Vehicle procurement and disposal is a natural part of fleet management and is necessary in order to ensure the efficiency of your fleet and the safety of your drivers.
Approximately 15.5 million drivers are on our country's roads, and the average Australian driver will cover a distance of 15,530 kilometres every single year.
A safety demonstration conducted by several of the country's leading Automotive Safety organisations has confirmed the value of new in-car technology designed to protect pedestrians.
As with all aspects of business, good fleet management is all about making the most out of the resources available to you in order to minimise expenses and improve productivity.
The Australian College of Road Safety today (April 24) urged our country's leaders to take a long, hard look at road safety in Australia, and offer a budget to combat the growing problem of road trauma.
The South Australian and Victorian governments joined forces last week to encourage Australia's other governments to opt for vehicles manufactured locally when picking cars to purchase or lease for their fleets.
For any fleet manager concerned about the performance and safety of their company vehicles, the importance of good tyre maintenance should not be underestimated.
For any organisation which operates a fleet of company vehicles, the decision whether to outsource or keep things in house can be a difficult one to make.
On April 10, the ANCAP awarded three more five star ratings to three very different types of cars, confirming that there really is no excuse not to be providing your staff with safe and reliable automobiles.
It seems that more and more Australian consumers are considering turning to alternative fuels in order to combat rising petrol prices across the country.
New statistics from the FCAI have confirmed that the Mazda3 continues to be the most popular car in the country, in news that may be of interest to any fleet manager considering vehicle procurement.
The RACQ has criticised the Queensland government for taking what it claims is the "cheapest option" when it comes to reducing the state road toll and improving driver safety.
If you are an Australian fleet manager considering vehicle procurement in the near future, it might be worthwhile taking a look at the results of the latest Kelley Blue Book 2013 Brand Image Awards.
One of the best ways in which an organisation can look to improve the efficiency of its fleet is by minimising petrol expenses and reducing fuel consumption.
Queensland motorists heading out for a long weekend holiday have been warned to watch their speed and drive with care, lest they be targeted with heavy fines.
When managing a fleet of company vehicles it can sometimes be hard to pay proper attention to such factors as environmental performance and carbon emissions.
Federal member for Ballarat Catherine King has been named the minister for road safety as part of a cabinet reshuffle announced by the Gillard government this week.
The Easter break is fast approaching and many people all over Australia are now gearing up for what will potentially be the last long weekend holiday of the summer.
New cars sold in Australia are getting more environmentally friendly and boasting lower fuel consumption, according to new data released by the National Transport Commission (NTC).
The Queensland government has announced the launch of a 'shocking' road safety commercial campaign, which will run in the lead up to the Easter school holidays.
A new report from the Climate Commission has confirmed that the summer of 2012/13 was the hottest ever recorded in Australia, with a number of records being shattered all across the country.
It's no secret that software for fleet management is revolutionising the way in which organisations across Australia are choosing to operate their vehicle fleet.
If you are an Australian fleet manager considering vehicle procurement in the near future, then you may be interested in the latest results issued by the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) this month.
The finalists for the 2013 Green Car of the Year awards have been announced at a special press conference at the Geneva International Motor Show this month.
Transport for NSW has announced the release of a new mobile application for drivers, which will offer personalised alerts and information regarding traffic conditions in the state.
The federal government has announced it will be investing upwards of $2 million in investigating the future transport needs of South Australia, an initiative which has earned the support of the RAA.
If you are a fleet manager considering vehicle procurement in 2013, you may be interested in the latest sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) this month.
Victorian premier Ted Baillieu has announced that the state government is increasing the amount it plans to invest in road safety maintenance over the next decade to more than $1 billion.
The Victorian government has announced that it will be clamping down on drivers found guilty of tailgating - the habit of following too closely behind another vehicle when out on the roads.
The Queensland government is cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seatbelts, as part of an ongoing road safety public education campaign and enforcement blitz.
