Fleet managers are increasingly turning to technology to help address an ever-growing list of financial and operational challenges.

Fleet operators are facing an unprecedented winter of high fuel costs, driver shortages and continuing fears of a global recession

New research by Solera Holdings LLC, a global specialist in vehicle lifecycle management, reveals operators are facing an unprecedented winter of high fuel costs, driver shortages and continuing fears of a global recession – likely to make 2023 one of their most challenging years to date.

The survey of 1,500+ European decision-makers unveils major economic concerns, including for the UK where fuel costs are the number one challenge for leaders heading into 2023, cited by 65% of respondents.

But driver shortages are also continuing to plague the industry and 30% of UK participants said this was a major challenge, putting it in second place on the list.

Greater expectation of increased delivery speed (23%), the prospect of a global recession (19%), and increased volume of deliveries (15%) are other challenges for UK fleet managers heading into 2023.

In fact, the pressures from skyrocketing consumer expectations, driven by the pandemic and lockdowns, are taking their toll. According to Solera’s study, 86% of UK fleets say they feel under pressure to make deliveries faster to meet customer’s needs, compared to 79% globally.

This is where fleets using data to provide real-time, actionable insights have the advantage – using data to manage each part of the driver journey can improve the employee experience and safety but also boost overall efficiency and productivity, giving users a competitive edge.

Four of 10 (40%) of respondents said technology to improve delivery efficiency would help them and a similar amount (41%) said the most helpful technology would be one platform that provided the information they needed to manage their fleet in one central place.

But 81% of UK fleet managers are finding it challenging to balance the different technologies that are supposed to be helping them. This compares to a global figure of 68% and shows UK fleet managers are especially struggling with this.

Mark Tiana, VP Truck & Fleet Solutions at Solera, said: “Fleets are currently facing a perfect storm of problems, but they are not on their own. There are technological solutions out there that can help ease the load over the coming months.

“Solera is already supporting our customers to boost productivity during this period and provide fleets with the tools they need to make the job easier and more effective. Fleets who wholeheartedly embrace technology will only reap the benefits, not only by providing drivers with a better, safe experience but improving efficiency, retention, and growth.”

• Solera will be attending this year’s IAA Transportation conference in Hannover from 19-25 September where it will showcase a new global product to address the current market challenges and transform fleet operations.