Three types of companies that manage fleets. Which one is closest to yours?

In today's article I would like to share my experience of well over a decade in fleet management and offer some practical advice on how to become a fleet manager who earns the respect of colleagues, the trust of stakeholders and, most importantly, satisfaction from their daily work.

First I need to outline the two perspectives from which we will analyse the situation.

The first perspective is that of the stakeholders, i.e. all the people thanks to whom the fleet manager's position in a given company was created. The stakeholders are most often:

- the board,

- the fleet manager's superior,

- key managers of the departments that use company cars,

- the accounting function,

- the HR function,

- external institutions such as car leasing companies and insurers,

- quality assurance departments.

The second perspective is that of the fleet manager themselves and, where applicable, the team reporting to them.

Knowing a little more about who is behind these perspectives, we can in turn divide companies with vehicle fleets into three groups of business and fleet awareness:

Group I: business-mature

These are companies in which the stakeholders know what they expect from the fleet manager and what the fleet policy should look like. These companies usually have defined rules of conduct and a mature code of business ethics, which largely eliminates pathological situations (e.g. waiving penalties for favourites with good sales results) and makes it easier for the fleet manager to enforce the agreed rules among car users. They also have a well-thought-out, properly cascaded pyramid of goals, with room for the fleet manager's goals too.

In a company with a high level of business maturity, the fleet manager will operate in a stable, organised environment where expectations are clearly defined and the fleet policy is based on ethics and effective procedures. Here is what a fleet manager's work in this group can look like:

• Clarity of expectations: the fleet manager has clearly defined goals and tasks. The expectations of all stakeholders are well articulated, which allows them to focus on implementing solutions and managing the fleet effectively.
• Support from the board and superiors: management and the fleet manager's superiors are aware of how important the fleet manager's role is. The person appointed to the role can therefore count on their support, both in everyday work and in taking strategic fleet decisions.
• Effectiveness: thanks to mature processes and procedures, the fleet manager will be able to respond quickly to problems and challenges, which makes the job much easier. A unified fleet policy avoids conflicts and makes it possible to enforce the rules, e.g. on the private use of company cars.
• Professional development: a person managing a fleet in such a company can count on professional development; thanks to a transparent structure of goals, the fleet manager will be able to advance and develop their skills, which can be a natural motivator for further action.

Working in this group of companies is the most stable and satisfying. The only challenge may be keeping up with changes in regulations or technology, but the fleet manager has the means and support to cope.

Group II: undecided, but supportive of interesting initiatives

In these companies, by contrast, the stakeholders are business-aware people firmly grounded in the reality around them, but not every area of operation (every department) has clearly defined goals. Here the fleet manager may find themselves "looking after" the fleet, but effective management will be hampered by the lack of clearly defined expectations of their mission. This may be because in this particular company no one in senior management, or even on the board, simply knows about fleet management, and all attention and energy is directed at other activities that bring the company profit. And there is nothing wrong with that.

In companies in this group the fleet manager will encounter certain difficulties due to the lack of clearly defined goals and fleet policy. Here is what the work looks like:

• No consistent guidelines: although the fleet manager is aware of their tasks, the lack of specific expectations from the board can lead to confusion and difficulty in achieving long-term goals. The fleet manager will often have to define priorities on their own.
• Creativity and initiative: in such companies the fleet manager can introduce their own ideas and initiatives, which can be exciting. However, given the lack of a coherent vision from the board, it may be hard to obtain the necessary financial or organisational support.
• Lack of authority: situations may often arise in which the fleet manager does not have full control over fleet decisions, due to a lack of understanding from key stakeholders. This can lead to frustration and challenges in enforcing the rules.
• Development dependent on circumstances: the fleet manager's professional development in this group will largely depend on their ability to manage the fleet independently and find solutions under uncertainty. Success in such companies is possible, however, if the fleet manager skilfully copes with the lack of clear guidelines.

In companies in this group, the fleet manager's work can be both satisfying and frustrating. The challenge will often be convincing the board of the importance of fleet activities and securing the resources to deliver them.

