For any fleet operator one of the crucial ongoing questions is “are my fleet assets working as efficiently for the business as they could be?” and fleet utilisation is a metric that gives an answer to that question.
With the right fleet management tools and telematics data, it’s possible to consistently and accurately monitor utilisation, right-size fleet assets, and identify barriers to boosting performance.
Below we explore the importance of fleet utilisation and share strategies to optimise vehicle usage and driver greater operational efficiency.
What is fleet utilisation?
Fleet utilisation is a measure of how efficiently fleet vehicles are being used versus their potential capacity and productivity. This measure is typically shown as a percentage or score from 1-100, with the most efficient fleet operations being closest to 100% vehicle utilisation.
No two fleets are the same, so utilisation measurement needs to be tailored to the type of operation and business goals – but there are some common metrics.
Key elements of fleet utilisation include:
- Vehicle availability
- Vehicle downtime
- Fuel efficiency
- Idle time
- Capacity
How to optimise vehicle utilisation
There are a few common areas where fleets can suffer efficiency drains. Identifying and mitigating these can help drive up fleet utilisation, we explore these below.
Utilisation reporting that reflects real-world fleet operations
Utilisation reporting based on accurate telematics data and, more importantly, measuring the right data to drive your fleet performance is crucial.
There are some universally important measures, such as fuel efficiency, vehicle availability/downtime, and SMR (service, maintenance, repair) events. But no two fleets operate in exactly the same way and there are other metrics that will need to be defined based on the key performance goals for your fleet.
For example, measuring a haulage truck and a service van by the same standard rarely gives operators the clarity that they need.
Trakm8’s Insight platform solves this by delivering a turnkey utilisation report that measures fleet performance using a simple, uniform score – but that is also fully configurable to match precisely to how your fleet works.
For Service fleets: Utilisation can be derived from time spent parked on customer premises, completing work. A vehicle that spends more of its working hours delivering on-site services earns a higher utilisation score.
For Haulage fleets: Utilisation can be tied to movement. More driving time within the agreed working hours and/or fewer miles per drop equals greater utilisation.
This dual approach ensures every asset is measured fairly, accurately, and in line with its role in the business.
Leverage AI to plan truly optimal routes
Optimised routes can significantly boost fleet utilisation, resulting in fewer miles driven, greater fuel efficiency, less wear and tear on vehicles – and ultimately greater productivity from the same number of vehicles.
Planning and executing this effectively, particularly with larger fleets, can be challenging due to the complexity involved.
But route optimisation solutions, such as Trakm8’s AI-driven Fleet Optimisation, can take into account these myriad factors including fleet size, vehicle capacities, driver availability, traffic data and more, to produce truly optimal routes at scale.
Reduce inefficient driving behaviours
Coaching good driving behaviours can deliver benefits in both fleet efficiency and vehicle availability. Minimising behaviours like harsh acceleration, harsh braking, speeding and idling can all enhance fuel efficiency. In addition, reducing these behaviours can reduce vehicle downtime due to incidents and maintenance events caused excessive by wear and tear.
Trakm8 telematics devices provide real-time data on all of the driving behaviours mentioned above, displayed in user friendly reports with clear driver scores. This makes instances of unsafe and sub-optimal driving behaviours easily visible to fleet managers, so that the drivers responsible can be coached to improve.
Real-time in-cab feedback devices like the ACC750 are another effective tool to improve driver behaviour and fleet utilisation, providing real-time audible warnings to drivers in the moment that risky or inefficient driving habits are detected.
Digitise vehicle checks to improve compliance
Daily vehicle walkaround checks are one of the simplest and most powerful tools for reducing unplanned maintenance events, enhancing safety and boosting vehicle utilisation. These inspections catch minor issues before they cause vehicle downtime and costly SMR events.
But there are challenges around driver compliance in completing paper-based checks, as well as delays before forms are processed and issues identified are actioned.
Digital tools for completing and logging daily vehicle inspections lower the burden of effort on fleet drivers and boost compliance, in addition to making monitoring compliance easier for fleet managers.
With Trakm8’s Vehicle Checks module, for example, drivers can complete daily checks digitally, add notes and images, all from their mobile device – with reports logged in real time in the Insight fleet management platform. This means issues can be identified and SMR activities scheduled faster – reducing accident risk and significantly improving vehicle uptime and utilisation.
The Future of Fleet Utilisation
Looking ahead, maximising fleet utilisation will increasingly hinge on an operator’s ability to blend data insight with practical, on-the-ground decision making. As connected vehicles, telematics and AI-enhanced predictive analytics continue to mature, fleet teams will gain clearer visibility of how every asset performs, where inefficiencies creep in and where genuine productivity gains can be made.
Businesses that succeed won’t simply be collating the data and reviewing the utilisation performance dashboards; they’ll be regularly mining the reports for actionable insights, continuously optimising routes, right sizing their fleets, coaching drivers, and improving maintenance planning.
