Matt Hammond, board member, Association of Fleet Professionals, explains why 2025 is the time for fleet managers to shine.
It’s commonly said that, right now is the most exciting time there has ever been to work in fleet. The drive for electrification, to decarbonise our fleets and to deliver corporate environmental objectives all mean there has never been such a high degree of focus on our area of business.
What is perhaps less often mentioned is how this impacts on individual fleet managers. How do we embrace the moment and become what our employers need? At a point when fleets are transitioning from being arguably the forgotten function to finally being front and centre in many organisations, how do we make sure that we shine?
It’s a safe bet that few people reading this left school with fleet as their intended career destination. More likely, they fell into the profession or were passed the responsibility of the fleet as part of an already busy job description. However, things are changing. The industry is now actively seeking people who are much more than administrators who place vehicle orders and check driving licences. They want professionals who can deliver a complete strategic understanding of their fleet and its future.
This scenario can be seen in the way that when you look at any organisation, fleet is increasingly impacting on other major departments – human resources through driver benefits, finance through total cost of ownership and payroll for driver taxation calculations. There’s also the benefits team, who would like a salary sacrifice scheme but need the fleet department’s expertise to make it happen – and the executives who rely on people like us to protect them from the potentially heavy legal implications of non-compliant vehicle operations.
In my view, fleet managers should use this moment to grab the microphone and make themselves heard. As the custodians of major change within our organisations, we need to be highly visible when it comes to creating and delivering a map of the journey that our employers should make.
My question to readers of Fleet World is, have you thought about how to maximise this moment? Are you keeping pace with the rate of change? Are you fully aware of the legislative changes coming down the track, the impact of the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate, corporate carbon reporting requirements, or a dozen other current issues?
Fleet: Future-proofed
The bottom line is that professional training and personal development have never been so important to fleet managers – and that’s not a sales pitch for AFP membership or the AFP Academy, although I can highly recommend both – it’s about both ensuring fleet managers are future-proofed and ready to lead change within their organisations.
It’s easy to make arguments for not investing in yourself. There’s always too much to do and not enough hours in the day. However, the risk is that one day, you will head into the office and find someone else doing the strategic thinking that you are better equipped to undertake. Your best chance to make sure that this doesn’t happen is by learning and growing.
The huge opportunity available now is that everyone in fleet is faced with almost a blank sheet of paper. A few years ago, no-one knew how to start to electrify company car operations, but active fleet managers learnt together, supporting and advising each other through the early days, leading to the current moment. Much has been learnt, but the journey to zero emissions is far from over – and we should aim to be part of that ongoing process.
Yes, these are exciting times in the fleet industry – exciting because every fleet manager can influence the future. So, make sure that you invest in yourself, play your part in whatever is coming, maximise your potential and take this chance to shine.