Collecting fleet data without compromising employee privacy

Gathering data is primary to manage a fleet efficiently. But to make it unequalled, you need enough and relevant data...Which inevitably raises privacy concerns.

How much privacy do we really still have today? Despite the fact that our internet browsers already know pretty much everything about us, all of the fleet and mobility managers we interviewed have stressed that privacy laws remain important and companies need to ensure they are rigorously respected. Reports should be anonymised when possible, and names only linked to data when strictly necessary.

For our current plug-in hybrid drivers, we have a policy: employees commit to driving 60% of your kilometers on electricity. If the data show me that some drivers have never even plugged in the car, that's something that we'll need to address. Laetitia Van Hecke, Head of Mobility & Fleet (Worldline)

But there are grey areas when it comes to some data collection: geolocalise vehicles for safety and admin purpose can be allowed but tracking in the weekend, on holidays, or to control an employee’s time at work seems like a no go for most. Should fleet managers be able to see weekend accident data, for example, if the car is connected? Or is there such thing as a right to drive anonymously?

At one of my previous companies, we had more than one total loss per month. Over 30% of those was directly linked to alcohol or drugs. The other 70% we didn't know. So, should you, as an employer not be able to dig deeper into the available data to find out what really happened? I'm not sure... Anonymous Fleet Manager

While the debate is still very much ongoing, it is essential to strike a careful balance between performance monitoring and respecting employee privacy. Fleet data systems should be designed to support drivers — improving their mobility, safety, and comfort — without being overly intrusive. Transparency about what data is collected, how it’s used, and for what purpose is crucial to building trust and maintaining a healthy work environment.

Equally critical is the secure handling of this data. Fleet information often includes sensitive details such as routes, schedules, client interactions, and driver activity. To manage this responsibly, organisations can align with ISO 27001 standards, which emphasise three core principles:

• Confidentiality: Only authorised personnel should access fleet data. For instance, without proper controls, client login details or route information could fall into the wrong hands and be sold.
• Integrity: Data must be accurate and protected from unauthorised changes or loss. An example risk would be a staff member unintentionally deleting a row in a processing file, which could affect critical reporting or planning.
• Availability: Fleet data must be accessible when needed, both for operational use and to meet customer expectations. A typical risk scenario would be a database outage due to server failure and inadequate backup strategies, leading to disruptions in service.