Today’s fleet managers must think beyond the vehicle and plan for each link in the provision chain.
The pandemic-era supply chain crisis did greater than delay vehicles — it upended how fleets take into consideration procurement, lifecycle planning, and operational agility. On the 2025 NAFA I&E in Long Beach, Calif., a panel of fleet experts explored how fleets are applying the teachings of that period to organize for an uncertain future.
“Fleet procurement was transactional,” said Charles Mathew, assistant director, order & upfit at Merchants Fleet. “Now it’s strategic, with scenario planning, risk modeling, and lessons borrowed from other supply-chain-driven industries.”
Fleets are learning to think like supply chain managers, not only vehicle buyers, he said.
Bottlenecks Aren’t Just About Vehicles
The ripple effects weren’t limited to vehicle production. “Upfitting delays hit just as hard,” said Shelby Simpson, manager, strategic partnerships at Adrian Steel. “It’s not at all times about missing parts; it’s about missing plans.”
Simpson emphasized that late engagement with upfitters creates a cascade of delays, with vehicles sitting unproductive and fleets footing the bill. To counter this, Simpson urged fleet managers to involve upfitters, OEMs, and FMCs earlier in the method.
“In case your upfitter doesn’t know when vehicles are arriving — or what’s happening them — you’re making a bottleneck.”
From left: Chris Brown of Automotive Fleet (moderator), Tim Mundahl of Merchants Fleet, Charles Mathew of Merchants Fleet, Shelby Simpson of Adrian Steel, and Justin Lambden of Stellantis discuss supply chain strategy in the course of the 2025 NAFA I&E.
From Allocation Crunches to Agile Mindsets
Justin Lambden, national sales manager, large industrial fleet at Stellantis, noted the long-term positives that emerged from the crisis. “We collaborated more closely with fleets than ever before, and I believe that made the relationships stronger,” he said.
He stressed that proactive communication — particularly around vehicle availability and production forecasting — has change into essential.
Tim Mundahl, director of fleet consulting at Merchants Fleet, added that resilience requires a “continuous planning mindset.” As an alternative of constructing one 12- or 18-month plan, “you’re at all times updating based on what’s changing. It’s not only ‘Plan A.’ You wish Plans B and C—financially, operationally, and logistically.”
Flexibility Is the Latest Standard
Fleet managers are adopting a more modular and adaptive mindset around vehicle specs, platforms, and suppliers. “You might have to know your must-haves out of your nice-to-haves,” said Mundahl. “That flexibility enables you to move when a constraint hits, quite than freeze.”
Working across multiple OEMs and sourcing channels is an element of that flexibility, even when it creates more complexity. “Yes, managing more relationships is harder,” said Mundahl. “But it surely also gives you leverage and options.”
Future-Proofing Means Starting Earlier
Planning ahead is now non-negotiable. “Treat upfitting as a strategic function,” said Simpson. “Don’t wait until your vehicles are serialized to begin talking about parts, graphics, or telematics.”
She encouraged milestone tracking as a shared accountability tool between stakeholders. Mathew agreed: “Field-ready means various things to different fleets, but in case your timeline doesn’t account for the whole lot from GPS to decals, you’re going to see delays.”
Scenario Planning and Strategic Procurement
Contingency planning now goes beyond vehicle alternative. Mathew advised fleets to categorize vehicle selectors into high-, mid-, and low-risk groups, so alternate plans could be activated quickly.
He also emphasized the importance of constructing out your network. “Obviously working together with your OEM partners is vital, but in addition your dealers,” he said. “You’ll have to tap into your national dealers because they could give you the chance to satisfy a few of your immediate requests.”
Advice for Latest Fleet Managers
The session closed with a moving moment: a brand new fleet manager within the audience asked find support in such a posh environment. “Raise your hand and discover a mentor,” said Lambden, who encouraged the room to face in the event that they were willing to assist. Dozens did.
“That is the largest small industry I’ve ever seen,” he added. “You’re not in it alone.”
This Article First Appeared At www.automotive-fleet.com
