Lorna McAtear, vice chair, Association of Fleet Professionals, heralds the resurgence of the fleet manager.

Lorna McAtear, vice chair, Association of Fleet Professionals

For many years, the commentary around the role of the fleet manager stated it was gradually fading from corporate life in favour of either outsourcing or being subsumed into a variety of other functions.

Whether this conclusion was ever true to the extent that it was being reported is very much open to question, but what appears to be beyond doubt is that the fleet manager is making quite a dramatic comeback in terms of profile and perceived value to businesses. In 2025, overseeing the fleet means being visible and being heard, increasingly at board level.

The reason for this development is that almost all company car and van fleets have, over the last few years, come to need better informed and more highly skilled management. Attempting to treat the fleet as a side issue is no longer a credible option. There are several factors behind this change but the most important is electrification. Moving your fleet from ICE to EV is a shift that requires a daily, hands-on level of intervention that, in a business of any size, inevitably requires at least one full-time position and perhaps an entire team.

What is interesting is how the arrival of electric cars and vans has not just increased the necessity for fleet managers, but also altered their role. Yes, there remains the need for what might be thought of as core skills, such as drawing up choice lists and calculating whole-life costs, but there has also been a development into something much closer to an internal communications position. Fleet managers spend a lot of time today answering questions about EVs and resolving lots of minor operational points. Some of this is fighting back against the mass of misinformation that surrounds EVs (“No, your car isn’t going to spontaneously combust!”) but, more often, employees just want to know how to use a particular charger.

This has been especially true when it comes to van electrification. Many fleets have found this departure much harder than for cars, requiring a much more detailed degree of management. Ensuring that drivers have schedules that meet the needs of the business, provide them with appropriate breaks and fit within the range and payload capabilities of their electric van, all require a high level of attention.

Covid changes

Of course, there are factors beyond electrification that give additional prominence to fleet managers, many of them related to the pandemic. After 2020, almost all the services surrounding fleet management initially became in shorter supply. Buying, maintaining and ensuring vehicles were available for use became much more difficult – and sometimes impossible. This situation has improved but is still nowhere near pre-Covid levels.

Again, a very hands-on managerial approach has been required. Reducing downtime, for example, is generally a question of keeping on top of parts suppliers and workshops in order to ensure that vehicle-off-road time is minimised. This situation needs a person who genuinely understands the processes involved – and that person is the fleet manager.

At the Association of Fleet Professionals, we see signs of an increased profile of the fleet role in many different ways. Growing membership is an obvious one, but there has also been considerable growth in interest in training, with the number of course days delivered up by 9% last year. Attendance at our events is also rising and, importantly, efforts continue to create a fleet management apprenticeship – a process that takes time but is progressing.

As mentioned at the start of this piece, it’s a moot point whether the fleet manager ever really went away – but they have most certainly ‘returned’. It is arguable that, today, our profession is in better health than ever. We are making a larger contribution to our employers, have greater corporate power – and are well positioned as a strong career choice for the future.