Group III: detached from business reality

This is the worst choice among the companies a fleet manager can end up in. In this environment we are dealing with the absolute immaturity of management when it comes to conscious leadership and properly defining business goals. These may be companies that are toxic for the employee, or ones that are about to run into financial trouble, or whose reputation on the market means constant staff turnover prevents the fleet manager from working in a normal environment.

Worse still, the fleet manager's role may be marginalised and reduced to that of some vaguely defined employee pinned to a random department that cannot manage a fleet, with their tasks boiling down solely to issuing cars to users and taking them back.

Companies in this group are the most problematic for the person managing the fleet. Here is what a fleet manager's work can look like in such an environment:

• No support and organisational chaos: in companies in this group the fleet manager will have to contend with a lack of support from the board and colleagues. Tasks may be chaotic and unclear, and the lack of mature procedures will make day-to-day fleet management complicated and stressful.
• Poor working culture: the fleet manager may encounter a toxic working atmosphere, where a lack of accountability on the part of key stakeholders (e.g. car users) leads to conflicts and makes tasks harder to complete. In such companies the fleet manager may be seen as someone in an insignificant position, which has a negative effect on morale.
• No prospects for development: working in such a company rarely leads to professional development. Instead of opportunities to hone their skills, the fleet manager will be busy fighting fires and performing the simplest tasks, such as handing out car keys.
• Turnover and job insecurity: staff turnover in such companies is frequent, which may mean the fleet manager has no time for long-term planning or fleet development. The company's lack of financial stability may also lead to worries about future employment.

In companies in this group the fleet manager will find it hard to feel professional satisfaction. The work can be a source of great stress and frustration, and the prospects for development are limited.

Now that we have a clear picture of what your work would look like in each of the companies described, I would like to dwell on the case of the company from the second group. Why have I made that choice?

Because in the first group you mainly learn new competences, get to know customs, rules and behaviours, and start working with specific goals and indicators. Unfortunately for your further development, all of this is already strictly defined, specified and set in the rigid framework of a well-organised company, which does not always allow individual initiatives put forward by employees, especially inexperienced ones. Because of its high business maturity, this working environment certainly offers great comfort, but it does not give you the sense that you are shaping reality in the area you are responsible for. And there is probably no more pleasant experience at work than a sense of agency.

It is better not to join the third group of companies, but the problem is often that you can only tell how toxic it is after spending some time in that environment. If you discover this, my advice is simple and should be acted on as quickly as possible. Get out of that company as soon as a suitable opportunity arises. Do not let anyone break the principles you have always followed, do not agree to rotten compromises and do not let your enthusiasm and passion for what you love doing be killed off.

That leaves us with the second group. It is here that you can do anything: you can spread your wings, show your potential, your vision, your passion and the best in you.

How best to do that? I will try to describe in a few sentences what I consider to be key.

Start by creating a Fleet Policy. Someone will say that is a platitude; every company that fits the second group has one. Yes, it may have one, but does it work? Are the rules written in it followed, does it cover all the needs of the whole body of stakeholders? Can it be monitored in a measurable way?

In companies, the Fleet Policy often works on similar principles to the procedures of a quality assurance system (e.g. ISO). During audits everything works flawlessly and every employee knows what to do, but in everyday reality on the lowest deck of the ship that is the company, things are different. The rules defined in the procedures drift between minimum and maximum, and people only guess what is expected of them.

So there is your first challenge: revise that document, upend the table, question what has been established and build a new consensus that all stakeholders will support.

Once you have done that, you will gain enormous respect and become known as a mature person who can listen and hear the voice of others. You will open the door to further actions you want to implement. As part of these actions you can propose two or three key indicators that will let the stakeholders verify the effectiveness of the fleet you manage, but do not do it alone. Involve the most important decision-makers; that will give you maximum support when it comes to putting them into practice and communicating them to car users.

In the longer term you can also reach for dedicated fleet management software, which will support your work even further, provide new data you did not have before and allow you to predict fleet behaviour in the near future. That is not all a fleet manager with passion and vision can propose; your possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

I wish you that your professional adventure takes you exactly where you will feel best. One thing matters: a passion for what you do in life, and then every day is a fascinating adventure in discovering new possibilities.