Top trends to address SA’s challenges

We take a look at the top fleet management trends for 2024 and discover how these could address some of the challenges facing South African fleets.

Geotab, a global provider of connected transportation solutions, believes that artificial intelligence (AI) and data will be the titans that drive connected vehicle insights to lower costs, improve performance, and adapt to changing demands.

“Looking ahead into 2024, we foresee data and AI predictability as critical to staying ahead of the curve,” says Sabina Martin, Geotab’s assistant vice president of product management. “AI-driven insights powered by strong foundational data will help guide organisations through economic challenges, propel sustainability initiatives, and ensure adaptability in an ever-changing world.”

The company’s other top predictions for the year ahead include:

The cost tightrope: Inflation and rising interest rates will make fleet upgrades expensive, straining budgets. In response, a cost-conscious market will increasingly look to data insights for better route planning, fuel savings, and predictive maintenance, which will drive savings for bottom line health.

Sustainability – small steps for big change: In response to the pressing need for climate action, companies will adopt a “small steps for big change” approach this year. This includes recalibrating ambitious emissions goals from sky-high long-term targets to what is measurable and transparent in the short and mid-term using today’s technology and data insights. 

Wild West of standards gets tamed: Automakers are recognising the importance of standards for connectedvehicles. Fleets are eager for easy access to comprehensive connected vehicle data to optimise operations. However, without standards, maximising the value of data poses a significant challenge.

Data can, however, aid the local fleet management market as well. “In South Africa, fleet managers are faced with a number of challenges that can’t be precisely mapped, but can be managed to reduce risk,” writes Heather de Vos, Eqstra Fleet Management’s general manager, in “Five challenges South African fleets face (and how they’re solving them)”.

Crime is the first challenge that De Vos highlights. “It’s a sad reality, but SA crime statistics are excessive and there is no indication that they will go down any time soon. Hijackings and vehicle or cargo theft (are) a daily risk, but there are measures you can put in place to reduce this risk.”

These measures include:

Route planning: “While it makes sense to always opt for the quickest route, it might not be the safest. It’s important to do a risk assessment that factors in everything from the types of vehicles on your fleet and the cargo they carry, to the areas they drive through and the time of day deliveries are expected,” De Vos points out.

“In some cases, adjusting the delivery time is all you need to do to reduce your risk. Adjusting a route by a few kilometres may push up fuel costs and transport time, but if it dramatically reduces the risk of hijacking and theft it is likely a more cost-effective solution in the long run.”

Vehicle tracking: “Should the worst happen, fleet managers must have instant access to as much information as possible. A good tracking system will assist to ensure driver safety, collect all data needed for police and insurance information, and may even ensure the safe return of the vehicle. This is a must-have for any fleet operation in SA,” notes De Vos.

Next on her list is poor road condition. “Whether you’re running a small fleet in urban areas or transporting long-haul cargo, one of the biggest risk factors is poor road conditions. South Africa has a chronic pothole problem and very often these appear overnight, especially during the rainy season,” she explains.

“Potholes can cause wheel and suspension damage, and even serious accidents. Some roads are well-known for their potholes and it’s easy to either reroute or ensure drivers know how to drive in such situations,” De Vos continues. “When road damage is new or unexpected, it helps to have a fleet management partner that either receives advanced warning or can help reroute at short notice.”

De Vos also highlights loadshedding in her piece. “Loadshedding could make loading/unloading impossible or affect traffic to such an extent that certain shipments need to be delayed or prioritised. This becomes a massive juggling act, and that’s when loadshedding goes according to schedule!” she writes. “As we’ve all learned, one of the side effects of loadshedding is often a bit of unplanned ‘bonus’ loadshedding when substations trip due to power surges. This is completely unpredictable and has become a nightmare for local transporters,” she elaborates.

De Vos believes that the most effective solution is to carefully track all schedules and set up alerts for unplanned outages. “Most professional fleet management companies work with a network of partners to plan around scheduled loadshedding and quickly reroute time-sensitive transports if unexpected power outages occur,” she stresses.

The fourth spot goes to poor vehicle maintenance. “The local economy, poor road conditions, loadshedding, and a number of other factors (have) caused a dramatic decline in vehicle maintenance. Large, professional fleet companies still ensure their vehicles are properly maintained, but smaller businesses and many individuals can’t afford to keep their vehicles in prime condition,” De Vos points out.

“While the argument is to always maintain your vehicles for safety reasons, the reality is that many cash-strapped South Africans simply can’t afford to do so. This has further increased risk in the transport industry as more and more accidents are happening due to poorly maintained vehicles” she continues. “This means fleet managers still ensure their own vehicles are maintained, but also plan for increased accident risk due to other vehicles not being fit for the road. This amplifies all the existing risk factors and must be considered when fleet routes and schedules are planned.” 

Driver training is the last challenge on De Vos’ list. “Driver training is the most important point on this list as it has a direct effect on all of the challenges. South Africa has a poor reputation for training drivers and this poses a constant risk to the transport industry,” she emphasises.

“Many companies choose to forego driver training as they don’t want to invest in drivers who might use that training to find work elsewhere. This is a very outdated perspective when you consider all the risks and challenges mentioned,” she warns.

De Vos adds that the first solution to nearly every fleet challenge is expert driver training. “Drivers who know how to avoid or mitigate hijack risk, how to take care of vehicles in poor conditions, focus on fuel efficiency and place safety above all else are invaluable,” she writes.

“Companies that invest in driver training always see a decrease in repair and fuel costs and an increase in reliability and on-time delivery. Even if a few drivers leave shortly after training, the financial loss is far less than suffering avoidable breakdowns, theft, and accidents,” she adds.

In summary, De Vos points out that managing a fleet will never be easy, especially considering South Africa’s many transport challenges. “That said, there are many solutions and ways to optimise your fleet operations and keep your business running as smoothly as possible,” she notes. “The fleet industry is resilient and flexible with advances in technology always offering new solutions to optimise fleet operations.”