When the CFO calls the fleet manager in to review the operation, the outcome depends on which reports the fleet manager brings to the meeting. With the right data, the conversation is about decisions. Without it, the conversation turns defensive and the CFO is left with the feeling that the fleet is not well controlled.
This guide lists the seven reports worth having ready at any moment, without building them by hand each time. They are designed to answer the typical questions of a finance leadership team in a few minutes.
Before the list, it helps to understand what matters to them, in order of priority.
Total cost and its trend. How much we spend, how it changed from the previous period and where it is growing.
Predictability. Whether we can project how much we will spend next quarter. A CFO tolerates a high number; they do not tolerate a surprise.
Comparison. Whether we are doing better or worse than last year, or than other locations of the same company.
Return on specific decisions. If we bought new units, switched suppliers or rolled out a system: is it working or not.
Risks with financial impact. Vehicles that could halt a client’s operation, expired documents that could lead to a fine, accidents with coverage still pending.
The seven reports cover those five concerns.
The breakdown of the fleet’s total cost by category: maintenance, fuel, traffic fines, extra expenses, equipment. It shows in a single chart where the money goes.
It is reviewed monthly, compared against the previous month and against the year’s average. It answers where we are spending the most and whether the distribution has changed. The warning sign is a category that moves sharply from one month to the next with no operational reason to explain it.
The total cost of each unit, ranked from highest to lowest, with the most expensive ones identified and explained: what model they are, how many kilometers they covered, how old they are, who drives them.
It is reviewed quarterly. It answers which vehicles are costing us the most and whether that cost is justified or they are candidates for replacement. The warning sign is a unit sitting well above the average for its own model.
The cost per kilometer driven, broken down by model and by location. It shows which models are most efficient in total cost and which locations operate at higher cost.
It is reviewed monthly against the previous quarter. It answers which model suits our operation and whether any locations have abnormally high costs. The warning sign is a large difference between locations that run similar operations.
The ratio between the two, with the trend over recent months. It shows whether the fleet is becoming more reactive or more preventive.
It is reviewed monthly. It answers whether we are preventing problems or putting out fires, and whether the investment in preventive maintenance is paying off. The warning sign is the share of corrective work growing for several months in a row: that points to a problem in the preventive program.
The documentation compliance status of vehicles and drivers. How many documents have expired, how many expire in the next thirty days and what is being done about each one.
It is reviewed monthly, with detail on the critical cases. It answers whether we are operating in compliance and what regulatory risk is open. The warning sign is any expired document with no one assigned to it: that is direct risk.
Average fuel efficiency by model against the expected value, the fuelings flagged as invalid during the period and the comparison between drivers.
It is reviewed monthly. It answers whether we are optimizing fuel and whether there are operational problems or misuse. The warning sign is a growing share of invalid fuelings, or total consumption rising without the operation explaining it.
What we expect to spend, based on current trends, the expirations we already know are coming, scheduled preventive maintenance and planned replacements.
It is reviewed quarterly. It is the report a CFO values most, because it is the only one that looks ahead. The warning sign is a projection that departs from the previous quarter without a clear justification.
Without a system, putting these seven reports together is several days of manual work every month: exporting from one place, cross-referencing with another, building the charts, checking that the numbers add up. And by the time they are ready, they are already out of date.
With the data on a single platform, the first six are available with the day’s operations up to date and the seventh is recalculated at month-end close. The fleet manager’s time goes into interpreting and commenting, which is where they add value, not into building spreadsheets.
In the Business Intelligence module:
Do you walk into the CFO meeting with the numbers, or go looking for them?
With VEC Fleet the dashboards are up to date with the day’s operations, and the Excel export comes out with the filters you need.
