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A fleet manager is an individual who is responsible for a company’s fleet of vehicles. Among other things, they manage deliveries from end-to-end, ensuring that items arrive in a timely and efficient manner, at the lowest possible cost to the company.
Fleet management is made up of many steps and processes, including hiring drivers, acquiring vehicles, monitoring onboard diagnostics, managing costs, and more. Modern fleet managers rely on vehicle telematics – vehicle and asset data gathered through GPS and diagnostics technology – as an important part of their day-to-day operations.
In this article, we’ll be unpacking what a fleet manager is, what exactly they do, and the challenges that they face today.
What Is a Fleet Manager?
Fleet managers – sometimes referred to as fleet owners – look after fleets of vehicles belonging to a company. They’re tasked with optimizing fleet performance, which includes keeping costs down, acquiring the right vehicles and drivers, managing safety, and adhering to the latest laws and regulations.
A fleet manager is responsible for making sure that their fleet is delivering on company objectives. As a key part of this, they need to make sure that the fleet is following health and safety protocols and maintaining compliance.
They’re also in control of budgets, which involves monitoring fuel consumption, optimizing driver behavior, negotiating vehicle leases, and more. Ultimately, a fleet manager is responsible for ensuring that the vehicles in their remit have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.
What is an owner-operator?
An owner-operator is a person – often an independent contractor – who owns a single truck, and takes care of all vehicle handling by themselves.
What Does a Fleet Manager Do? Responsibilities and Duties
Fleet managers have varied roles, with responsibilities across the delivery value chain. Below, we’ll go through some examples.
Acquiring vehicles
A fleet manager’s first port of call is getting the right vehicles for the job. Once they’ve assessed the needs of the company, they can decide whether to look for outright purchase options or leasing. The fleet manager will then register, insure, and obtain licenses for the vehicles in the fleet.
Overseeing fuel management
As one of the three biggest outlays in a fleet’s budget, it’s vital that a fleet manager keeps an eye on fuel consumption. This includes investing in a fuel management system (FMS) to track usage, inventory, and efficiency – as well as route planning and scheduling.
Scheduling maintenance
Fleet managers are responsible for scheduling preventive maintenance to maintain driver safety, minimize the time that vehicles are off the road, and boost resale value. With its detailed tracking and monitoring capabilities, telematics is an essential component of this. For example, fleet managers can monitor braking performance to gauge when maintenance might be required.
Following health and safety protocols
Safety is top of the agenda for fleet managers. Road incidents can incur significant costs to a company’s liability and reputation, as well as potentially endangering people’s lives. A good fleet manager will run training programs to highlight health and safety measures – and ensure that they’re being followed.
Tracking metrics
One of the biggest parts of a fleet manager’s everyday duties, tracking and evaluating metrics would not be possible without telematics. It operates in conjunction with a network of onboard sensors to gather detailed GPS data, alongside other insights relating to driver behavior and vehicle performance.
Managing compliance
The regulatory environment surrounding fleet management is always changing, with new mandates and legislative changes introduced regularly. It’s vital that a fleet manager stays on top of these latest developments to avoid hefty fines and other potential legal repercussions.
How Much Do Fleet Managers Get Paid?
According to job website Indeed, the average base salary for a fleet manager is $80,589 per annum – ranging from $56,819 up to $114,305.
The highest paying cities in that demographic are Dallas and Houston, TX.
What Qualifications Does a Fleet Manager Need?
A high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate are standard requirements for any hopeful fleet manager. Beyond that, most jobs expect an associate degree and several years of experience in transportation or logistics. As mentioned above, the role of a fleet manager is varied, encompassing business management skills, stakeholder management, and the ability to think strategically.
To become a certified fleet manager, you can apply to a Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) or Certified Automotive Fleet Specialist (CAFS) program, as offered by the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA). For more information, visit the NAFA website.
Challenges for Fleet Managers
With the market size of global fleet management expected to reach $40.6 billion by 2032, the role of a fleet manager is becoming increasingly important to the everyday operations of modern businesses. To make things more complicated, the fleet management landscape has changed dramatically over the last few years due to a combination of technological and regulatory factors. We’ve listed some of the challenges that this poses below.
Fleet electrification
This refers to the process of replacing traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles with electric ones. Recent state and federal regulatory efforts, alongside advances in technology, have increased the prevalence of fleet electrification, which can boost fuel efficiency – while having a more positive impact on the environment.
OEM telematics
Berg Insights estimates that 82.7% of all vehicles manufactured in 2024 had embedded telematics. This is different to ‘aftermarket telematics,’ which is installed once a vehicle has been purchased and can be connected with a variety of vehicle types and models. It’s important for fleet managers to familiarize themselves with the differences in functionality.
Combating rising costs
The various geopolitical crises of the last four years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and recession, have had a significant impact on fleet managers’ budgets. Staying on top of these events – and their ramifications – will be critical to any fleet manager.
How Fleet Management Software Helps Managers Stay Organized
A fleet management system is a combination of software and hardware that allows fleet managers to track and control all vehicles and drivers in their fleet. As already mentioned, telematics forms a key part of this by collecting data related to driver behavior and vehicle performance.
With this technology at their disposal, fleet managers can coordinate and optimize the performance of the vehicles within their fleet. Most will view the aggregated data from a desktop dashboard, which streamlines the management process and enables easy vehicle tracking and monitoring.
Fleet managers can keep an eye on fuel consumption, identify potential disruptions, schedule maintenance when required, and even observe the behavior of their drivers. With this information, they can maintain performance and safety, issuing relevant training when required.
Verizon Connect is an excellent software vendor, with an impressive 30-second refresh rate, automatic route optimization, and a suite of in-depth tracking tools. Alongside this, it offers an innovative live map interface, which utilizes a ‘street view’ to allow managers to see through their drivers’ dash cams in real time. Check out our list of the best fleet management software for a snapshot of the market.
Final Thoughts on Fleet Managers
Fleet managers are a vital cog in the machinery of modern business. By overseeing the performance of vehicles in a fleet, they make sure that drivers are safe, customers are happy, and companies are hitting their targets.
