The 3 biggest challenges facing fleet managers in 2025

The last few years haven’t exactly been plain sailing – but if we’re completely honest, it looks like 2025 has some challenges in store for fleet managers. While the concerns about fuel prices aren’t quite as acute as they’ve been in recent years, there are still a variety of major concerns for UK fleet managers. Here at TankSafe, we’re dedicated to directly helping you to deal with one of them, by helping you secure your fuel with TankSafe Optimum. More on that in just a moment – here’s our quick roundup of some of the biggest challenges we foresee for the rest of this year.

Fuel prices and efficiency

Fuel remains one of the most significant expenses for fleet operators, and in 2025, costs remain relatively volatile. Global oil market volatility, supply chain disruptions, and government policies have all contributed the unpredictability of fuel prices. What’s more, the introduction of stricter emissions regulations has also pushed businesses to consider greener alternatives, which often require significant investment.

That means it’s never been more important to ensure you have an effective fuel strategy for your drivers – something it may be worth revisiting as we move further into the New Year. Telematics and route optimisation software can be instrumental in helping you to reduce unnecessary mileage, improving fuel efficiency, and cutting overall costs. Financial forecasting will likely be another key priority for the next few months – preparing in advance can help to mitigate against potential financial shocks later in the year.

Operational costs and tax increases

On top of fuel costs, fleet managers across the UK are now dealing with a rise in operational expenses driven by tax increases. Recent government policies have led to higher fuel duty, increased National Insurance contributions, and tighter emissions-related levies, all of which are squeezing margins for small and medium-sized fleet operators. The National Insurance rise in April later this year is a cause of particular concern at the moment, as it stands to further squeeze already razor-thin margins for lots of small businesses.

The UK government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions has also resulted in new vehicle taxation policies, such as higher rates on diesel vehicles that fail to meet emissions targets. Clean Air Zones (CAZs) and Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZs) have expanded, adding additional charges for fleets operating in urban areas. It’s a move that’s a broadly positive step in helping protect the public health of people living in those cities, but in the short term it does pose a major headache for businesses.

It all goes to show how keeping a close eye on legislative changes is critical, as failing to anticipate new tax measures can have a significant financial impact.

Vehicle security and driver safety

With fuel prices rising and vehicle technology becoming more sophisticated, fleet security has become an even bigger challenge in 2025. Fuel theft is a growing problem – both in terms of skimming from internal employees, and in more organised attacks out on the road, too. Thankfully the latter is a much rarer occurrence, but it’s still happening often enough to make drivers feel unsafe.

The obvious (and understandable) response is to increase investment in security measures. Secure parking facilities and night-time surveillance are also becoming more common, particularly for fleets operating in high-risk areas, and public pressure is increasing on service station owners to create safer and more hospitable environments for HGV drivers. Closer to home, GPS tracking, and geofencing technology help deter theft and recover stolen fuel or vehicles.

When it comes to skimming on the other hand, anti-siphon devices like our TankSafe Optimum are one of the single most reliable ways to deal with them. It’s the only anti-siphon device that offers 3-in-1 protection, with a patented mechanism that’s guaranteed to prevent fuel theft. It’s an excellent way to secure your fuel in the short term while you gradually build up additional security measures that can help catch perpetrators in the act.

You can read more about how TankSafe Optimum works, or don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team if you have any further questions about the best ways to protect your fuel in 2024. Give us a quick call on 01253 400 401, and we'll be happy to help however we can!