Bank holidays in the UK often bring a perfect storm of heightened travel, increased demand, and reduced business operating hours, and for fleet managers, it’s a time that requires both forward-thinking and flexibility to maintain smooth operations, especially when the pressure is on.
According to the RAC, more than 17 million leisure car journeys took were expected over the early May 2025 bank holiday weekend, up from 16 million the year before. Plus, Friday May 2nd was projected as the busiest day of this entire year, with over 3 million trips expected on that day alone.
And so, with the roads busier than usual and customer expectations higher than ever before, now’s the time for fleet managers to ensure their fleets are prepared.
That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for effective fleet management during the busy bank holiday period – a handy guide which we hope makes the May-hem much more manageable.
- Know what to expect and who you’re going to need
The best way to avoid operational issues during bank holidays is to plan well in advance, and our first steps in doing this would always be to review previous bank holiday data to forecast demand and resource requirements, and based on these predictions, to make sure you’ve planned staffing levels appropriately so that drivers, customer support and vehicle maintenance teams avoid last-minute gaps in service.
- Be strategic with routing and dispatching
Road congestion is a major risk during bank holiday weekends, and a report from INRIX revealed that delays of up to 45 minutes are common on major routes such as the M25 and M6 during peak travel times.
To keep your fleet moving, we’d advise:
- Using real-time traffic data to reroute vehicles and avoid congestion
- Allow additional time for deliveries or collections to avoid customer disappointment
- And where possible, stagger job times to avoid peak road usage hours such as mid-morning to mid-afternoon on bank holiday Fridays and Mondays
- Conduct thorough vehicle checks
As any fleet manager will know, vehicle reliability is absolutely key, particularly when repair options may be limited over a bank holiday.
Luckily, there are some simple checks that can be made in order to prevent breakdowns, such as:
- Checking oil, coolant and windscreen wash levels
- Inspecting tyre condition and pressure
- Ensuring brakes, lights and wipers are working properly
- And keeping breakdown and recovery contact details in every vehicle.
It’s also worth ensuring that any known vehicle maintenance, such as MOTs or repairs, are conducted ahead of time too, so your fleet is at full strength when it matters most.
- Put driver welfare first
Fatigue, stress, and long hours can all take a toll on commercial drivers, particularly in heavy traffic, and keeping your team safe is not only a duty of care but also essential for maintaining fleet performance.
To help support your drivers as much as possible, try:
- Reinforcing driver rest policies and the legal limits on driving hours to make sure no one is over-worked
- Encouraging regular breaks and providing access to well-being support where possible
- And checking in with your drivers during their shifts to monitor morale and stress levels
- Use technology to up your game
The bank holiday is the perfect time to make use of fleet management tools, as many of them are designed to enhance visibility, encourage responsiveness, improve safety, and streamline operations.
If you’re not already using this type of technology to its highest potential, it’s worth using these tools to see how much they can help:
- GPS tracking, which allows live vehicle monitoring and efficient dispatching
- Dashcams and telematics, which help improve driving standards and provide valuable data in the event of an incident
- And fleet analytics dashboards, which can identify bottlenecks and allow quick adjustments in strategy
- Keep customers in the loop
Delays are sometimes unavoidable, but clear communication can make all the difference and notifying customers proactively of any scheduling changes or offering alternative arrangements where shows that you’re on their side, and that you’re willing to go beyond even during busy periods.
- Choose the right partner for fleet support
No matter how well fleet managers prepare for the bank holiday, it’s impossible to predict everything. But, having the right support partner at hand can go far in helping you to minimise disruption, control costs and maintain excellent service levels.
Enter S&G Response – a trusted partner to businesses across the UK, providing responsive, reliable support that helps fleets perform at their best even during peak pressure.
At S&G, all our services are built around flexibility, speed, and clear communication to ensure that every part of the claims and recovery process is taken care of with minimal hassle for your team, and we’re trusted by businesses nationwide to deliver:
- 24/7 support over bank holidays and weekends, meaning we’re always on hand when you need us most
- Nationwide recovery coverage to minimise vehicle downtime and reduce delays
- End-to-end claims handling, vehicle triage and credit hire provision to keep your business and customers moving
- Expert communication with all stakeholders, including insurers, to streamline resolution
- Seamless integration with your internal systems and telematics providers for better visibility and control
- Dedicated account management with tailored solutions for your fleet’s unique needs
- Access to a trusted network of approved repairers to ensure high-quality and timely repairs
- And flexible solutions that scale with your business, from single-vehicle operators through to national fleets
All of which means that when the bank holiday rush hits, we can get you back on the road as fast and safely as possible, keeping your business moving without compromise.
By partnering with S&G Response, you can feel confident your fleet is protected, supported and prepared, whatever the roads throw at you.
Contact us today to find out how we can support your business throughout the bank holiday and beyond.