There's good news for NSW fleet managers this week, as state roads minister Duncan Gay has announced that the average motorist is now getting home up to 15 minutes faster every week.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has called for better information to be given to motorists regarding fuel prices, so that they may make more informed decisions about where they choose to buy petrol.
If you are a fleet manager with vehicles operating out of Victoria, you will likely be pleased to learn that the new flyover ramp on the M80 Ring Road and Tullamarine Freeway has officially opened for traffic.
Ensuring that all company vehicles are in optimal driving condition should be a primary concern for any fleet manager determined to maximise fleet efficiency and driver safety as well.
The productivity of many organisations all across Australia is being impacted by a growth in office administration tasks such as faxing, photocopying and data entry.
Driving in Queensland has just become a little bit safer, after a $1.5 million elevation upgrade to the Stuart Highway was completed earlier this month.
It's been a wild and tumultuous summer for much of Australia, which is why many fleet managers will likely be pleased to hear news the weather has now largely settled throughout much of the country.
If you are a Sydney fleet manager concerned about the wellbeing of your drivers, and looking to reduce the amount of infringement notices that are issued to your organisation, it may be worthwhile passing this guide onto employees.
The Queensland government has rolled out flashing school lights at another 15 Queensland schools, as part of an ongoing initiative designed to reduce the amount of accidents occurring in school zones.
Any fleet manager considering vehicle procurement in the near future may be interested to learn that the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has awarded three new models with five star safety ratings.
In the highly competitive business world of 2013, it has becoming increasingly important for growing enterprises to ensure they are making the absolute most out of the various resources available to them.
The RACQ is urging Queensland drivers whose vehicles may have been affected by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald flood water to take their cars in for maintenance immediately, in order to mitigate the risk of serious damage occurring.
The Victorian government has announced that work will soon be getting underway on the installation of an electronic freeway management system along the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne.
The Australia Automobile Association has expressed concern at the results of a recent report which reveal that more people were killed on Australian roads in 2012 than in 2011.
Any fleet manager interested in fuel efficient vehicles may be interested to learn that the five cars nominated for the 2013 World Green Car of the Year have been announced ahead of the official ceremony in March.
Any fleet manager with vehicles operating throughout Victoria will likely be pleased to learn that a major section of the Western Highway Duplication from Ballarat to Stawell has now been completed.
The Queensland government has launched into action in order to begin repairing the damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald, which has caused major flooding across the state throughout the second half of January.
According to new statistics released by AAMI on January 29, 33 per cent of collisions with pedestrians or cyclists recorded in South Australia during the 2012 school year occurred between the hours of 7am and 9am, or 3pm to 5pm.
It's a reality of driving that even the safest and most competent drivers will, in all likelihood, eventually find themselves stranded on the side of the road and in need of assistance.
The RACQ has urged motorists not to put off regularly servicing their vehicles, in news that serves as a timely reminder of the value of frequent and organised fleet maintenance.
Expense Reduction Analysts principal consultant Tom Debney has suggested that organisations consider investing in a fleet management program in order to improve efficiency and cut back on costs.
Queensland police minister Jack Dempsey has advised motorists to take caution when driving over the coming weeks as the school holidays draw to a close and road traffic increases.
Toll roads in Sydney take in around $896 million in revenue every year from local and visiting drivers, according to an article published by the Daily Telegraph on January 20.
If you are a fleet manager interested in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your drivers, you may be interested to learn that the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has just raised the bar on vehicle crash testing standards.
One of the most important aspects of ongoing business success is internal communication. After all, if the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing it is always going to be difficult to make much headway against the competition.
If you are a fleet manager interested in reducing the ongoing fuel consumption and overall expenses of your organisation's vehicle fleet, you may be interested in a new story regarding Tesla's plans for the Australian market.
There are a myriad of reasons why your organisation might choose to switch to efficient green cars with a lower rate of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions - not least of which is the potential reduction in petrol expenses.
