TECHNOLOGY can monitor vehicles throughout their fleet life, enabling companies to build a 'glass pipeline' for their fleet.

Graham Howes, director of sales and marketing for EuroFleet, said at the Fleet News Move Your Fleet Online conference that already hi-tech services could track the vehicle from pre-delivery inspection to delivery to the customer.

When vehicles are to be returned, electronic systems can be used to monitor the condition of the vehicle, creating an exact estimate of the cost of repairing damage. Drivers sign an authorisation form saying the estimate is correct and the information can be transmitted from the field to a computer, allowing fleet managers to have an up-to-the-minute view of the cost of repairs to their fleet cars.