In a closing seminar at the most recent Fleet Forward and Fleet Safety Conference in San Diego, fleet managers shared what works for them and the heart of their successes.
Photo: Ross Stewart Photography
Fleet managers have a tough job of creating safer and more efficient operations. From telematics and AI to safety and accountability, their approaches are as diverse as the fleets they manage.
In a closing seminar at the most recent Fleet Forward and Fleet Safety Conference (FFC and FSC) in San Diego, fleet managers shared that the heart of their success is empowering drivers, embracing innovation, and navigating the complexities of compliance, retention, and electrification.
By sharing their stories and solutions, fleet managers provide a path to overcome obstacles and win big in the industry.
Sandra Doucette (left) received the award at the 2024 Fleet Safety Conference from Mike Joyce (right) of the American Automotive Leasing Association (right) and Bobit Associate Publisher Chris Brown.
Photo: Ross Stewart Photography
Driving Safety Forward: A Winning Fleet Strategy
Fleet safety success stories show how innovative thinking and proactive leadership can reduce risks, improve outcomes and protect drivers.
Out of 11 finalists, Sandra Doucette, senior manager of EHS at Advance Auto Parts (AAP), secured the win for the 2024 Fleet Safety Award. The award was presented by Mike Joyce, executive director of the American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA).
Doucette spearheaded a fleet safety strategy for 19,000 vehicles that significantly reduced preventable losses, claims, and costs through enhanced driver training, telematics, and risk management tools.
AAP’s mid-year 2023 vs. 2024 performance metrics increase accounted for 88 preventable claims and repair cost avoidance of $468,539 based on the average repair amount of $5,308 for avoidable claims. Doucette’s initiatives improved safety reduction in collision frequency, severity, cost, and overall risk.
Doucette detailed her experience partnering with CEI and Element Fleet Management to develop a fleet safety program. She cited early mission statements of “we believe our people are our best part” from AAP as a foundation for those projects.
“We were transparent with our team members. We have a fleet safety playbook, and in that fleet safety playbook […] it details what our safety policies are, our expectations for driving behaviors, and the training that’s available to them at any time,” she explained.
The program re-teaches safe driving practices to experienced drivers using coaching cards, conversation guides, and defensive driving programs to foster a culture of recognition and appreciation.
By empowering drivers and using data-driven strategies, the program reduced collisions by 25% and severity by 35%, recognizing over 6,000 drivers.
Insights From Fleet Managers at FFC
Although a fleet manager’s efforts aim to get drivers on the road and bring them home at night to their families, what are other ways they can make this happen?
Fleet safety can come in many forms, including challenges like compliance, driver retention, and the integration of AI and telematics. The FFC closing keynote discussion, “In Their Words: Fleet Managers on the State of Fleet,” explored those challenges alongside the importance of career growth opportunities and leveraging technology to improve fleet management.
The session featured the newly crowned Fleet Safety Award winner and other panelists, including:
- Chris Brown (moderator), Associate Publisher and Emcee, Fleet Forward
- Lisa Kneggs, Fleet Manager, Farmer Brothers
- Jeb Lopez, CEO and Owner, Wheelz Up
- Bradley Northup, Public Works Superintendent – Fleet Operations, City of Carlsbad, California
- Jim Petrillo, Fleet Manager and Treasury Services, Fujifilm
Managers like Lopez and Doucette leverage technology through social media, which helps build a culture with younger employee demographics and allows information to be shared between numerous locations, like AAP’s 5,000 stores.
For Lopez, posting driver recognition and safety measures helps their drivers exude positive and consistent behaviors in their day-to-day responsibilities.
Overcoming Challenges and Creating Wins in Fleet Management
Sharing challenges can feel odd and invasive, but they allow for awareness amongst industry professionals and encourage collaboration and innovation. The panelists discussed their most significant challenges in fleet for 2024-2025:
- Compliance and Inspections: Petrillo discussed take-home vehicle compliance, ensuring drivers do their inspections before registration renewals, and fostering safety awareness.
- Public Sector Uncertainty: Northup shared public works uncertainty, especially with regulatory compliance, engine regulations (Advanced Clean Fleets rule), and fleet management with parts replacement and maintenance challenges. Kneggs pointed out confusion on how to interpret the regulation legalese and where to get accurate information in California.
- Vehicle Utilization and Space: Kneggs said vehicle and equipment usage is inefficient; drivers store items in trucks due to excessive space instead of keeping them in warehouses for others. “It’s like a woman’s purse. The bigger it is, the more crap you put in it,” Kneggs joked.
