Linxup surveyed 225 customers to analyze the roles and strategies behind championship-level operations, gaining insight into the key drivers of fleet performance. Every role in a fleet has a football position equivalent, so the survey asked, “Who’s your fleet MVP?” 

Survey respondents highlighted:

• Dispatcher (48%): The "quarterback" of the operation, dispatchers are essential for calling the plays, reacting instantly to challenges, and ensuring the team maintains the correct direction.

• Fleet Manager (25%): Acting as the "head coach," fleet managers are responsible for setting the overall strategy and holding the team accountable for their performance.

• Drivers/Technicians (16%): Drivers and technicians are the "players" who execute every single play on the field, directly influencing the company's daily performance.

“Fleets perform at their best when every role is in sync, trusted, and recognized for the work they do every day,” Joe Marcotte, senior director, product management for Linxup. “Put simply, fleets that focus on safety and efficiency — the fundamentals — are the ones that win, just like a football team that executes its plays and sticks to its game plan.”

Most Important Performance Metric

The results show that, like football, success comes down to the basics when the survey asked, “Which performance metric matters most for your fleet?”

• Safety (44%): As the top priority, a strong safety program acts like a championship-caliber defense—blocking costly accidents, preventing incidents, and keeping the fleet in control every play.

• Efficiency (29%): This metric focuses on maximizing productivity—similar to "Yards per Play"—by optimizing routes, fuel usage, and maintenance, ultimately doing more with less.

• Consistent Operational Performance (22%): Just as rushing yards are crucial in football, dependable metrics like miles driven and completed stops are essential for ensuring smooth daily operations and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Driver Coaching Strategies

The survey also explored preferred driver coaching strategies. 

Overall, most respondents (62%) prefer making “halftime adjustments”, using real-time alerts to correct issues as they happen, while 38% rely on “post-game coaching” through driver coaching and safety score management. 

Industry responses varied, however. HVAC and plumbing fleets were the most likely to make in-the-moment adjustments, with 78% favoring real-time alerts, while construction fleets broke from the pack, with a slight majority (56%) preferring post-game coaching. 

Linxup said these findings suggest that, much like professional sports teams, fleets perform best when timely adjustments help keep operations and performance on track.

Complete survey results and information about how Linxup's fleet management solutions help businesses develop data-driven safety programs can be found on the company’s website.