According to a recent survey by GE Capital Fleet Services, the biggest concern for fleet managers is ensuring the safety of their drivers.  With more than a third (36%) of fleet managers citing it as their predominant concern, driver safety outpaced cost-savings goals and workforce productivity (22% each).

The results signal a shift since last year’s survey when just 23% cited driver safety as their leading concern. At that time, meeting cost-savings goals (26%) was the most pressing issue facing fleet managers.   

Cost savings is still a leading concern. To help manage costs, fleet managers are using a number of different tactics. Forty-two percent cited vehicle purchasing decisions as the greatest opportunity for savings. This was followed by activating telematics and analytics solutions (31%) and managing maintenance expenses (28%).

“Even as fleet managers remain sharply focused on cost savings, more of them are making safety and well-being of their drivers a top priority,” said Mark Hayes, chief marketing officer of GE Capital Fleet Services.

Additional key findings from the survey included:

• Productivity: The two biggest areas of focus for enhancing fleet productivity were refining preventative maintenance strategies (36%) and defining a comprehensive vehicle replacement/cycling plan (28%).

• Alternative Fuels: Sixty one percent of fleet managers stated that alternative fuel vehicles were already in their fleet, with an additional 11% planning to incorporate them within the next two years. Just 19% of fleet managers stated they do not have plans to incorporate AFVs into their fleets, down from 30% last year.

• Analytics: When asked how analytics have most helped their fleet, 33% of fleet managers cited improved operational efficiency, with an additional 25% naming cost savings.