A rise in fleets running older vehicles, seen since the Covid-19 pandemic, means fleets need to be collecting rapidly increasing amounts of data, according to Fleetcheck.
The software firm said the trend towards keeping vehicles on-fleet for much longer – something especially common for vans – required greater amounts of information to both prove safety requirements and ensure efficiency.
Fleetcheck managing director Peter Golding referred to the trend as ‘Cuba syndrome’, and explained: “Everyone is familiar with how restrictions on exports mean that motorists in Cuba have become expert at keeping extremely old vehicles on the road in good condition.
“While no-one is working to keep 60-year-old Chevrolets running on a UK fleet, we have certainly seen an increase in, for example, the number of 8-10-year-old Transits owned by major operators. Following the pandemic, replacement cycles have been stretched considerably.”
Golding said the trend created two issues – ensuring risk management responsibilities were being met, and vehicles remained operationally effective with downtime being minimised.
He said: “Collecting greater amounts of appropriate data is the key in both of these areas.
“When it comes to risk management, you need to be able to prove that your cars and vans are being maintained to the highest standards, are fit for purpose despite their age, and that extending replacement cycles is not impacting on safety. This means keeping service, maintenance and repair records that are even more watertight than previously.
“Ensuring vehicles are in the best possible operational condition similarly requires large amounts of information. Older vehicles are inevitably less reliable but there are steps that can be taken and which, in some respects, require a fleet management rethink.
“For example, pre-emptive maintenance becomes much more important, and this means collecting data that helps you identify where failures are likely to occur before they happen.”
