At the 2025 IPWEA Fleet Conference in Brisbane, a standout moment came during the benchmarking panel discussion when Brendan Cannon, Group Fleet and Utilisation Manager at Altus Traffic Management, shared a candid and compelling account of how data has helped transform the way his organisation manages its assets.
In a rapidly growing business underpinned by private equity ownership, Cannon has had to rethink how fleet is managed – and benchmarking has played a key role.
Growth Demands Visibility
“Altus has grown from 1,200 to more than 3,200 fleet assets in under 18 months,” Cannon explained. “A lot of that growth has come from acquisitions. That means we’ve inherited a broad mix of vehicle types, telematics platforms, and operational behaviours.”
Managing this growth has required consolidation and standardisation. Cannon said Altus ended an 11-year relationship with SG Fleet and took fleet management in-house using a platform called Fleetyr. “It allows us to centralise data, cleanse it, and make it meaningful for decision-making,” he said.
Why Benchmarking Matters
Cannon sees benchmarking not just as a numbers game, but as a cultural tool.
“The benchmarking we do is helping us understand how our assets are being used – and misused – across the country. From fuel theft to someone trying to drive a ute with an arrow board into an underground car park – the data gives us visibility and, more importantly, a way to hold people accountable,” he said.
Because Altus operates in traffic control, vehicles are core revenue-generating assets. “If a vehicle’s sitting idle, it’s not making money,” he said bluntly. “That’s why utilisation benchmarks and inactivity data are so important to us.”
Cannon praised the data cleansing process that the benchmarking team undertakes. “They’re data washers. They take dirty data from different systems and clean it up so it’s usable. That’s critical when you’re trying to communicate with senior management or the board. The data needs to be relatable.”
From Data to Cultural Change
One of the most compelling messages from Cannon’s contribution was the role data plays in shaping behaviour.
“We’re seeing a cultural shift in how our staff engage with vehicles. When people know we’re watching idle time, unauthorised usage and driving behaviour, things start to change. Even the simple act of tracking ‘ignition on’ and ‘off’ helps us understand if a vehicle is where it should be, doing what it’s meant to.”
And while Cannon acknowledges that benchmarking data must be interpreted carefully – “It’s a guide, not gospel,” he said – he’s confident in its power to influence. “Just like in rugby, where I used to play professionally, some players never tested well on fitness benchmarks, but they were world class on the field. You’ve got to use the numbers wisely.”
Lessons from Rugby to Fleet
In fact, Cannon shared a brilliant analogy from his rugby days.
“George Smith – one of the greatest Wallabies – used to test poorly in all the strength and fitness metrics. If you benchmarked him purely on that, he wouldn’t get selected. But when it came to performance on the field, he was exceptional. It shows that data has context – you have to blend it with local knowledge and what’s happening on the ground.”
That mindset helps explain why Altus isn’t using benchmarking as a blunt instrument. “It’s about knowing which drivers are outliers, which assets are being underutilised, and how we can make incremental improvements.”
From Insight to Action
Altus is also using benchmarking data to guide procurement, maintenance, and asset lifecycle planning. Cannon noted that a clean asset registry was essential: “Without that, you can’t overlay telematics, fuel and maintenance data in a meaningful way.”
He sees potential in linking benchmarking to warranty claims and manufacturer negotiations too. “If we know a specific vehicle model is consistently triggering a fault code, we can raise it with the OEM with evidence.”
The benefits aren’t limited to internal gains. Cannon said benchmarking opens up monetisation opportunities. “If your data’s clean, councils and private operators can contribute to studies that attract state or federal funding. We’re seeing more of that happening already.”
A Call for Transparency
Cannon closed his remarks with a message for fleet managers around the country.
“You’ve got to be transparent. Share your data. It’s the only way benchmarking works. And it’s the only way we raise standards across the sector.”
The benchmarking project discussed at the conference is open to all councils until June. It aggregates data anonymously, so participants can see where they sit against peers without revealing identities. The goal is to build a robust, collaborative benchmarking framework for fleets across Australia.
For fleet professionals looking to improve performance, reduce risk, and engage their organisations more effectively, Cannon’s message is clear: benchmarking is about more than KPIs and dashboards – it’s about cultural change.
“The data tells a story. You just have to be willing to listen to it – and act on it.”
