Better Fleet: A practical playbook for fixing underutilised vehicles

Here's seven considerations for managing underutilised vehicles.

1. Set a clear benchmark, then challenge it

Start by defining what “underutilised” looks like in your fleet:

  • low annual mileage
  • vehicles used only a few days a week
  • assets that sit idle at certain sites

But don’t stop there.

Dominic Hutchinson makes an important point - some underutilisation is intentional:

“Periods of lower utilisation are both predictable and intentional.”

If your fleet is built to handle winter peaks, summer downtime isn’t failure. The issue is vehicles that stay underused all year, not just seasonally.

2. Use platforms that show the full picture

Most utilisation problems come from fragmented data. You might have:

  • tracking in one system, maintenance in another
  • mileage in spreadsheets
  • job allocation managed separately

Fleets that improve utilisation bring this into one view:

  • where vehicles are
  • how often they’re used
  • how long they’re idle
  • what they cost to run

Platforms to explore:

  • MICHELIN Connected Fleet – combines vehicle, driver and operational data
  • Geotab – strong on utilisation tracking and vehicle performance
  • Webfleet – links routing, tracking and workflow

3. Spot the patterns that actually cost you

Once everything’s visible, the same issues tend to appear:

  • vehicles sitting unused at specific depots
  • the same inefficient routes repeated daily
  • jobs split across multiple vehicles unnecessarily
  • assets spending more time in the workshop than on the road

A common example:
A regional service fleet runs separate vans for nearby jobs because teams operate independently. With better planning, those jobs could be combined, reducing one vehicle entirely.

Utilisation improves from fixing repeated inefficiencies not from one big change.

4. Make redeployment practical, not theoretical

On paper, moving vehicles between sites makes sense. In reality, it’s often avoided. Hutchinson explains why:

“Many vans carry specialist tools and equipment, and transferring everything can take a full working day.”

That friction is what keeps underused vehicles in place. Two ways fleets solve this:

1. Standardise vehicles
Fewer specs = easier to move assets
(For example: 3 core van types instead of 10 variations)

2. Use allocation tools

For low or unpredictable demand:

The more flexible your fleet is, the easier utilisation improves.

5. Use quieter periods to get ahead, not fall behind

Low utilisation periods are where the best fleets do their groundwork. Instead of leaving vehicles idle, they use that time for:

  • servicing and MOTs
  • compliance checks
  • vehicle changes and redeployment

Rigid maintenance schedules can push servicing into peak periods, exactly when vehicles are needed most. Fleets that plan ahead avoid that clash.

  • FleetCheck – maintenance scheduling, inspections and compliance tracking
  • Jaama Key2 Fleet – full lifecycle planning and SMR management
  • r2c Online – workshop and maintenance visibility

The result is straightforward: fewer breakdowns, less disruption, and more vehicles ready when demand picks up.

6. Improve planning before increasing fleet size

Before adding vehicles, check if the problem is planning. Common fixes:

  • route optimisation
  • combining jobs
  • better dispatching

Real-world example:
A delivery fleet using route optimisation software reduced mileage and freed up enough capacity to remove several vehicles, without affecting service levels.

Tools to explore:

  • Quartix - vehicle tracking and route efficiency insights
  • ABAX – mileage tracking and journey data

7. Turn underutilised vehicles into savings

Once patterns are clear, the decisions follow. Typical actions:

  • redeploy vehicles to higher-demand areas
  • move to pool or shared models
  • sell or remove low-use assets
  • avoid replacing vehicles at end of life

Options to explore:

Read more guidance in this series:

Why underutilised vehicles are a hidden cost drain

What works when fleets take underutilisation seriously

Or join Better Fleet for best-practice planning that's proven through real-world case studies: Better Fleet Campaign

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