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

  • UK drivers want to be insured against hackers
    September 9, 2016
    According to a new survey of almost 1,200 people by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, 74 per cent of drivers think insurers should provide cover for damage caused by hackers accessing control systems in driverless cars. The results of this survey have been used to guide IAM RoadSmart’s response to the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles’ consultation, Pathway to Driverless Cars.
    Read More
  • Healthy prospects for floating vehicle data systems
    February 3, 2012
    Elmar Brockfeld, Alexander Sohr and Peter Wagner from the German Aerospace Center's Institute of Transport Systems look at the prospects for floating vehicle data systems. Although Floating Vehicle Data (FVD) or probe vehicle fleets have been around for about a decade, the idea behind them is of course much older: from probe vehicles that flow with the traffic it should be possible to get a precise, fast and spatially near-complete picture of the prevailing traffic flow conditions in an area under surveilla
    Read More
  • In-vehicle fleet management system reduces losses
    May 4, 2012
    Loomis offers products and services that provide complete cash logistics solutions for financial institutions, retailers and other commercial enterprises. The company is present in twelve European countries and the USA and has just over 20,000 employees. At Loomis safety is considered good business. Presented with the opportunity to reduce both accident frequency and associated primary liability costs, the company equipped the majority of its US armoured truck and van fleet with the Driver Safety Measuremen
    Read More
  • IRD's on-the-go tyre check adjusts for inflation
    November 16, 2021
    As many as 84 million vehicles worldwide may have tyres which are improperly inflated or in poor condition, which has a significant effect on road safety - and also on the environment
    Read More

Highlighted Content