The Queensland government has announced it will be introducing a new Queensland Police Service Fatal Five car, aimed at warning motorists about the dangers of inattention when driving.
The RACQ is urging Australian drivers to be on the lookout for signs that the batteries in their cars might be close to failing, in order to avoid time consuming and costly breakdowns this summer.
The price of diesel in Queensland has risen by nearly 20 cents per litre over the last two years, according to new statistics released by the RACQ on January 8.
It's no secret that some of the most successful organisations in the world are those which are willing to innovate and utilise the latest technology on offer in order to improve day to day operations.
Green Car Journal has announced the ten nominations for its inaugural Green Car Technology Awards, which will look to honour the scientific breakthroughs that have helped create a new generation of fuel efficient vehicles.
If you are a fleet manager looking at potentially procuring new vehicles for your fleet in 2013, you may be interested in recent sales figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
If you are a fleet manager seeking to identify ways in which the day to day organisation and processing of your company's fleet vehicles might be improved, it could be worthwhile looking at the benefits that fleet management software could offer.
With roadside assistance, drivers have the option to call for help any time day or night with the assurance that trained experts are available to assist with any automotive problems they might run into.
If you are a fleet manager operating in Adelaide, you might want to take some time to warn your drivers that the state may soon be cracking down on parking infringements with a new electronic monitoring system.
The federal and Queensland governments will together commit nearly $800 million towards fast-tracking a planned upgrade of a dangerous section of the Bruce Highway.
The future of green cars in Australia looks bright, following the opening of a brand new petrol-electric hybrid engine plant in Altona, Melbourne earlier this month.
If you are an Australian fleet manager with vehicles operating in New South Wales, you may be interested to learn that the state government is now investigating ways in which the M4 Motorway might be upgraded to improve traffic flow.
The RACQ is warning motorists to take care and to pay attention on the roads during the busy holiday period, and has released a new YouTube video highlighting the dangers of driver distraction.
The New South Wales Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) has confirmed that from January 1 2013, drivers in the state will no longer be required to display registration stickers on light vehicles.
The RACQ has expressed its support for a review into toll road signage in Brisbane, and has urged the Queensland government to introduce new laws regarding this contentious issue.
The Chevrolet Volt, a popular fuel efficient hybrid car marketed as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand, has ranked as the top scoring model in the recent Consumer Reports National Research Center Owner-Satisfaction survey.
Alongside regular fleet maintenance, on-going driver education is one of the best ways for an Australian fleet manager to ensure their organisations' employees remain safe and avoid incidents on the road.
If you are a fleet manager considering investing in the procurement of fuel efficient cars for your organisation, you may be interested to find that a Toyota hybrid has just made history in the Australia's Best Cars awards.
In the business world, as in many elements of life, knowledge is power, and it's important to arm yourself with relevant information in order to make accurate and correct decisions which will afford the greatest advantages to your organisation in the long run.
The RACQ has called for the federal government to invest in improving the quality of national highways in south-east Queensland in order to reduce the rate of accidents occurring in this area.
Along with regular fleet maintenance, driver education is one of the best ways in which you can help keep your employees safe on the roads when they are operating a company vehicle.
Taking a more environmentally conscious approach towards day to day business can be massively beneficial not only to the future of our planet, but also towards reductions in expenses as well.
The Victorian police force has emphasised the importance of safe driving during the busy summer months, warning motorists that any dangerous behaviour on the roads will not be tolerated this Christmas.
One area in which disorganisation and inefficiency often occurs, especially in larger organisations, is in the process of managing and booking fleet vehicles.
If you are a fleet manager operating in the state of Queensland, you may be interested to know that construction is now underway on the Pacific Motorway Gateway Motorway South project.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has expressed concern over the 2012 road toll, urging the government to take action in order to prevent further unnecessary deaths in the future.
According to Toyota, worldwide sales of the brands hybrid vehicles have helped decrease CO2 production by around 30 million tonnes, while also saving approximately 11 million litres of petrol.
The Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has reiterated its support for including combination airbags and head protecting technology (HPT) in all new cars, after a recent study found that they could be pivotal in saving lives during an accident.
Honda - an automobile brand partially responsible for heralding the arrival of hybrid car technology in the late nineties - has announced it has reached a major milestone in worldwide sales of green cars.
If you are a fleet manager with vehicles operating in New South Wales, you may want to take this opportunity to remind drivers that several new road rules will be coming into effect in the state on November 1.
Any organisation which is currently utilising a fleet of company vehicles can benefit greatly from outsourcing their fleet management duties to a professional and reliable fleet service provider.
A new study from Vanson Bourne under commission from Redwood Software has revealed that 99 per cent of businesses are still devoting a significant amount of personnel time towards repetitive manual tasks.
The Green Car Journal has announced the five vehicles which will battle it out for the title of 2013 Green Car of the Year, set to be presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 29.
If you are an Australian fleet manager with vehicles operating in Queensland you might want to look at investing in fleet services that offer infringement management, if a new study conducted by one of the state's leading motoring bodies is anything to go by.
It's an unfortunate fact of driving that every so often accidents will happen, and this is something that people in charge of managing a fleet of company vehicles know all too well.
Minister for employment and workplace relations Bill Shorten has encouraged Australians to think about the ways in which they might improve safety and wellbeing at their places of employment during the eighth annual Safe Work Australia Week.
Petrol prices spiked throughout much of Australia during the third week of October, particularly in Sydney where Fairfax Media reported an increase at the pumps of up to 30 cents per litre.
While Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Petrol Commissioner Joe Dimasi was reported as saying that the price rises were "not justified", that did little to alleviate the concerns of both individuals and businesses alike.
The Queensland government has announced that it will be investing $5 million into improving the traffic flow along one of the busiest sections of the 100km long Pacific Motorway.
In the past, efficiently managing a fleet of company vehicles required a wealth of physical documentation consisting of everything from expense reports to booking forms and servicing schedules.
If you are a fleet manager looking at procuring vehicles in the near future, you might be interested in the latest batch of crash test results released by the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) earlier this month.
If you are a Victorian fleet manager looking to improve environmental efficiency and fuel economy, you may be interested in a new initiative aimed at encouraging greater use of green cars amongst Australian businesses.
If you are a fleet manager with vehicles currently operating in Victoria, you may be pleased to hear that the state government will be making a significant investment into repairing and restoring local roads.
According to minister for roads Terry Mulder, recent major flood events and wetter than normal weather over the past two years have deteriorated Victorian roads faster than anticipated.
Driver education needn't be complicated and can be as simple as to remind them about a few simple road safety tips, as shown by a recently launched Victorian government initiative aimed at encouraging safer driving behaviour around trucks.
Hybrid green cars are surging in popularity throughout the country as Australians increasingly look for ways to save money by reducing their fuel consumption.
If you are a fleet manager operating in Melbourne or the wider Victoria area, you will likely be pleased to learn that the one billion M80 Ring Road upgrade is currently ahead of schedule, with two new traffic lanes officially opened last week.
With fleet services you can spend less time worrying about the little details and spend more time enjoying the bigger picture - such as how to enjoy your extra hour of sunlight with friends and family.
Transport for NSW has warned drivers to be careful on the roads this long weekend, and to remember that double demerit points will be in place for a range of driving offences.
Auto giant Toyota is planning to expand its range of fuel efficient cars, announcing earlier this week that it will be releasing 21 new hybrid models between now and 2015.
The speed limit on city streets in the Melbourne CBD is to drop from 50km/h to 40km/h, as authorities seek to improve driver and pedestrian safety in the Victorian capital.
When identifying deficiencies in your fleet of company vehicles, the first thing you will want to consider is whether the vehicles you are currently utilising are the most suitable for the job.
