The expectations and possibilities in Fleet management are on the rise. There’s been a steady accumulation of new expectations with connected vehicles, sustainability targets, mixed fleets, rising insurance costs, and increasing pressure to make decisions based on data instead of habit.

In a recent interview with Romain, Sales in a Fleet Management & Telematics SaaS, who has spent more than a decade working with OEMs and telematics, he described the landscape in a simple way:

“There’s more data than ever, but most companies still struggle with the fundamentals.”

That’s the heart of it. It’s not a question of technology, the challenge is to understand how to turn information you already have into something useful to run your fleet smoothly.

1. Stick to the basics before rushing into innovations

By “fundamentals”, Romain wasn’t talking about advanced analytics or predictive algorithms. He meant mileage, maintenance reminders, and the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). The basics. What for?

• Mileage keeps contracts and lifecycles under control.
• Maintenance alerts prevent breakdowns that derail a day of work.
• DTCs give early visibility into issues drivers often forget or avoid reporting.

Nothing that exciting, but missing these is responsible for most of the noise fleet managers deal with. This is also relevant when planning an EV transition. And these basics are especially important when companies are thinking about switching to electric vehicles. Romain explains:

“We really need to analyze each trip and the distance covered every day, to advise which vehicles could switch to EV and which cannot.”

Some drivers travel less than they think; others travel more than they claim. Without analysing real usage, you’ll be planning EV TCO and range blindly. He also cautions against rushing the electrification process:

“Most people want everything at once. You present a solution, and everyone thinks, ‘Oh, this is good, let’s do it all.’ But if we try to take on too much, we never start.”

He ads a more visual metaphore:

“When you buy a house, it’s first important to have strong walls, a good isolation, windows, and a roof. You can decide on what’s inside later on, depending on budget, but also after getting used to how you use the space. It’s the same with getting used to the data you have”

Although, transitioning to electric also reduces opportunities for misuse. Fuel theft, for instance, happens far more often than many managers realize. With a fuel card, it’s easy for someone to siphon fuel into a private container. With electric cars, that misuse disappears.

2. OEM Data vs. Telematics: Two different purposes

Connected vehicles coming straight from the factory have made expectations evolve. Almost every new model now arrives with built-in data feeds, connected to a dedicated app, giving fleets visibility by default. But most fleets use multiple vehicle brands, each with its own telematics system. That means fleet managers either juggle several platforms or spend hours integrating data.

“Each manufacturer has its own logic, its own frequency, its own data structure,” Romain explained. “If you have a mixed fleet, you’re juggling multiple realities.”

OEM data is great for company cars, pool vehicles, and fleets that mostly need visibility. Operational fleets (for technicians, utilities, deliveries) often need more depth, and telematics gives good structure for that with consistent data across all vehicles, real-time insight, and the ability to compare behaviours fairly. It’s not a question of choosing one over the other but having the right tool for the job.

Data can help you tailor policies without favoritism, keeping everyone accountable and the fleet efficient. That’s why flexibility in car policies matters: not every employee needs the same vehicle type or usage rules.

3. Data use… with trust, clarity, and fairness

To discuss connectivity and automation with employees, the hardest part of any fleet project is showing drivers that you understand their perspective. Drivers want transparency, not surveillance. They want to know what’s monitored, how often, why it matters, and what happens outside their working hours.

“People don’t push back when things are clear. They push back when something feels hidden.” said Romain

When communication is transparent, most concerns disappear. Video telematics fits that same pattern, as they are often misunderstood. But in practice it’s a safety tool: external video for accident reconstruction, internal video event-based only. Footage isn’t streamed constantly but in some cases live on an SD card until needed.

“The safest drivers benefit the most,” Romain said. “Videos help prove what really happened.”

Utility vehicles are a good example of why this clarity is important. They tend to accumulate the highest number of tiny behaviours that add up over time (weekend use, side trips, fuel card misuse, minor bumps). Taken separately, they seem like a detail, but across a fleet, and added up over time, they create real cost. Here, data gives both sides a fair and objective view.

Safe driving also protects the company’s image. Knowing drivers’ behaviours can help better target those who could use eco-driving or safety training. It’s not just a question of accidents but also how your company is perceived on the road.

4. AI is an inevitable phase of Fleet Management

AI is one of the loudest topics across all industries, often demonized, but it has an important practical impact for the fleet sector. It helps to spot patterns quicker than humans could: repeated risky behaviour, inconsistent mileage, recurring vehicle issues, inefficiencies in routes or usage. This is not to reprimand your teams, but rather help with predictive maintenance.

Romain emphasized: “AI doesn’t make the decisions, it just shows you what’s worth paying attention to.”

Insurers are already using this type of modeling, and fleets can too to:

• flag risky driving,
• predict potential incidents,
• generate custom reports,
• and highlight anomalies across large fleets.

AI frees managers from repetitive analysis, leaving them to focus on judgment and strategy. Based on drivers’ profiles, insurers can determine the insurance cost for them… and potentially help you save money there too.

But despite all this innovation, the future of fleet management looks surprisingly grounded: OEM data growing fast, telematics staying essential for operational depth, AI removing repetitive analysis, and communication remaining the hardest part.

Nothing will replace human judgment, but we could sure use some help. A better visibility makes that judgment easier, faster, and more predictable.