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

  • Vehicle tracking in New Hampshire saves time, improves efficiency
    February 2, 2012
    Provider Enterprises is the largest transportation company dedicated to special needs children in New Hampshire, US serving more than 1,500 children daily. Several years ago, the company decided to deploy GPS-based fleet tracking technology primarily to monitor the location of its 178-vehicle fleet for routing and quality-control purposes.
    Read More
  • Demand management schemes, is there a better way?
    January 31, 2012
    The European Commission is placing too much emphasis on the use of demand management, according to the FIA. Here, Wil Botman, Director-General of the FIA's European Bureau, explains why. Towards the end of last year, the European Bureau of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) released a statement which criticised the European Commission's (EC's) approach to urban traffic congestion following the adoption of the Action Plan on Urban Mobility. In particular, the FIA voiced concerns over what it
    Read More
  • Will the European Electronic Tolling System serve its purpose?
    February 3, 2012
    ASECAP's Kallistratos Dionelis asks whether, despite the best intentions at the policy level, the European Electronic Tolling System can ever hope to serve the customer in the way it is intended to. Reality doesn't just happen. In many ways, reality is created. We first create or produce a reality and then we consume it; this takes time and has a cost that needs to be covered.
    Read More
  • Cellular communications drive the way forward for tolling
    January 18, 2012
    For more than 20 years prior to joining the ITS industry, Mike Payne of Idris, part of Federal Signal Technologies, worked for Vodafone - the world's biggest mobile operator. Here, he considers how the road tolling sector can grow and learn from the cellular industry. The global cellphone has been one of the most successful collaborative technology projects in the last 30 years. Mobile phone technology developed throughout the 20th century with the first public service in the early 70s. This was followed by
    Read More

Highlighted Content