Scaling the Peak 2024
The fleet vehicle and plant hire industry is winding down from the busy 2024 peak season, which saw Nexus reach a new record on rental with over 28,293 vehicles on the road at one time. We pride ourselves in navigating the fast-paced unpredictability of peak, making the most of planning ahead, streamlining processes and bringing in the right technology to ensure efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Here are some key learnings, takeaways and top tips from Nexus to keep in mind when you review the peak period.
Back to a ‘new’ normal
Whilst every year brings different challenges, the 2024 peak season was the first ‘normal’ year since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, even compared to pre-pandemic years, 2024 has proven to be the most successful yet. Overall, the team processed 5,844 peak vehicles across van and HGV bookings. Adding to trailers into the mix, the total peak vehicles came to 6,500. At one single point in peak, we had 28,293 vehicles on the road.
Although the industry likely will not go back to pre-Covid behaviour completely, it is balancing out more and more, meaning businesses can plan further ahead for future peak seasons and accurately forecast the vehicles that may be needed.
Sharing the workload
The peak period is a whole team collaboration, with each person getting bookings onto the system for suppliers. It is important to share the workload and avoid burnout or unnecessarily high stress situations.
It is best to arrange staff in a way that they can focus on specific areas, whilst having the ability to provide support to other areas of the business as needed. For example, at Nexus we had one staff member looking after the day-to-day operations, another liaising with suppliers and a third managing training and escalation routes. Other staff members had specific clients to manage but knew they had the support there when needed.
Keeping pace
Success in peak 2024 can be decided by the hunger and energy within the team, keeping the pace needed and thriving under pressure. Motivation played a key role in this – the want to support colleagues in any issues they were facing and keeping the level of service for clients as high as possible.
It is important after the peak season has calmed down, that managers sit down with staff members to gain their insight on how it went, what they feel could be done better and what worked well. This knowledge from those ‘on the ground’ can be invaluable to inform future peak seasons and help to ensure no employees are feeling burnt out. It is also vital to have a support plan in place for those who may need a bit of support.
Leading technology
Utilising technology, data and analytics to help forecast demand and optimise fleets is more than just a consideration in 2025, it is a necessity. Looking back at peak 2024, the innovations and optimisations in the Iris technology has been game changing. We used over 130 suppliers in this peak season, which is incredible. Through IRIS, we were able to successfully manage the suppliers and provide top level service with very little complaints.
Reviewing how technology impacted your peak seasons must be done each year, as it will help highlight where improvements can be made and where previous mistakes can be corrected.
Key to success
The peak period isn’t measured simply by the number of vehicles out on the road, it is all about the end user’s experience. At Nexus we work closely with customers, and while hitting the KPI targets is always one of the ultimate motivators, having happy customers who will return in the future is the key.
Arranging meetings with key customers to gain their insight of how the season went and where they felt expectations were not met, or exceeded, can highlight where changes need to be made for next time.
And here are a few top tips from Nexus…
Vehicle condition and maintenance
It is vital to ensure that, following the peak period, the vehicles are in the best possible condition. Planning in services following high periods of use can help keep vehicles off the road for the least amount of time possible.
Demand forecasting
Following the peak period, conduct reviews of the last few months to help anticipate and plan for the 2025 peak season – it’s never too early to start preparing. Use the insights gained to predict the stock levels needed, reduce idle vehicles and plan in maintenance needs.
Review employee satisfaction
Look over what went well and what did not. Were the staff adequately prepared for the peak period, or did they struggle to keep up with demand? Were the customers satisfied with the levels of service? Looking back over what may not have gone to plan can highlight the areas that need improvement for future peak seasons.
Review partners and systems
Similar to the above, did the partners meet expectations? Did they help or hinder the workload? With Nexus, businesses have access to a larger and more flexible inventory pool, meaning they can respond swiftly to unexpected demand surges without overcommitting resources or underutilising available vehicles. It’s also important to review internal systems, looking at whether they performed as needed.
It is vital to review the peak season, the challenges and the achievements. This allows you to plan for the following year, making the most of the busy period and effectively using it as a period of growth and success. At Nexus, we make peak feel like business as usual.