The more information pest management professionals (PMPs) have on their fleet and drivers, the easier it is to stop and solve inefficiencies. Six industry leaders share their products, services and predictions on this revenue-boosting side of pest control
Peter Young, PCOpro program manager and underwriter for auto, property and inland marine, Brownyard Group
Brownyard Group’s pest control insurance program, PCOpro, offers PMPs specialized coverage to meet the changing needs of the industry. As resources such as digital technologies evolve and become more available, pest control company fleets will likely encounter new opportunities and challenges. Insurance providers and pest control business owners must monitor these industry changes and reconsider how they address risk management and vehicle safety. A focused return to the fundamentals will help owners and operators protect their businesses from the ground up, no matter what changes come their way.
Predictions: Distracted driving has become the leading cause of commercial auto accidents — and likely will continue to be a top risk exposure for the foreseeable future. Yet the very technology behind distracted driving promotes risk mitigation, as owners and operators can monitor commercial drivers via telematics and GPS tracking. Such technology can help owners and operators identify unsettling behaviors and needs for training or other actions.
In this environment of increased gas and repair costs, supply chain shortages and more, it’s tempting to reduce vehicle maintenance, driver safety training and insurance coverage to trim costs. But such cutbacks can increase risk exposure exponentially. Instead, create a culture of safety that includes regular vehicle maintenance, safe-driving training, and consistent review and enforcement of fleet safety policies. Such fundamental safety practices, paired with the right insurance coverage, will help keep insurance claims down, prevent rising premiums and allow PMPs to focus on business.
Avery Armour, senior director of product, FieldRoutes, a ServiceTitan Product
ServiceTitan Fleet Pro, now integrated directly into the FieldRoutes platform, is a comprehensive, proactive fleet management solution that helps PMPs make the most of their investments. Vehicle GPS systems and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted smart cameras offer real-time data and insights, empowering our customers to make better-informed business decisions and gain a competitive advantage.
Fleet Pro users manage and oversee operations across the entire fleet management lifecycle to save money, improve driver safety, and maximize their investment. AI-assisted dashcams help prevent unsafe driving, protect against liabilities and facilitate driver coaching. Studies show they can reduce accident risk by nearly 75 percent, with improved driver behavior and real-time risk detection. Through GPS tracking and telematics, Fleet Pro users can maximize billable hours and ensure payroll accuracy with minimal operational overhead.
Predictions: The pest control market will continue to grow in 2025, buoyed by increasing urbanization and growing awareness of pest-related health risks. However, rising operational costs and an uncertain economic climate will challenge PMPs to maximize efficiency and return on investment (ROI).
The companies that compete and win in a highly fragmented market will embrace a digital transformation and adopt technologies to improve efficiency and customer service. In the face of rising costs of critical resources — including labor, fuel and vehicles — AI-powered solutions and intelligent automation through platforms like ServiceTitan Fleet Pro will help PMPs win by streamlining operations, maximizing productivity and increasing profitability with existing headcount.
Andrew McGinty, director of sales and marketing, LIPCA Insurance
Auto policies continue to be one of the hardest markets to find for our industry. When the word “fleet” is introduced, it shrinks the opportunities tenfold. “Umbrellas” and “excess markets” are included in this as well. The adoption of technology is key to our insureds’ helping keep rates as low as possible, and it must be taken seriously. As the world adapts, so must the industry. That’s been our take since our founding by several Louisiana pest and lawn control professionals back in 1985, and we continue to be owned and staffed by industry professionals today. Our auto coverage is offered at competitive rates throughout the country as just one of many insurance services we offer.
Predictions: Unfortunately, we don’t expect to see any rate reductions for auto insurance as the market continues to shrink. It’s basic Econ 101. However, we hope that technological advancements and the use of AI and other applications to help with route planning and efficiency can help soften the blow for our insureds. More efficiencies for our insureds can provide cost savings and best practices to counter other business expenses that continue to increase. These applications also can provide real-time feedback and guidance to not only the drivers but also the owners to track unsafe driving methods.
