EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -

While ensuring driver safety still is the biggest priority of fleet managers, they’re also quite interested in having a sound plan to remarket vehicles, according to a survey conducted at the 2014 NAFA Institute and Expo by GE Capital Fleet Services.

After safety, 27 percent of survey participants pointed to enhancing productivity. The two biggest areas of focus for enhancing fleet productivity were defining a comprehensive vehicle replacement/cycling plan (30 percent) and specifying the appropriate vehicle for the job (27 percent).

Meanwhile, more than a third of respondents — 35 percent to be exact — identified safety as their main concern for the second year in a row.

In addition, 62 percent of survey respondents said that the main focus of their company’s executive leadership is achieving cost savings.

With this goal in mind, GE Capital Fleet Services noted fleet managers are using a number of tactics to manage costs. A total of 43 percent of respondents cited vehicle purchasing decisions as the greatest opportunity for savings, followed by managing maintenance expenses (32 percent) and activating telematics and analytics solutions (22 percent).

“As fleet managers continue to focus first and foremost on driver safety, they must also concentrate on finding ways to take more cost out of fleet operations,” said Mark Hayes, chief marketing officer for GE Capital Fleet Services.

“Increasingly, fleets are utilizing technology tools that address the dual challenges of cost and safety,” Hayes continued. “These include telematics solutions that alert drivers to potential accidents, intelligent collision alert systems and data analytics that helps predict and manage maintenance costs.” 

Additional findings from the survey included:

— Analytics is improving efficiency and saving costs. When asked how analytics have most helped their fleet, 46 percent of fleet managers cited improved operational efficiency, with an additional 22 percent citing cost savings through analytics.

— Alternative fuels are in use at 32 percent of fleets. Results showed 32 percent of fleet managers surveyed stated that alternative fuel vehicles were already in their fleet, with an additional 33 percent planning to incorporate them within the next two years.

“Fleet managers increasingly are analyzing data to make cost savings, safety and productivity decisions based on fleet performance and operations,” said Doug Peters, analytics leader at GE Capital Fleet Services.

“Recently, our team at GE Capital Fleet Services launched MyFleetOffice2, an advanced fleet management and analytics platform, to help decision-makers access deeper and more insightful data and analytics to meet their bottom line and boardroom goals,” Peters went on to say.

For more information about GE Capital, Fleet Services, visit www.gefleet.com.