GreenRoad Survey Shows Continued Strong Adoption of Mobile Technology by Fleet Operators

GreenRoad, the leader in driver performance management, announced results of a recent survey of North American fleet decision-makers. The study, entitled, "Fleet Leaders Embracing Mobile Technology Potential," found that fleet managers are leading smartphone adoption and work-related app usage. Seventy-six percent (76 percent) of fleet leaders report that most of their managers now carry smartphone at work.

Those smartphones are being put to work as 59 percent are using smartphone or mobile apps for fleet management activities, including fleet tracking and increasingly more advanced fleet and driver related services. Fleet-specific app usage has tripled in the last seven months, when compared with data from a March 2012 GreenRoad survey that reported 19 percent of managers using smartphones or mobile apps to manage their fleets.

"We are amazed at how rapidly fleet leaders are turning to their smartphones to get fleet-related work done. We always knew there would be a migration, but this is happening unbelievably fast," said Tanya Roberts, senior vice president of marketing for GreenRoad.

"This tidal wave of smartphone adoption mirrors what's going on in the broader business landscape. Business managers in every industry are realizing the advantages of having information at their fingertips, and the ease of using a mobile computing platform," continued Roberts.

Of the fleet leaders surveyed, 53 percent expect manager fleet app adoption to continue increasing. Survey respondents said that as more managers receive smartphones and are trained on how to use them in their jobs, the more effective and efficient they will be at managing their fleets.

Driver Adoption At Earlier Stage

Sixty-seven (67 percent) of respondents said that all or most of their drivers have smartphones with them on the job, and 35 percent of respondents said drivers are using job-specific apps, many of which are navigation related. Seventeen percent (17 percent) expect to deploy additional smartphone apps for drivers in the coming year.

"We expect to see driver adoption increase as more compelling driver-centric apps are brought to market, and as fleets learn about these options," continued Roberts. "Of course, distracted driving is also a concern so it's important for any app provider to make accommodations for safety."

What's Ahead with Mobile Technology for Fleets

The survey revealed strong interest in smartphones and mobile devices across the industries surveyed. Eighty-two percent (82 percent) of respondents said they were very or somewhat interested in using mobile technology to manage their fleet while 77 percent said they are always on the lookout for new technologies that can help them better connect their fleet.