Fleet utilisation

Fleet utilisation is the share of your available car days that were actually on hire. If every car was out every day, utilisation is 100%.

Formula

Fleet utilisation = days on hire ÷ days available

Days available = cars in fleet × days in period − days off fleet

Days off fleet are cars in the workshop, being sold or waiting for a part. Some operators count them as available to see the true cost. Say which way you count it.

Worked example

Hypothetical. Say you run 40 cars in a 30-day month. Three cars spent five days each in the workshop.

• Days available = 40 × 30 − 15 = 1,185
• Days on hire = 900
• Utilisation = 900 ÷ 1,185 = 76%

Counting the workshop days as available instead gives 900 ÷ 1,200 = 75%.

Do it by category too. A fleet at 76% overall might have compacts at 90% and SUVs at 55%, which is a fleet mix problem, not a pricing one.

Why it matters for a rental operator

High utilisation on cheap rates can lose money. Low utilisation on high rates usually does. Read it with revenue per day, or look at revenue per unit, which multiplies the two.

Utilisation close to 100% in peak usually means you priced too low. You sold out before the late, less price-sensitive bookings arrived.

See it in Rate Pulse

Rate Pulse doesn't show your utilisation. It shows market rates by pick-up day, which helps when you're full: if you're at 95% and below the market median, you've got room to lift. Start at Rate Pulse.