Improved communication vital in overcoming driver objections to fleet technology

Research carried out by Emedia on 460 UK businesses operating vehicle fleets for TomTom suggests that almost half of UK businesses face resistance from drivers when attempting to introduce new technology to their vehicle fleet. The most frequent complaint made by drivers is that technology represents ‘big brother’, cited by 43 per cent of businesses as their staff’s primary concern.
August 22, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Research carried out by 6427 Emedia on 460 UK businesses operating vehicle fleets for 1692 TomTom suggests that almost half of UK businesses face resistance from drivers when attempting to introduce new technology to their vehicle fleet.

The most frequent complaint made by drivers is that technology represents ‘big brother’, cited by 43 per cent of businesses as their staff’s primary concern.

Other common problems included trouble adapting to a change in systems (21 per cent) and a lack of clarity surrounding the benefits offered by new technology (18 per cent).

TomTom believes these perceptions could be overcome by better communication between managers and employees but 58 per cent of those questioned admitted they do not conduct a formal consultation when changing business systems.

“In order to profit from the significant gains in efficiency and productivity offered by fleet management technology, businesses must properly manage change by involving drivers throughout the implementation process,” said Giles Margerison, TomTom business solutions director UK & Ireland.

“It is surprising to discover so few businesses conduct formal consultations as a matter of course, especially as they can be vital in addressing concerns and communicating the benefits available to management and staff alike.”

Margerison cites 6428 Zenith Hygiene Systems as an example of the correct approach. The company has been able to achieve yearly fuel savings of US$344,000 by gaining employee buy-in for an innovative scheme designed to improve driving style using a fleet management system.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Align transport infrastructure needs with ITS offerings
    July 19, 2012
    Kallistratos Dionelis, General Secretary of ASECAP, ponders the absence of creativity and innovation in the road management sector. 'Traditional' road managers and ITS specialists share many of the same ultimate goals and yet, he says, a common understanding of what technology can achieve is still conspicuously absent.
    Read More
  • Debating road user charging systems
    January 26, 2012
    Are pre-launch trials of charging systems the way to improve public acceptance? Or is the real key a more robust political attitude? Here, leading system suppliers discuss the issue. The use of distance-based Road User Charging (RUC) is now well established, at least for heavy goods vehicles on strategic roads. However demand management for all vehicles, whether a distance-based charge or some form of cordon scheme, has yet to make significant progress. This is in spite of the logic and equity of RUC being
    Read More
  • TomTom’s Webfleet launched in Chile and Mexico
    December 4, 2015
    In a move which the TomTom Telematics says will give companies in both countries access to its fleet management technology TomTom has launched its Webfleet fleet management platform in Chile and Mexico. Webfleet provides greater visibility into fleet operations, combining professional navigation and world-class traffic information with award-winning driver improvement technology to help business drivers spend less time on the road and to use less fuel. The development follows the acquisition of Coord
    Read More
  • Johnson Controls says US consumers are interested in start-stop systems
    May 18, 2012
    New consumer research conducted by Johnson Controls claims that 97 per cent of Americans are ready for new start-stop technology that improves the fuel economy of their vehicle. The research was conducted to gain understanding of how consumers view fuel-saving power train technologies based on attributes such as purchase price, fuel economy, annual fuel cost and performance. Focus groups across US major metropolitan areas, along with 1,200 survey respondents, provided feedback on efficient vehicle technolog
    Read More

Highlighted Content