The J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights has released its sixth annual State of Fleet Management study, revealing a growing shift among fleet managers toward prevention, early detection and real-time visibility to address ongoing safety and compliance challenges.
The study highlights how fleet managers are balancing regulatory complexity, operational demands and cost pressures while working to reduce risk across their operations.
Key fleet manager concerns included:
- Effectively managing preventative maintenance to avoid breakdowns or accidents
- Staying up to date on changing regulations
- Ensuring training results in fully qualified and compliant drivers
- Knowing quickly when a driver is non-compliant
- Identifying repair needs before breakdowns or incidents
“Fleets are shifting from reacting to issues to preventing them,” said Daren Hansen, senior compliance expert at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. “With tighter margins and higher risk, there’s a clear focus on catching problems early, whether that’s identifying non-compliant drivers or addressing maintenance needs before they lead to breakdowns or violations.
“Small gaps in compliance, training or maintenance can quickly turn into major issues. A structured safety and compliance program helps fleets stay ahead of risk and operate with greater confidence.”
The survey identified what fleet managers considered the most important aspects of vehicle maintenance. Responses included:
- 43% said effectively tracking, planning, and scheduling routine vehicle maintenance
- 43% said Knowing when a repair is needed before a breakdown or accident occurs
- 30% sadi Easily tracking vehicle inspections, knowing when they are done, by whom, what needs to be done as a result, etc.
- 26% said Knowing quickly when a vehicle or trailer is damaged or non-compliant
- 21% sais pact of vehicle preventative maintenance on the company’s bottom line
- 20% said Easily knowing who, when, and where a vehicle or trailer was damaged
- 19% said Tracking the quality and thoroughness of vehicle inspections to address issues with incomplete/rushed inspections
- 17% said Easily tracking the status of repairs
- 12% said Knowing when it makes financial sense to outsource maintenance to a third party
The full study is available as a free download.