Often disposing of older vehicles and procuring new ones can help improve efficiency and reduce running costs, leading to significant financial benefits in the long run.
If vehicles are no longer performing as required - such as by being overly expensive to run or maintain - then it is well worth contemplating replacing them for a newer or more reliable model.
Businesses operating a fleet of company vehicles in New South Wales may want to consider investing in fleet services which offer accident management and 24/7 roadside assistance, if new statistics from AAMI are anything to go by.
According to the 2012 AAMI Crash Index, drivers in NSW have more accidents than those in any other state, with the majority being caused by a tendency not to pay enough attention on the roads.
Driver behaviour can have a huge impact on fuel consumption and the efficiency of a fleet. That's why software for fleet management which offers fuel monitoring has become such a popular option amongst organisations looking to reduce fleet expenses and improve their bottom line.
Climate change is likely to severely alter the plants, animals and ecosystems of Australia over the next century, new research from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has found.
A leading member of the Motor Trade Association (MTA) has warned that many Australian drivers are putting lives at risk by delaying necessary car repairs due to budgetary restraints.
Fleet managers looking to lower fuel consumption amongst company vehicles may be interested to learn that Kia has recently announced it will be investing US$2.52 billion into improving the eco-efficiency of its green cars during 2012.
Alongside regular fleet maintenance and good fleet management software which can provide 24/7 roadside assistance, driver education is one of the best ways to help prevent an accident and give your drivers peace of mind when on the road.
If there is one issue that is most likely to cause headaches and frustration when it comes to fleet management, it's ensuring timely toll and infringement payments.
Fleet managers looking at procuring new vehicles may be interested in sales figures for the month of August released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) yesterday (September 5).
A total of 93,552 vehicles were sold during last month, up 6.2 per cent over the same period last year. That brings total vehicle sales for 2012 to 728,047.
Toyota was the most popular brand by a considerable margin, registering sales of 17,996 vehicles. Holden was the next most successful brand for the month of August at 11,271 sales, followed by Ford with 7,795 units sold.
With the dark, wet winter months behind us, and September bringing a general improvement in driving conditions, many Australian drivers might be feeling tempted to relax behind the wheel this spring.
However it's important to remember that the spring and summer months can often bring their own dangers for unwary drivers who do not remain vigilant while on the road.
Toyota is predicting sales of more than one million hybrid green cars worldwide this year, announcing late last week that more than 630,000 Toyota and Lexus petrol-electric hybrids had been sold in 2012 as of June 30.
That number already surpasses the 628,989 Toyota hybrids sold during the entirety of 2011, with the popular Toyota Prius range accounting for the vast majority of 2012 sales, at 467,079 vehicles.
In the digital age, having immediate access to valuable data and information is not only a luxury to business leaders and decision makers - it's a necessity.
If you are a fleet manager in Australia, or you oversee a fleet of company vehicles in any way, then it is important that you are fully arming yourself with the knowledge necessary to make critical decisions quickly and accurately.
The National Snow and Ice Data Centre in the US released shocking findings earlier this week that indicated Arctic sea ice cover is now at its lowest extent in the satellite record.
The previous record low, recorded in 2007, showed sea ice at just 4.17 million square kilometres. That number dropped even further on August 26 however, to 4.10 million square kilometres.
If you are a Sydney based fleet manager, you may be pleased to learn that the state and federal governments are planning new initiatives aimed at reducing congestion and improving driving conditions on the M4 Motorway.
A new electronic freeway management system is expected to improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion across the M4, with the NSW and Australian governments each contributing $8.5 million to the project.
Spring is just around the corner and that means many people across Australia will be rolling up their sleeves, wiping down their brows and giving their homes a good solid clean.
The month of September is also a good time for businesses and organisations to do a spring clean of sorts, by taking a look at internal operations in order to identify any areas which perhaps aren't running as efficiently as they could be.
Filling out the relevant forms and paying for the registration of your own personal vehicle can be a frustrating and time consuming process.
