Fleet managers are an integral part of an organisation, irrespective of the internally or externally operated vehicle fleet. The role is a multi-faceted one, ranging from daily paperwork and reporting, to watching the horizon for future developments in technology, the automotive industry, finance, taxation, occupational health and safety and many other areas.
Depending on the nature of the business under which he or she works, the role sees increasing demand for flexibility, agility and responsiveness in that organisation’s discourse. The ability to necessitate change based on evidence and strategy is essential in a society of constant change.
Communication skills are important. Given the varying levels of inter-organisational involvement, being able to cooperate and engage with others in a range of departments, from finance and corporate to labour and clerical, strong inter-personal connections and understanding make for good outcomes.
These communication skills not only allow organisational functionality, they enhance business prospects and add to the company’s bottom line. A fleet that is kept up to standard, meeting and exceeding the expectation placed on it, and runs efficiently and effectively keeps the gears turning on all levels.
Likewise, staying in tune to the objectives, marketing strategies and mission statements of a business or projects within, ensures the fleet performs in the same manner. A fleet of poorly serviced, uneconomical and impractical vehicles, for example, would contradict a company’s commercial vision that emphasises environmental sustainability or corporate social responsibility. A fleet manager must also be conscious of maligning with unethical business structures, brands or operations, and wearing the effects of another party’s poor reputation which can reflect on the organisation’s best interests.
All actions and relationships a fleet manager makes and develops also need the common interest of safety which needs to be present in every aspect of the fleet, no matter how significant. With safety as the paramount concern for a fleet’s operation, every area within an organisation operates at its optimum.
