of vehicles and a fleet manager or fleet managers, fleet mobility looks like the way forward.  Frost and Williams report found that around 5% of companies have already created the role of mobility manager and that another 22% believe that their fleet and travel functions could be merged providing they can find a technological solution to facilitate it. 

For small companies, those with anywhere from 2-10 vehicles for example, the benefits are less clear cut.  Fleet mobility requires dedicated management and IT systems that may be beyond the reach of small and medium sized businesses.  Also given the rush of low and even zero emission vehicles, the affordability of good quality fleet insurance and the low cost of fuel, it’s fair to say that fleet vehicles as we know them will be with us for some years to come.

Like To Know More?

If you would like to know more about fleet mobility or would like some help getting the fleet insurance that’s right for you, then please contact us by calling us free on 0800 977 6037, email us by clicking here or get a no-obligation fleet insurance quote here.