But if you are an Australian fleet manager or someone who is responsible for a fleet of company vehicles, you will understand just how headache-inducing this process can be when dealing with a large assortment of automobiles.
If you are an Australian fleet manager, you may be interested in a new report set to be released by AAMI into the most accident-prone locations in the country.
The forthcoming 2012 AAMI Crash Index was compiled via assessment of almost 275,000 accident claims over the period of July 2011 to June 2012.
AAMI has already published some of the most interesting results, including the top five accident hot spots for both Sydney and Melbourne.
A joint report from the Climate and Health Alliance and the Climate Institute has shed further light on the financial and health benefits of reducing carbon emissions in Australia.
Every Australian fleet manager should be aware of impending changes to speed limits in Victoria, announced by minister for roads Terry Mulder yesterday (August 14).
The overhaul is intended to simplify the system while removing clutter, and will eventually see the phasing out of 80 km/hour buffer zones as well as 90 km/hour and 70 km/hour areas.
It can be helpful to understand the various factors that go into petrol price determinations in order to better understand why we pay what we do at the pump.
With spring just around the corner, now might be a good time to sit down with drivers and remind them of a few simple techniques for dealing with the dangers associated with sun strike.
Having an unnecessarily large quantity of company vehicles can be costly and frustrating, as each car will bring with it additional expenses in terms of fleet maintenance and registration costs.
Australians looking to purchase a safe used car would be wise to choose vehicles such as the 2008 Ford Falcon FG or the 2007 Subaru Forester, according to the latest Used Car Safety Ratings Guide (USCR) which was released today (August 8).
The UCSR is now in its 20th year and is an annual collaboration by industry experts such as VicRoads, the Transport Accident Commission, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria and the Monash University Accident Research Centre.
When it comes to maximising fuel efficiency there are a range of things you can do to ensure that you are getting the most out of your company vehicles.
Anybody looking to cut down on fleet maintenance costs might be interested in the results of the latest Reader's Digest poll into Australia's most trusted brands.
Fleet management software can be an invaluable tool when it comes to benchmarking your own fleet, by providing you with powerful reporting technology which can break down the individual performance aspects of your vehicles.
Fleet managers searching for the most environmentally friendly green cars may want to consider the opinion of the Kelley Blue Book, one of the world's leading automotive vehicle valuation companies.
These days it's an unfortunate fact of life that petrol prices seem to constantly be on the up, and often the best way to combat this effect is by improving the fuel efficiency of your company vehicles.
The best thing fleet managers can do to help prevent future road incidents is remind their drivers of safe driving practices and to always be vigilant on the roads.
The first step in figuring out how to solve any problem is, of course, understanding where that problem is coming from. That is why it is important to have a good idea of how environmentally friendly your fleet vehicles are.
The first Annual Review of Speed Cameras focused on 97 fixed speed camera locations across the state, finding a 38 per cent reduction in the number of vehicle incidents in these locations.
Increasing cost efficiency and identifying areas where expenditure can be reduced is a key goal of most fleet managers, and the right fleet management software should be able to help you with that.
In West Virginia, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has taken a unique approach towards reducing the financial impact of fuel costs amongst government vehicles in the state.
A whole of life cost evaluation is a thorough assessment of the current and potential future expenditure a vehicle is likely to cause to your business.
If you are concerned about the risk of black ice and want to ensure your drivers are safe, and that any damage resulting from in incident is minimised, then a fleet management service might be the ideal option for your business.
While the value of a fleet management service which provides accident management during the wet and unpredictable winter months might seem obvious, there is another danger on the road that many drivers do not even consider.
Running a fleet of company vehicles can be time consuming, with so many factors to consider and variables in play what seems like a simple job at first can easily spiral into consuming a large portion of your working day.
Having an efficient fleet management system can be an excellent way of tracking driver behaviour and ensuring the correct use of fuel cards and fuel types.
