This research underscores the critical role fleet managers play in humanitarian and development organisations, particularly in managing vehicles and drivers to ensure the efficient delivery of aid. Despite the significance of the role, it remains underdeveloped and underrecognized within the sector, leading to missed opportunities for effectiveness, road safety, sustainability, and cost savings. This study, conducted across seven humanitarian organisations, provides valuable insights into the current maturity of the fleet manager role, the challenges and enablers of professional development, the implications of different fleet ownership models, and the financial benefits of investing in dedicated fleet managers.
Key findings include the identification of substantial returns on investment (ROI) for the recruitment and training of fleet managers, suggesting that for every dollar spent, organisations could see a return of $3.38 and $5.61, respectively. However, the role is still at early stages of maturity, often conflated with other logistics functions and lacking consistent professional training, which hampers its effectiveness. The study highlights the need for a clear definition of the fleet manager role, greater investment in training and development, and the need to develop overarching fleet strategies ‘with’ fleet managers at country offices, not ‘for’ them’.
The full study can be downloaded below as well as a short presentation with the research highlights.
This Fleet Forum research was undertaken by Coventry University funded by USAID.
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