Fleet Management Consulting: The Power of People + Meaningful Data

Fleet Consulting

A true partner to tackle your key challenges

The Merchants Fleet consulting team combines industry experience, analytical skills, big data, and the latest fleet technologies to provide tailored solutions across the entire fleet lifecycle. Whether you are looking to reduce costs, improve efficiency, enhance corporate sustainability, upgrade your fleet policies, or improve driver behavior, we are ready to devise the most effective strategies to meet your goals.

 

Electric Vehicle Fleet Consulting

We understand businesses and organizations are looking for ways to lower their carbon footprint when it comes to transportation. EVs are the fastest way to sustainability and working with Merchants is the least risky way to do it.

EVs are an affordable, environmentally friendly solution, and our fleet management consultants are ready to help! We’ll review your current and future needs and discuss which EVs and charging strategy (strategies) are best suited for your business.

Our AdoptEV service assesses your current fleet and identifies the best path forward to begin adopting EVs.

We understand that no two clients are alike, which is why we’ll provide recommendations based specifically on your business needs. Our EV options from top OEMs include new battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

Learn More About Fleet Electrification

Industry Leading Expertise for Deeper Insights

Our fleet management consultants average over a decade of experience in the fleet industry, and utilize deep industry knowledge to identify critical factors that will have the greatest impact on your fleet operations.

Depending on your fleet and business goals, we will provide a tailored selection of the following fleet consulting services:

  • Benchmark Analyses
  • Electric Vehicle Analyses
  • Fuel Cost and Price Predictions
  • Lifecycle Optimization
  • Business Scorecard Processes
  • Budgeting and Finance
  • Driver Behavior Analyses
  • Total Cost of Ownership Analyses
  • Asset Management Optimization
  • Alternative Fuel Analyses
  • Preventative and Non-Preventative Maintenance Predictions

Big Data & Fleet Technology

Using TotalView fleet management software, insights from existing clients, telematics, third-party sources, and other reporting avenues, our consultants put big data to work to help our clients better manage their fleets.

TotalView equips us with real-time, actionable, fleet data, presented visually for sharp analyses. Before recommending a more cost-effective fleet management solution, we evaluate advanced analytics and data relating to your:

Our fleet consultants are focused on thoroughly understanding your fleet, processes, and organizational culture to make tailored recommendations that take the broader context of your business into account. By pairing data with experience and a collaborative, client-centered approach, we can help make a significant impact on your fleet operations and your bottom line.

Cost Savings from Fleet Consulting

Leveraging the multitude of datapoints created by the use of Merchants’ products and services, we create a Fleet Scorecard, which is a business review of your fleet and driver performance.

While reviewing your Fleet Scorecards, we assess vehicle and driver performance in total and by cost-per-mile. We evaluate performance toward existing goals, and we determine exactly where your business can save on maintenance, fuel, and vehicle costs. One client saw a 10% overall improvement in driver behavior and a 15% decrease in accidents!

Electric vehicles are another way to save due to decreased fuel and maintenance expenses. If properly managed, the average U.S. fleet manager would effectively save $1 per gallon in fuel costs with an EV fleet, and electricity costs are much more stable for fleet cost forecasting. You can also compare the cost savings with the Department of Energy’s eGallon calculator.

Merchants can also help identify whether tax credits and manufacturer rebates apply to you.

Fleet Savings Calculator

3-Step Fleet Consulting Process

Step 1: Research and Analyze
First, our fleet consultants begin by reviewing your fleet data from TotalView. We identify opportunities for improvement and use predictive analytics to deliver data-driven solutions that lead to meaningful changes across the lifecycle of a fleet vehicle. A few areas of focus include:

  • Reducing Lifecycle Costs
  • Vehicle Optimization
  • Fleet Cycling and Replacement Strategies
  • Resale Market Optimization
  • Safety Best Practices

If you’re looking to transition to EVs, we have the big data analytical tools and deep expertise in electrification to assess your fleet needs, understand your electrification and sustainability goals, and identify the best path forward.

Step 2: Develop and Implement Strategies
Once we have discussed opportunities and a tailored strategy is in place, we provide tools to monitor and manage fleet costs and trends. Our consultants use Fleet Scorecards to examine fleet costs and performance throughout the lifecycle of your vehicles, along with industry knowledge to deliver actionable information and targeted recommendations for improvement. We analyze major fleet costs, performance, behaviors, and sustainability goals to create benchmarks and target new opportunities.

Step 3: Continually Optimize
Strategic fleet consulting is an ongoing, collaborative process. Our consultants will continually work with you to ensure that your goals are achieved and gains are maintained over time. We will work with you to maintain an open dialogue about your fleet strategy, and we will examine your fleet’s performance at a regular interval that makes sense for your business — quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.

This iterative process enables us to continue to offer proactive recommendations to drive continuous improvement, best practices, and superior performance. Together, we will help keep your vehicles and drivers operating at maximum performance while lowering your total cost of ownership.

“Since partnering with Merchants Fleet last year, their professional team members have provided excellent service and offered innovative solutions to address our unique needs.  Merchants has proven to be a top-tier fleet management company, exceeding our expectations on all levels.”

“My experience has been one of overwhelming delight. Merchants facilitates the expansion of Novus Ag business possibilities with their experienced professional staff by engaging in supporting activities. Allowing Novus Ag to lease short term vehicles while factory ordering enables us to save tens of thousands while immediately placing the employee in a high-quality truck. From permitting Novus to lease agricultural, material handling assets, to fuel and maintenance programs, we consider them a valuable partner.”

Michael Gates
Corporate Services - Fleet, Novus Ag, LLC

“Floor Coverings International is proud to partner with Merchants Fleet.  Their responsiveness and consultative approach has been beneficial to us and our franchise partners.”

Neil Daley
Director of Merchandising, Floor Coverings International

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your AdoptEV service?

Our EV experts and fleet team will create a custom EV adoption plan best suited to meet your organizational goals and needs. You will also receive a tailored strategy to execute your adoption, including vehicle reservations, best locations for EV conversion, ordering and leasing, EVSE charging and funding options, and more.

How much could I save if I improved my MPG?

Fuel is the second largest expense for fleets after depreciation. Since you can’t control prices at the pump, examining your fleet’s MPG is one way to manage your fuel spend. Use our Fuel Savings Calculator to see how much you’re spending today, and how much you can potentially save by focusing on your MPG.

How can Merchants Fleet help my transition to EVs?

When you partner with Merchants, you’re starting your EV journey with a personalized adoption plan. We have the experience, tools, and experience to help you transition to a more sustainable fleet, and we do so by assessing your fleet needs and identifying the roadmap for your organization’s EV adoption. You also have the opportunity to participate in an EV pilot program, which allows you to test what works and what doesn’t for your fleet in real life, without fear of major issues impacting your operations.

How can EVs reduce Total Cost of Ownership?

Electric vehicles can lower maintenance costs, lower fuel costs, and reduce downtime, all of which contributes to a reduced Total Cost of Ownership.

What does “mobility” mean in terms of fleet management?

The term “mobility” has long been an integral part of fleet management, but in today’s ever-changing world, it has evolved into something far more extensive. Mobility now stands as a new way of thinking; a transformative, on-demand philosophy that can unlock new opportunities in delivering the most efficient transportation that is needed, when it is needed, and for exactly how long it is needed. We invite you to explore our Mobility Calculator, which is designed to model out a scenario in which a mix of mobility and long-term leasing solutions can potentially save money while increasing flexibility within your fleet.

Did you know that light trucks typically spend 12% of their operation time idling?

Let the Merchants Fleet strategic consulting team find opportunities to drive meaningful change for your fleet.