Fleet Diagnostic Audit — FAQ | Fleet Management Advisory
Fleet Diagnostic Audit · FAQ

Questions we get asked before the audit starts

Straight answers about what the audit covers, what we need from you, what you'll receive — and what happens next.

About the audit How it works Costs & recoveries Your data After the audit About FMA
What exactly is the Fleet Diagnostic Audit?

It's a structured, two-week review of your fuel data and maintenance invoices. We go through what your fleet is actually spending — not what your systems say it should be spending — and identify where money is slipping and why.

You receive a written action plan that tells you specifically what to change, in what order, and what each change is worth. It's designed to give you a clear picture before you commit to anything larger.

Is this a general review or is it specific to my fleet?

It's specific to your fleet. We work from your actual fuel card records and maintenance invoices — not industry benchmarks applied generically. The findings, the numbers, and the recommendations are all drawn from your data.

That's why the output is an action plan, not a report full of industry averages.

What size fleet does this suit?

The audit is designed for fleets of 5 to 200+ vehicles. It works equally well for a single-site operation with a handful of utes and a multi-location business with a mixed fleet of vans, trucks, and plant equipment.

The scope scales to your fleet — we don't charge more for larger operations. The fixed fee is $1,800 regardless of fleet size.

What industries do you work with?

We work across a wide range of sectors — trades, construction, field services, logistics, freight, mining, resources, healthcare, aged care, local government, agriculture, security, and professional services.

The common thread isn't industry — it's that you're running a fleet without a dedicated fleet manager, and the costs and risks that come with that.

Is FMA independent — do you have ties to suppliers or software vendors?

Completely independent. FMA has no dealer, OEM, software, or supplier relationships. We don't receive commissions, rebates, or referral fees from any third party.

That independence is what makes our recommendations credible — we only recommend what's right for your situation, not what benefits us commercially.

What do you need from us to get started?

Access to two things: your fuel card account records and your maintenance invoices for the review period. We work with what you already have — no new systems, no software installations, no hardware.

Most clients share this via export from their fuel card provider and a folder of PDF invoices or an export from their accounting system. We'll confirm the specifics when we kick off.

How long does it take?

Two weeks from when we receive your data. The fuel review and maintenance invoice review happen concurrently during weeks one and two. Your action plan is delivered at the end of week two.

If there are delays in receiving data, the timeline adjusts accordingly — but the work itself takes two weeks once we have everything we need.

How much of my team's time does this take?

Minimal. You'll spend time at the start getting us access to the data — typically an hour or two for whoever manages your fuel cards or accounts. After that, we work independently and come back to you with the findings.

We may have a few clarifying questions during the review, but there's no ongoing time commitment from your team while the audit is underway.

Do you need to visit our site or speak to our drivers?

Not for the audit itself. The diagnostic audit is a data review — we work from your records remotely. No site visits, no driver interviews, no disruption to your operations.

If you engage us for subsequent advisory work, we may recommend a site visit depending on scope. But the audit itself is entirely desk-based.

What does the action plan actually look like?

A written document that tells you: what we found, what it's costing you, and what to change. Each recommendation is specific — naming the cost category, the quantum, and the action required.

Recommendations are ordered by impact and ease of implementation, so your team knows where to start. We don't produce generic reports full of industry averages — everything in the plan comes from your data.

What does the audit cost?

$1,800 fixed fee. That covers the full fuel data review, maintenance invoice review, and the written action plan. There are no additional costs, no retainers, and no commissions.

Any work beyond the audit is scoped and priced upfront as a fixed-fee engagement — so you know exactly what you're getting before we start. No retainers, no supplier commissions, no hidden margins.

Where does the $50–$150 per vehicle per month figure come from?

It comes from the patterns we consistently find across the two areas the audit covers — fuel and maintenance. Most fleets have recoverable cost in both, and the range reflects real variation in how well-controlled those areas are before the audit.

The categories where we typically find recoverable cost include:

  • Fuel misuse — unauthorised transactions, off-route filling, wrong fuel grade
  • Maintenance overpayment — above-market labour rates, unnecessary services, duplicate billing
  • Reactive maintenance — preventable repairs that cost more than scheduled servicing would have
  • Tyre management — premature wear from poor pressure management or inconsistent supplier pricing
  • Administration — time spent on fleet tasks by people who aren't fleet managers

The audit tells you exactly where your fleet sits in that range — and what's driving it.

Is the $50–$150 figure a guaranteed saving?

No — and we're careful about the language we use. The audit identifies recoverable cost. What gets recovered depends on what actions you take after the audit.

