The 2025 IPWEA Fleet Conference brought together fleet practitioners from across Australia to discuss emerging trends, share knowledge and benchmark performance. As part of the program, delegates were asked to identify the top three fleet management challenges facing their organisation in the year ahead. The responses highlighted that the most significant issues are not technical, but cultural and organisational — with challenges stemming from leadership, strategic planning, and internal processes.
1. Organisational and Cultural Barriers
The most commonly mentioned challenge was overcoming internal resistance to change. Delegates cited the difficulty in gaining executive support, navigating elected member expectations, and managing the political influence on fleet decisions. There was a strong call to educate senior managers and directors — particularly those unfamiliar with technology like GPS and AI — on the value of modern fleet management tools.
Marc Sibbald, Director – Fleet at IPWEA, said the responses tell a story that goes beyond the fleet team. “These challenges reflect more on the organisation and the senior management than the capability of fleet practitioners. Leaders within local government need to acknowledge the importance of the fleet in delivering services to the community and provide the fleet team with sufficient resources and the support to create efficiencies with the help of technology.”
He added that elected members and council executives also have a responsibility to ask better questions. “When leadership engages more meaningfully, the management of the fleet can align to the Community Strategic Plan and drive real value.”
2. Fleet Strategy and Budget Pressures
Many responses focused on the financial pressure of replacing ageing vehicles and investing in sustainable technology. Several councils are struggling with the upfront capital costs of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure, even as they face growing expectations to reduce fleet emissions. The balance between leasing and ownership, residual value risks, and funding for long-term transition planning were raised repeatedly.
Delegates also expressed frustration that fleet is often treated as a cost centre, rather than a strategic enabler. Without a clear fleet strategy that is integrated into the organisation’s broader sustainability and asset management plans, practitioners said it was difficult to secure funding or drive continuous improvement.
3. Technology and Data Integration
The third key challenge was the implementation and integration of fleet technologies. While telematics, fleet management software, and real-time reporting tools are widely available, delegates said their systems were often poorly implemented, underutilised, or incompatible with corporate platforms.
Several participants reported struggles with legacy systems or insufficient access to the full suite of TechOne apps. Others highlighted the need for better fuel reporting, clearer costing data, and more reliable workshop connectivity to enable digital processes.
Fleet practitioners are clearly committed to adopting technology to improve efficiency, safety and sustainability. But without organisational support and system integration, the full benefits remain out of reach.
As councils look ahead to 2025 and beyond, it’s clear that the path to best practice fleet management starts with leadership. Recognising the strategic role of fleet in community service delivery – and empowering the team with the tools and resources they need – is essential for building capability and increasing maturity across the sector.
