Fleets Are Growing – Is Staffing?

With great growth often comes a few growing pains along the way. And it seems the same is true for the utility fleet industry. While fleets have gotten larger and more complex, staffing levels have not kept pace with it.

Utilimarc analyzed data from 27 companies who participated in our Benchmark from 2010 to 2018 to reveal current staffing level trends. What we found was that fleet employees support around 20% more vehicles than they have in years past. Fleet size within this same period also increased by 8%.

Number of Vehicles Per Administrative Staff 

The Number of Vehicles Per Administrative Staff increased from 68.5 in 2010 to 80.7 in 2018 — an 18% increase. This number represents all managers, analysts, clerks, or any other non-technicians on staff.

Number of Vehicles Per Technician Staff 

The Number of Vehicles Per Technician Staff increased from 31.4 in 2010 to 37.6 in 2020 — a 20% increase.

This is a simplified view of staffing levels. Managers need to be aware of other factors that can affect workload. New vehicle technology, additional reporting requirements, shifts in outsourcing strategy and changes in mechanic efficiency will have a major impact in how your fleet should be staffed.

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