- Driver Retention and Safety: Lopez talked about retaining younger delivery drivers, Amazon’s requirements putting more pressure on drivers, safety and compliance, customer expectations, and delivering packages perfectly between destinations.
Although some obstacles require extended time and effort for fleet managers to navigate, they shed light on the larger picture, and the solutions can result in even bigger wins.
Lopez said finding a system to handle all your fleet management needs — dash cams, APIs, apps, telematics, and fuel cards — in one place will streamline operations and give you a more holistic approach to fleet management.
Petrillo explained that there are even more benefits to adding technology to your fleet, such as improved communication between driver and manager. Fujifilm drivers now have apps showing their scores for training compliance, vehicle maintenance, and registration for better visibility.
The apps also provide a one-stop shop for essential resources like insurance cards and maintenance guides. However, Petrillo acknowledged user adoption and password management are still challenges to get the most out of the system.
Outside of technology, new management strategies have helped Kneggs make significant changes. She delegated maintenance approval across a 700-vehicle fleet to area and regional managers so that accountability would sit with those responsible for their budgets (P&L).
Plus, the addition of automating vehicle replacement tracking meant managers could make cost-effective decisions — like delaying repairs when a replacement vehicle was imminent. It improved transparency, accountability, and decision-making within the business.
Northup showed a way to save costs and infrastructure for fleet electrification in the public sector. Working with their local utility company, the City of Carlsbad invested in EV charging infrastructure at a fraction of the cost of a traditional fuel station. For under $500,000, they have the infrastructure to support their fleet for the next 5-10 years, compared to $2.5-3 million for a new fuel station.
Northup said fleets should prioritize long-term flexibility and infrastructure planning even if full electrification isn’t immediately possible.
Each initiative showcases practical, innovative strategies to enhance fleet management, from leveraging technology to reducing costs and improving data-driven decision-making.
“So much data just becomes noise,” Jeb Lopez (right) said, agreeing that AI and cyber security can help fleet managers well into the future.
Photo: Ross Stewart Photography
Harnessing Data and AI: Striking a Balance for Smarter Fleet Management
Data is key to fleet performance. For some, with multiple systems across different departments, it’s easy for information to get overwhelming.
By investing in Power BI dashboards, Doucette’s organization created a centralized platform for leaders to access and interpret data across multiple domains — safety, sales, HR, and recruiting. The dashboards provide actionable insights so leaders can find the key levers to improve performance. It turns raw data into helpful guidance so managers can make informed strategic decisions.
“So much data just becomes noise,” Lopez said, agreeing that AI and cyber security can help fleet managers well into the future.
“There is so much data, there is so much coming at us, that we kind of take it as it comes because we don’t have time to dig into it and see what it can do for us,” Kneggs added.
Northup affirmed that AI tools are not used to manage his fleet, but AI helps speed up tasks such as report writing in personal day-to-day operations.
“AI should only be used as a tool, right? Not a replacement. They are tools to help people work more efficiently and make refinements in their own systems,” Northup added.
The power of predictive analytics in fleet management uses vehicle data, like tire temperature, to identify potential issues before they occur, enabling proactive maintenance and reducing downtime. While fleets have access to vast amounts of data, fully leveraging it remains challenging, as most organizations are only beginning to explore its potential.
“One of my biggest fears is having too much data, and it’s paralyzing, honestly, and I’m afraid of having data that we didn’t notice and then having a liability because of that data,” Petrillo said.
“Everybody is trying to keep up with technology. My wish is to step back. Where are the people that are maintaining the day-to-day processes?” Kneggs said. “Let me know what’s going on. So that’s where I struggle a little bit is I’m not totally convinced AI is the end all be all.”
A balance between AI and fleet managers is a favorable outcome, as AI can help organize and collect data while fleet managers can access and filter its findings to take the right action.
Building the Future of Fleet Through People, Technology, and Stability
Fleet management can offer many career paths, from drivers to technicians to fleet managers, but it takes intentional effort to attract and retain talent. According to Doucette and Northup, encouraging the younger generations to get into trades and providing clear career progression is key to addressing the current skills gap.
As fleet operations evolve with technology and changing challenges, marketing fleet careers as dynamic, rewarding, and essential will help build future talent pipelines.
Kneggs has hopes for stability in fleet operations, such as returning to predictable replacement cycles and improving supply chain efficiency, which is key to navigating the disruptions of the last few years.
Ultimately, investing in people, technology, and planning will be essential to the future of the fleet industry.
