Has there ever been a more challenging time to be a fleet decision-maker?

The sheer level of external factors that have an influence over the future direction of your fleet, and the decisions you are making today, is extraordinary.

WLTP, alternative fuels, urban transport policies, air quality, car vs cash and OpRA, GDPR, Brexit, connectivity, technology, autonomy, mobility, tax uncertainties…one fleet manager described it as a “minefield”, adding: “I’ve never before been in a position where I can’t advise my company what to do.”

It can get overwhelming, and you need a strong and reliable network of peers and supply chain partners to stay up-to-date and take soundings.

Throughout all the change and new challenges, it’s important not to lose sight of the here and now: the need to run an efficient, effective, safe fleet.

Safety is the key message being promoted by Highways England in its partnership with Driving for Better Business.

Adrian Walsh, who set up DfBB 11 years ago, was one of the first people I met when I joined Fleet News in 2009. Its funding was pulled in 2010, but I’m delighted to see DfBB now going from strength to strength.

It embodies the operational nature of fleet, with Business Champions revealing the initiatives they have introduced to tackle safety, and the benefits they enjoy from taking such action, so that others are inspired to implement their own ideas.

As decision-makers juggle future needs with the demands of running their fleet today, help is at hand.

Fleet Live in October mixes strategy seminars with best practice sessions, plus the UK’s biggest fleet exhibition, to give you all the tools, knowledge and inspiration you need.

I’ll see you there!