Survey Reveals Challenges and Opportunities for Independent Repair Shops in Fleet Service

EVAI, a company specializing in advanced data analytics and AI-driven solutions for fleet management, recently released the results of a survey it conducted on the current state of independent repair shops servicing commercial and business fleets.

In a press release, EVAI broke down its findings into different categories, the first of which being fleet service engagement and volume. Its survey found that 31% of independent repair shops service commercial and business vehicle fleets, while 39% do not, and 30% are unsure.

Of those that service fleets, most service between 11–100 fleet vehicles per month. 20% handle 21–50 vehicles, and another 20% handle 51–100 vehicles. 41% work with 1–5 different fleets locally, and 40% with 6–10 fleets.

The most common fleet vehicle types serviced at shops are passenger cars (32%) and light-duty trucks (29%). Just 19% currently service EVs for fleets, while 60% do not and 20% are unsure.

41% of shops dedicate 11%–25% of their business to fleet service, and 30% of shops dedicate 0–10%. Less than half (40%) said fleet service provides 10%–20% additional revenue, while less than a third (30%) reported less than 10% additional revenue.

The survey also highlighted what challenges shops are facing with fleet vehicles. Communication among shops is infrequent, with 29% rarely communicating with fleet customers, and another 29% that never do. The biggest barrier between shops and potential fleet customers are distance (31%) and price competitiveness (21%).

Notably, data access issues with fleet vehicles were also surveyed, with 60% of shops saying they face challenges leveraging connected vehicle data for maintenance and repair.

The most used data types in shops are predictive maintenance alerts and vehicle health reports, accounting for 40% and 39% of data types, respectively. This data is primarily accessed via OEM-specific tools for 41% of shops, and third-party providers for another 40%.

Additionally, only 10% of shops currently store connected vehicle maintenance data for
future use in total cost of ownership analysis as fleets transition to EVs. 41% of shops would like this capability, while 40% are unsure.

The survey ultimately displayed areas of service process challenges and desired improvements for shops servicing fleet vehicles. Top challenges included communication with fleet managers (32%) and diagnostic/repair complexity (31%), and desired improvements from shops included better diagnostic tools (31%) and more efficient scheduling systems (31%).

“Independent repair shops are the backbone of local fleet service, but our survey shows they need more support-especially as the industry shifts toward electric and connected vehicles,” said Ian Gardner, founder and CEO of EVAI. “From better diagnostic tools to 1 clock streamlined scheduling and improved data access, these improvements are vital for shops to keep fleets running efficiently and cost-effectively.”