What we can commit to is this: the audit will tell you specifically what's recoverable in your fleet, what it's worth, and exactly what to do about it. Whether you act on it — and how quickly — determines what you recover.

What if the audit doesn't find much?

Some fleets are genuinely well-run and we'll say so. The value of the audit in that case is the confirmation — you now have an independent, data-backed view that your costs are well-controlled, which has its own management and commercial value.

We won't inflate findings to justify the fee. If the recoverable cost is low, the action plan will reflect that honestly.

Are there ongoing fees after the audit?

None. The audit is a standalone engagement. There are no subscriptions, no retainers, and no lock-in of any kind.

If you'd like ongoing advisory support after the audit, FMA offers fractional advisory services scoped and priced as fixed-fee engagements. But that's your choice to make after you've seen the findings.

What data do you actually look at?

Two sources: your fuel card transaction records and your maintenance invoices. We look at a period of typically three to twelve months depending on what's available and what gives us enough data to identify patterns.

We don't need access to your accounting system, your HR records, your telematics platform, or anything beyond these two sources.

What if our data is messy or incomplete?

Most fleet data is messy. That's normal — and it's part of what the audit surfaces. Where data gaps exist, we'll note them in the action plan as a finding in their own right, because poor data quality is itself a cost and risk factor.

We work with what you have. We won't tell you the audit can't proceed because your records aren't perfectly structured.

Do we need to share driver names or personal information?

Not necessarily. Fuel card records often include driver identifiers — if yours do, we'll use them to identify usage patterns. But we don't need personal HR information, contact details, or anything beyond what's in your operational records.

If you want to anonymise driver data before sharing, we can work with that too — it may limit some findings but won't prevent the review from proceeding.

How do you handle our confidential information?

We treat all client data as confidential. We use it only for the purpose of the audit and don't share it with third parties. We're happy to sign a mutual confidentiality agreement before data is shared if that's your preference.

Do we have to engage FMA to implement the recommendations?

No. The action plan is yours to take wherever you like — implement it internally, hand it to an existing supplier, or use it to brief another advisor. There's no obligation to continue with FMA.

Many clients do choose to engage us for the implementation phase, but that's a separate conversation that happens after you've seen the findings.

What does ongoing engagement with FMA look like if we want it?

FMA offers a range of services beyond the audit — strategy and advisory, managed fleet services, policy and governance frameworks, digital enablement, grey fleet governance, and EV transition planning.

All ongoing advisory is scoped and priced as fixed-fee engagements — no retainers, no supplier commissions, no hidden margins. We also offer a 90-day pathway to full back-office autonomy for clients who want to build the capability in-house rather than outsource it indefinitely.

Can we use the audit findings to negotiate with our current suppliers?

Yes — and this is one of the most immediate uses clients make of the findings. When you have specific, quantified evidence that you're overpaying for maintenance or that a supplier's pricing is above market, you have a credible basis for renegotiation.

The action plan is designed to be commercially useful, not just internally informative.

How soon after the audit can we expect to see results?

Some changes can be made immediately — fuel card controls, approval thresholds, supplier rate corrections. Others take longer to flow through depending on contract terms and how quickly your team can act.

The action plan will indicate which recommendations are quick wins versus medium-term structural changes, so you can sequence the implementation to capture early value while the larger changes are being worked through.

What's the background behind Fleet Management Advisory?

FMA was founded to bring the structured, data-driven discipline used by major logistics and utilities operators to small and mid-sized Australian businesses — without the overhead of a full-time fleet manager.

The team brings 40+ years of combined fleet leadership across sectors including logistics, mining, utilities, and government. We're based in Perth, Western Australia, and serve clients nationally.

Why is FMA better suited to SMEs than a large consultancy?

Large consultancies are built for large clients — their proposals, timeframes, and fees reflect that. FMA is purpose-built for businesses that are running fleets without dedicated fleet infrastructure.

We scale enterprise discipline to where you are, not where a Fortune 500 company is. The fixed $1,800 audit fee, the flat hourly rate, and the no-lock-in model are all deliberate design choices for that market.

Where does FMA operate?

We're based in Perth, Western Australia, and serve clients nationally. Because the audit is desk-based and works from your existing data, location isn't a constraint — we've worked with clients across WA, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

Is there a question you didn't answer here?

Book a 20-minute call — it's the fastest way to get a direct answer. We're also happy to take questions by email at info@fleetmanagementadvisory.com.au or by phone on 0427 588 195.

Ready to find out what's in your fleet costs?

Book a 20-minute call. We'll confirm the scope, answer any questions you have, and get the audit underway — without the proposal back-and-forth.

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Or call 0427 588 195 · info@fleetmanagementadvisory.com.au