Fleet Trends in 2022: The Good, the Bad, and the Inconclusive

Fleet connectivity solutions are increasingly advancing with the implementation of new technologies like top-quality GPS fleet management, IoT, and telematics. Fleet managers are searching for quicker and smarter ways to cut down costs and improve the companies’ bottom line.

Due to the pandemic, the past two years have seen a rapid shift towards newer technologies. These include fleet management GPS tracking solutions, big data, and AI & ML have completely transformed the supply chain management system.

Let’s discuss the fleet trends that are likely to occur in the year 2022.

The Good

Safety and Sustainability

One of the important aspects of fleet management is to keep the carbon emissions and driver safety scores in check. Just being compliant with the regulations is not enough; fleet managers should devise ways to gradually advance towards cleaner and safer practices. By including these goals in the fundamental list of company strategies, businesses also have a lot of benefits in the days to come.

• Fleet electrification: The significant change into fleet electrification in 2021 is a positive sign that this trend will continue to grow this year, too, in spite of all the challenges that exist till now. The rise in demand for EVs is also propelling the European Commission to intensify its efforts and enable the shift to safer, greener, and sustainable mobility.
• Driver assistance systems: The year 2022 would see a variety of changes in vehicle fleet management measures and the implementation of improved standards in regard to both safety and sustainability. These would include necessary driver assistance systems such as distraction and drowsiness warnings, speeding assistance and collision detection, and the Member States’ obligations to produce reports on actual energy and fuel consumption.
• Promoting greener driving habits: The emerging technologies will be the initiating factor in these changes, and businesses that already use effective tools for promoting safer and greener driving habits will have the leverage to adapt to the changes in a quick time.

The influx of Real-time Data Enabling Better Business

In-vehicle telematics, fleet management GPS tracking solutions, and artificial intelligence technologies such as computer vision are rapidly enhancing. With more companies relying on these tools to track and manage their fleet processes remotely, the vast collection of data from these systems enables fleet managers to conceive innovative strategies with enhanced accuracy and minimum risks.

Investing in Telematics Will Have Faster Pay-off

Effective fleet management is a crucial and complex task. To keep up with the rapidly changing and competitive environment, fleet managers should be able to make quick and efficient decisions and manage the staff in real-time. The most difficult part is all these needs to be done remotely.

Additionally, they will have to adopt a proof-based approach when planning for the long haul. It will let them identify the trends and risks on time and actively manage, swiftly react to crises and promote flexibility in the business.

The Bad

More Expectations of Fleet Managers with Less Resources

With the world hit by the COVID pandemic, vehicle fleet management is experiencing increased pressures on fleet capacity and cost control. Hindering of the supply chain like the shortage of microchips along with the gathering of demands throughout the years 2020 and 2021 will lead to a substantial rise in costs of parts, vehicles, and labour and maintenance. Moreover, the inflation in fuel prices also adds to the inconvenience.

Apart from that, fleet managers may also have to handle longer waiting times in order to replace old vehicles with new ones, while many may opt to postpone the fleet renewal plans. They will also have to plan for potential increased downtime because older vehicles will consume more fuel and may have more maintenance requirements.

Need to Deal with Driver Shortage

Various factors are responsible for driver turnover, and it is a major concern of fleet management in the trucking sector. To start with, the average age of drivers is continually increasing, and many are expected to reach their retirement age in a few years. The situation got worse when the economic activity began to gain speed after the COVID-19 restrictions were eased off. All the accumulated demands led to severe workloads on drivers resulting in increased job dissatisfaction and resignations.

All this while, the approaching alterations in the road transport labour laws under the Mobility Package of the EU may worsen things before it changes things for the better. The new laws will be effective from the month of February 2022, imposing new minimum driver time-at-home and rest periods and limiting trip time to 4 hours maximum.

These rules are expected to curb driver shortage and attract young drivers, but for the moment, vehicle fleet management may have to struggle in searching for new talents to compensate for the difference. So, companies will have to do everything to retain their existing drivers and find ways to enhance their productivity with the help of advanced technology such as IoT and top-quality GPS fleet management.

The Inconclusive

New variants of the ongoing pandemic are continually recurring after months, so we cannot expect to totally get rid of this nuisance soon. The threat of new lockdowns cannot be avoided completely, and this poses threats of interruption in the supply chain of the companies.

So, no top-quality GPS fleet management can guarantee cent percent effectiveness in supply chain management, and companies have to go forward with the uncertainty of the ‘new normal.’

Summary

So, the supply chain system is likely to go through both positive and negative changes this year and in the upcoming years too. Technologies like fleet management GPS tracking solutions are going to enhance the processes while drivers’ shortage is going to hamper the companies. Companies either have to adapt to the changes or get left behind.