Skip to main content

Fleet managers ‘likely to opt for brands that offer predictive technologies’

Fleet management systems (FMS) have an established presence in France, Germany, UK, Italy and Benelux, with 70 per cent of fleet managers claiming familiarity with FMS – 37 per cent are already using it and 33 per cent are testing it. In general, fleet owners display a positive attitude toward FMS, and 35 percent of respondents in a recent Frost & Sullivan survey consider it an absolute necessity. Large fleets are keener to adopt these solutions than small and medium fleets, clearly indicating a lack of awa
December 18, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
Fleet management systems (FMS) have an established presence in France, Germany, UK, Italy and Benelux, with 70 per cent of fleet managers claiming familiarity with FMS – 37 per cent are already using it and 33 per cent are testing it. In general, fleet owners display a positive attitude toward FMS, and 35 percent of respondents in a recent 2097 Frost & Sullivan survey consider it an absolute necessity. Large fleets are keener to adopt these solutions than small and medium fleets, clearly indicating a lack of awareness on the benefits offered by FMS among the latter.

Frost & Sullivan’s new customer research study, 2012 European Fleet Managers' Willingness to Pay for FMS, summarises the findings of the survey of 155 decision-makers and key influencers for FMS in Europe. The research revealed that fleet managers are satisfied with the FMS currently offered. In fact, productivity and fleet security – two of the top three criteria used during purchase – exceed expectations. On the other hand, fleet managers are dissatisfied with the savings made on insurance premiums and the lack of new services.

“Presently, vehicle management as well as fleet security and control are the most widely-used services in Europe,” said Frost & Sullivan customer research consultant Agnieszka Wolf. “However, offering driver and order management services will help FMS vendors retain existing customers as 35 percent of respondents are looking to buy these solutions in the next 36 months.”

Key points of interest (POI) in navigation systems include gas stations, repair stations, and speed restrictions. Respondents working in medium commercial vehicle (MCV) fleets were keen on all POI with particular interest in truck parking slots, road gradients, and restaurants.

Interestingly, respondents indicated that they would prefer dealing with one supplier per solution. Two out of three also said that they would choose brands offering prognostic technologies, which help predict the impending failure of a commercial vehicle.

No clear overall preference for a particular FMS vendor type was seen, although significant vendor preferences exist according to solution and country. While respondents in Germany, Italy and UK are more aware of systems from truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), only Germany and UK favour truck OEMs for all solutions. Fleet managers in Italy, France and Benelux favour specialised third-party or logistics and supply chain providers. Among specialised FMS providers, 1692 TomTom and 5635 Transics received the highest ratings.

“The survey reveals that the key decision maker for FMS purchase in fleets is top management,” said Wolf. “However, driver and trade unions appear to influence decisions in Italy and Benelux, especially in the case of large fleets with more than 100 vehicles.”

In terms of payment, general willingness to spend on fleet Telematics services is low. Fleet owners in France are most willing to pay for these services whereas those from Benelux are least inclined. Readiness to pay is also higher in MCV and heavy commercial vehicle fleets than light vehicle fleets. Profit-sharing business models too are gaining acceptance, particularly in France. In Benelux, the market is quite polarised and there is no clear penchant for profit sharing.

Related Content

  • August 26, 2016
    Installed base of fleet management systems in Europe to reach 10.6 million by 2020
    The number of active fleet management systems deployed in commercial vehicle fleets in Europe was 5.3 million in Q4-2015, according to a new research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.9 percent, this number is expected to reach 10.6 million by 2020. All the top-10 vendors have today more than 100,000 active units in Europe. TomTom’s subscriber base has grown both organically and by acquisitions during the past years and the company ha
  • October 13, 2015
    Half of top OEMs work on LiDAR technology for ADAS
    Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, as part of an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) sensor suite, will be mostly deployed for active safety functions with only 29 per cent fitted for fully automated driving purposes by 2021, according to Frost & Sullivan. Out of the top 13 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), seven are working on automated driving passenger vehicles using a LiDAR. Frost & Sullivan’s latest analysis, LIDAR-based Strategies for Active Safety and Automated Driving from M
  • January 26, 2017
    Fully autonomous vehicles ‘spur LiDAR sensors mass adoption’
    Cost-effective, high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors capable of long-range object detection will be necessary for high to fully-automated driving applications. Demand for 3D mapping and imaging, better overall performance, automated processing of graphic data gathering and self-sufficient sensor with best-in-class performance in low-visibility conditions are factors driving the development and adoption of LiDAR sensors within the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) sensor suite
  • August 14, 2012
    Europe will lead global hybrid and electric truck and bus market
    Europe will emerge as the most competitive regional market for hybrid and electric medium-heavy trucks and buses, globally, according to Frost & Sullivan. This will be particularly true for the transit bus segment, which is expected to experience proliferation of competitors, both on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and supplier side. Strategic Analysis of the Medium- to Heavy-duty Hybrid and Electric Commercial Vehicle Market in EMEA Region, from Frost & Sullivan, estimates that nearly seven per c