Fleet Manager role is making a comeback.

Fleet manager numbers have been falling for many years, in line with the growth of cash for car schemes. But, with that trend now reversing, the fleet manager role appears to be making a comeback.

According to the latest quarterly report from GE Fleet Services, Company Car Trends, the number of companies employing a fleet manager has fallen by little more than one percentage point in the last 12 months, to 30.4% - whereas, at the end of 2005, the figure was 36.8%.

At the same time, company car provision is continuing to rise - from 98.8% to 99.5% per cent during the last year for essential users, and from 68.8% to 77.3% for non-essential users. Cash for car schemes, meanwhile, continue to fall in popularity, from 42.8% to 36.4% for essential users.

The factors driving a long-term rise in traditional car provision - such as duty of care and environmental responsibilities - increasingly are creating a job need for someone to manage these issues on a day-to-day basis. Often, the best solution is a dedicated fleet manager.

While Company Car Trends suggests that fleet managers are taking daily responsibility for the fleet, a variety of other departments - finance, human resources, procurement and others – have a growing influence on key fleet policy decisions, from acquisition methods to driver training. But these policies then need to be implemented, and it appears that many employers are recognising that a fleet manager is needed to carry out this task.

Resources: fleet management

http://www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles/profiles/profile1364/

http://www.redgoldfish.co.uk/view_job_information.asp?gid=23

http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=archivedetails&newsUID=0eeae232-a848-477c-8e36-719e3b32c66a

http:// www.icfm.com