It’s been an interesting and challenging couple of years in the commercial fleet management market. Companies have had to pivot to face surprising new obstacles. Many of the changes we’ve seen are likely to continue into 2024.
Let’s look at some challenges and opportunities fleet managers can be watching for in the year ahead.
1. Expect continued supply-chain obstacles
Over the last couple of years, supply-chain issues have been a real problem—and it’s not going to let up for a while. There’s increased demand for shipping and delivery, which also means more demand for commercial vehicles.
Manufacturers can barely meet the demand for the vehicles fleet managers need. This means many fleets are trying to meet increased demand with older vehicles.
These issues with suppliers, manufacturers, and shipping companies will likely take a while to level out. Because of that, proactive preventative maintenance is going to be even more important.
If you’re looking for some tips on creating a more proactive culture and a plan for preventative maintenance, check out our free ebook Fleet Preventive Maintenance: Why (and How) to Prioritize It.
2. Look for earnings to fluctuate
The outlook for America’s trucking industry in 2024 is decidedly mixed.
Earlier this year, a forthcoming recession across the broader U.S. economy was the general consensus. Those prognostications have fizzled, but freight-haulers still face myriad challenges in the year ahead: industry experts and new reports suggest that issues like rising fuel costs, flat rates, subpar demand and deflated capacity may persist.
The impact of more seasoned vehicles on the road will be felt across the board in maintenance. Greater demand for maintenance will increase costs and impact your turnaround time for repairs.
Not only is this another strong argument for the value of preventative maintenance in keeping reactive maintenance down, but it’s also going to be critical for fleet managers to improve their maintenance processes.
Any lag time between finding a defect and getting it into the repair pipeline can cost you days, weeks, or even months of unplanned downtime.
Whip Around makes it easy for fleet managers to get a jump on the process. The minute a defect turns up in an inspection, fleet managers are notified. And they can immediately create a work order right from the app to kickstart the maintenance process.
3. Watch for more informative and actionable data
Fleet managers have the difficult task of remotely managing highly distributed people and assets. In the past, the information they had to work with was only as trustworthy as the literal paper it was written on.
Today, digital tools are making remote fleet management much easier, offering them a better handle on the actual condition of their fleets in real time.
The continued growth of digital apps, telematics, and APIs means fleet managers will have increasingly greater access to game-changing data. This data empowers fleet managers to create more informative reports and make better-informed decisions.
And when the time comes to justify expenditures, they will have the hard data to back their requests up.
When it comes to navigating challenges like supply-chain issues and economic shifts, the more information you have available, the better. To get a better understanding of the ways data is a game changer for fleet managers, check out “Data-Driven Fleet Management: How to Get the Most from Your Data.”
This post explains the value of becoming more data-driven and how to use tools like Whip Around to empower those changes.
Stay on top of these trends with Whip Around
With Whip Around, you’ll keep your fleet in the best possible shape and be prepared to meet 2023’s challenges head on. From DOT-compliant digital inspections to seamless preventative maintenance and robust reporting, Whip Around will help you stay on top of the most critical areas of your fleet’s health.
The fleet manager’s dashboard pulls in all the pertinent information, keeping you informed and empowering immediate corrective action when necessary.
If you’d like to see how Whip Around can help keep your fleet on the road, reach out for a free demo today!
