Only 37% of fleets were run by a fleet manager in 2012, down from 66% in 2011, according to research by Alphabet.
The Alphabet Fleet management report 2012, which surveyed 250 fleet managers, found that only 4% of respondents involve the HR department in the fleet decision-making process.
It also found that more than twice as many fleets worked with external fleet management specialists. Less than half (40%) of those that fully or partially outsource their fleet cited cost saving as the main reason for bringing in an outside specialist.
Paul Hollick, sales and marketing director at Alphabet, said: “Getting policy right is critical to fleet effectiveness and operating costs.
“But because today’s business systems allow policy to be executed by almost anyone from almost anywhere, the need for a single point of in-house authority and process expertise is diminishing as organisations increasingly turn to outside specialists for services and guidance.
“The new modus operandi for fleet management today is to outsource the nitty-gritty of fleet operations, while decision making on key elements stays in-house.”
