When it comes to changing vehicle programs, there’s one sobering reality every organization needs to understand: When vehicle program transitions fail, they create costly company-wide disruptions that ripple through every level of the organization.
But here’s the encouraging news: It doesn’t have to be that way. The organizations that succeed share something in common—they follow proven change management strategies and partner with experts who understand both the business case and the human element of transformation.
Recently, we sat down with real customers who’ve lived through successful vehicle program transitions to understand what separates smooth implementations from problematic ones. Their insights reveal the practical strategies, honest challenges, and measurable results that come from getting vehicle program transitions right the first time.
The Cost of Staying Put: Why Shaw Industries Made the Switch
For Shaw Industries, a Berkshire Hathaway company with over 600 drivers, the catalyst for change came from multiple directions. Evette Wheeler, Outsource Payable Manager, had been overseeing their expense program for over 20 years when several factors converged to make vehicle program evaluation a priority.
“We knew that [our old program] was considered always a black hole when we talk about auditing and couldn’t really justify the spend a lot of times,” Wheeler explains. “We had issues where we wanted to prevent risk. We didn’t have a very good way of keeping up with our insurance compliance.”
The manual processes were creating multiple pain points:
- Employees manually entering mileage with minimal IRS-required information
- Administrative burden preventing salespeople from focusing on customers
- Lack of visibility into actual driving patterns and costs
- Compliance gaps that exposed the company to audit risk
But perhaps most telling was Wheeler’s observation about “honest fraud”—those accidental half-mile additions that happen with manual entry. “With the Motus program, you’re able to maybe prevent that honest fraud where someone’s accidentally adding that half a mile or something to their manual entry.”
The results speak for themselves. Shaw Industries not only achieved cost savings but also got their sales team “out from behind the desk and back in front of the customer.” The compliance improvements and risk management benefits provided additional value that justified the transition decision.
From Skeptical to Satisfied: A Driver’s Honest Take
Matt Chapman from KC Bobcat offers a unique perspective on vehicle program transitions. As someone in operations who helped pilot the program change, he experienced both sides—the business rationale and the day-to-day driver reality.
“People were initially concerned with going through and purchasing their own vehicles. How is it going to track everything correctly?” Chapman recalls about the early resistance.
His company faced significant challenges with their previous fleet program:
- Insurance premiums and deductibles becoming “unbearable”
- Company liability exposure from driver incidents
- Lack of privacy (they considered cameras but rejected them for personal conversations)
The transition anxiety was real, but the results were immediate. “All the concerns that we had were out the door right away. After about week one,” Chapman explains. “It was a seamless transition, had no issues at all, and been happy with it.”
Seven months later, Chapman’s verdict is clear: “I don’t think we’d ever go back to our old ways now that we have Motus. It’s just been a super easy process and makes everyday life easier.”
Technology That Actually Works: Smart Mileage Tracking in Action
One of the biggest concerns organizations have about vehicle program transitions is accuracy. How do you ensure proper mileage tracking without creating administrative burden? The answer lies in technology that works seamlessly in the background.
Chapman describes how the Smart Trip technology eliminates the guesswork: “All you do is you put in your business hours. So if you want to go from 6 am to 6 pm, as soon as you drive, that’s being locked. It’s a super easy and super seamless process.”
The system provides the accuracy businesses need while giving drivers control over their privacy. “It tracks everywhere you go. You can go in and change your mileage if you go over lunch hour. You switch that over to personal miles versus business miles. You’re able to decipher those in an easy way.”
Implementation at Scale: Proven Expertise You Can Trust
When organizations are considering vehicle program transitions, one critical question emerges: can the solution provider handle our scale and complexity? Rachel Schiele, VP of Customer Success at Motus, brings 15 years of implementation experience to answer that question.
The numbers tell the story:
- Largest single implementation: 9,400 drivers in 15 weeks
- Largest implementation this year: 2,000 employees
- Proven capability from small teams to enterprise-scale transitions
The Ripple Effect: When Success Spreads
Perhaps the strongest indicator of a successful vehicle program transition is organic advocacy. Wheeler shares a telling observation from Shaw Industries: “We have several that come off of fleet and are begging for Motus. They’ll contact us and say, ‘Hey, get me on Motus now.'”
This wasn’t a one-time occurrence. “Our initial group was one part of our sales that went on board, and they encouraged the other sales entity in our organization to go on Motus as quickly as possible. So it’s something that definitely is contagious—a good contagion when you bring it into your company.”
The Human Element: Change Management That Works
Successful vehicle program transitions aren’t just about technology—they’re about people. The organizations that succeed understand that change affects different employees differently and plan accordingly.
Schiele emphasizes the importance of stakeholder alignment: “Making sure that you have the right stakeholders involved in making that decision to change and then helping guide through the series of changes as it’s going live.”
The key is clear communication about benefits at every level. “Having clearly defined why messaging at all levels—making sure that all levels of stakeholders from leadership through to the individually impacted employees have a clear understanding of why the organization is making the change.”
Chapman’s advice to fellow drivers captures this perfectly: “Just put trust in your leadership. Your leadership knows what’s gonna be best for the company. Change is difficult, but there’s a reason for the change. There’s no need to sit there and worry and be anxious about it. It’s all gonna work out at the end of the day.”
Key Takeaways for Your Vehicle Program Transition
Based on these real-world experiences, several critical success factors emerge:
- Know Your Why: Both organizations had clear business drivers for change—cost control, compliance, risk management, and employee productivity. Understanding and communicating these drivers at all levels is essential.
- Plan for People, Not Just Process: Successful transitions address the human element proactively. Expect questions, plan for anxiety, and have clear messaging about individual benefits, not just business benefits.
- Choose Technology That Works: The best vehicle program solutions combine accuracy with ease of use. Employees should experience the technology as helpful, not burdensome.
- Partner with Proven Expertise: Implementation experience matters. Choose a partner who has successfully managed transitions at your scale and complexity level.
- Communicate Early and Often: Transparent, honest communication about changes, benefits, and expectations sets the foundation for successful adoption.
Your One Chance to Get It Right
Vehicle program transitions represent a unique opportunity to improve cost control, enhance compliance, reduce risk, and increase employee satisfaction—all at the same time. But as these real stories demonstrate, success requires more than good intentions. It requires proven strategies, experienced partners, and careful attention to both business and human factors.
The organizations featured here didn’t just survive their vehicle program transitions—they thrived. Their experiences offer a roadmap for others ready to make the change, proving that with the right approach, vehicle program transitions can deliver transformational results.
Ready to learn more about how Motus can help your organization navigate a successful vehicle program transition? Contact our team to discuss your specific needs and explore how our proven approach can work for your drivers and your business.
