Safety Tops Fleet Managers' Concerns, Survey Finds
Cost savings and workforce productivity ranked below it; last year's survey by GE Capital Fleet Services had the top two in reverse order.
Eden Prairie, Minn.-based GE Capital Fleet Services reports that its latest survey of fleet managers indicated their biggest concern at the moment is ensuring the safety of their drivers. More than one- third (36 percent) of fleet managers said it’s their chief concern, followed by cost savings and workforce productivity at 22 percent each.
In last year's survey, 23 percent cited driver safety as their top concern and meeting cost-savings goals was number one for 26 percent. This time, 42 percent cited vehicle purchasing decisions as the greatest opportunity for savings, followed by activating telematics and analytics solutions (31 percent) and managing maintenance expenses (28 percent).
"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. "At GE, we're committed to maintaining a product and service suite that takes on cost savings and safety challenges side by side to help organizations meet their business goals."
In addition, 61 percent this year said alternative-fuel vehicles are already in their fleets and an additional 11 percent plan to incorporate them within the next two years. Only 19 percent said they don’t plan to incorporate such vehicles into their fleets, down from 30 percent last year.
For more information, visit www.gefleet.com or follow the company's news and updates via Twitter (@GEFleetSvcs).