A year of change and the lessons driving fleet strategies in 2026
TraXall International reflects on 2025’s most significant developments for fleets and explores what they mean for the year ahead.
After a turbulent and transformative year, one thing is clear – 2025 tested the agility of global fleets like never before.
Electrification goals collided with the realities of cost pressures, skills shortages and new regulatory demands. Meanwhile, mobility management shifted under the weight of hybrid work and ESG expectations.
For fleet managers, the year was a blueprint for how to operate in a world where certainty is never guaranteed.
Here we reflect on the major challenges of 2025 and offer five strategic “lessons learned” to carry into 2026 and beyond.
1. Why electrification now demands a smarter, more flexible plan
Fleet electrification progress differed dramatically between countries during 2025.
Some markets, such as the Netherlands or the Nordics, were able to offer strong charging availability and clear incentives, making EV adoption easier. Others, meanwhile, across Eastern Europe and more rural regions for example, faced slower infrastructure growth, fewer suitable EV models to choose from and longer installation lead times.
Electrification ambitions did not always marry up with local realities, which forced many businesses to temper their plans.
Some fleets looked to prioritise EV deployment on urban or regional routes where charging proved more reliable but continued to rely on ICE or hybrid vehicles where rural conditions or infrastructure gaps made electrification less practical.
Strategies for successful electrification in 2026 must continue to account for regional differences in infrastructure, incentives and total cost of ownership (TCO).
2. Using data to strengthen fleet decision-making
With repair costs rising and longer vehicle lifecycles, 2025 shone a spotlight on vehicle utilisation and performance.
By collating and harnessing fleet data insights – viewing intelligence from telematics solutions, booking systems and fuel records together for example – inefficiencies, such as vehicles being underused or drivers being overworked, can be uncovered.
Data integration presents an opportunity to solve immediate challenges, whilst also supporting long-term decision-making. From reactive route planning to rightsizing vehicle pools and analysing established driver behaviours, data holds the key to unlocking greater fleet efficiency.
Centralising data visibility by connecting siloed management information will continue to prove critical throughout 2026. The use of integrated telematics and data analytics to guide decisions on budgets, rightsizing, lifecycle planning and supplier management should be a focus for fleet managers.
3. Closing the fleet skills gap in an era of technological change
2025 proved, unequivocally, that technology alone is not enough to improve fleet performance. The people managing it must also be empowered.
As fleets introduced more EVs and vehicles with Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), it revealed a significant skills gap. Some organisations saw avoidable repair costs rise because drivers misunderstood ADAS functionality, others found their fleet teams struggling to interpret new streams of telematics data or manage EV-specific safety and warranty considerations.
Forward-thinking organisations are responding by strengthening their internal capabilities, introducing upskilling programmes to help fleet personnel get to grips with new technologies.
As they look ahead, businesses must accept where their internal capabilities are limited and outsource complex functions, such as global tendering or compliance monitoring, to ensure effective decision-making.
4. Keeping fleets safe and compliant across all markets
Stricter regulations across Europe and other regions made 2025 one of the most challenging years yet for fleet compliance.
The pace of regulatory change was enough in itself to expose gaps in policy or documentation, and made consistent, day-to-day compliance harder.
Some fleets also had to navigate additional layers of complexity, such as regional or sector-specific rules, while those operating across borders faced a further challenge in keeping pace with differing national requirements.
The organisations that managed this environment most effectively were those with clear, structured governance frameworks.
Moving forward, keeping ahead of regulatory change and embedding strong governance at every level will be essential for fleets, regardless of their size or footprint.
5. Building safer fleets through proactive risk management
In 2025, safety took centre stage as insurance costs rose, incident downtime became more expensive and duty-of-care expectations continued to grow.
These pressures served to expose the limits of reactive risk management, showing how gaps in driver training or incomplete documentation could quickly translate into avoidable incidents.
The fleets that made real progress were those using insights to spot risks early.
Some analysed telematics patterns to help them to identify issues around driver behaviour, while others monitored near-misses or harsh-braking trends to enable them to take corrective measures as early as possible. Many also modernised their driver training to help ensure safety technology was being used effectively.
A prevention-first approach will become essential in 2026. Fleets that have clear governance, engaged drivers and that use data intelligence will be best placed to reduce risk and control costs.
Looking ahead
The last 12 months has demonstrated how quickly the fleet landscape can change.
Success for fleets in 2026 will depend on flexible electrification strategies, data-driven decision-making, readiness for evolving technology, effective governance and a preventative approach to safety.
Those fleets that anticipate change and respond decisively will be best placed to thrive.