As AI and other technologies advance over the next few years, the costs of these methods should be more realistic to the industry.
Rush Akin, chief revenue officer, veteran fleet expert, RoadFlex
RoadFlex’s trademarked, AI-powered Proactive Fuel Risk Management Platform makes fuel and fleet management significantly more efficient for pest control businesses. Customers save an average of 11 percent in fuel spent annually with RoadFlex.
RoadFlex comprehensive platform for fuel and fleet purchases also eliminates the risk of fuel fraud and theft. It combines real-time vehicle telematics data with transaction data to grant fleet managers complete visibility into every purchase and customizable spending controls for different employees and job needs. It authorizes purchases by verifying that the card is used by the correct employee and for the correct vehicle. It also blocks suspicious transactions and flags them for review. All of this happens in real time.
Predictions: Businesses will continue using AI to automate reporting, analytics and financial savings for their fleet operations. Fuel risk management platforms will become more commonly used to automatically analyze historical fueling data and enable businesses to prevent unauthorized purchases while looking for cheaper locations.
Electrification will progress over time. Most businesses will manage fleets of vehicles with both gasoline/diesel and electric vehicle (EV) charging needs. Therefore, fuel management solutions that allow transactions at fuel and EV charging stations will be required.
Business leaders will continue integrating data sources from their fleet and fuel management tools. For example, when your team’s fuel card transactions flow into your business management tool, you can easily manage operation costs.
Frank MacDonald, president, Select Insurance
Insuring commercial fleets has proven to be a significant challenge over the past year, and it likely will stay that way for a while. Insurers have been plagued with inflationary repair costs, and lawsuit settlements have grown commensurably. Over the past few years, many lawsuits have pierced through the auto liability limit and into umbrella limits. In some suits, the umbrella limits were hit as well. This has caused reinsurance to skyrocket; in some cases, reinsurers have walked away from the auto line altogether.
These factors have chased away many of the fleet carriers in the market — and the ones that remain typically are very selective and can be very costly. In some fleets, carriers have required us to remove the physical damage coverage before they can quote the coverage. In others, we’ve been forced to utilize liability deductibles of between $10,000 and $25,000 or more just to obtain a quote. Even with these actions, getting renewal terms is not guaranteed.
Still, rest assured that our industry-focused team is working hard to get our clients the best coverage possible at competitive rates.
Predictions: Despite the difficulty in finding good people, it is paramount that you hire drivers with good motor vehicle records (MVRs) and at least a few years of driving experience. These MVRs need to be checked at least twice a year.
It is entirely possible that the carrier may exclude a driver (or drivers) from coverage based on MVRs or accident frequency.
Because of the state of the fleet market, it is more imperative now than ever that you take additional proactive measures. Install cameras and telematics in your entire fleet. Consider hiring a fleet manager to manage MVRs and review weekly driving behavior scorecards. Discipline problem drivers. Coach repeat offenders. If their behavior does not improve, they should be terminated.
Ted Lunt, technical product owner, PestPac, WorkWave
PestPac’s integrated route optimization tool, RouteOp, automates the routing process to save users time every day. While automating the process saves hours in the office, the resulting routes save significant time on the road, too, empowering users to take on additional customers with the same staff and fleet they already have.
RouteOp’s time, cost and fuel savings are notable, with individual users reporting efficiency and improvement values in excess of $300,000 per year; service growth of 20 percent more jobs per technician; and reductions in drive time of up to 50 percent. As a result, pest control business owners can be better stewards to their technicians and the environment, significantly decreasing windshield time and overall carbon footprint simultaneously.
PestPac also offers a telematics integration featuring industry-leading GPS vendors, allowing users to gather current and historical vehicle information to gain valuable insight. Current positions can be overlaid on a map with planned work for real-time tracking and dispatching to cover high-priority, last-minute requests. Historical information is used along with optimized routes, enabling driver comparison reports for enhanced accountability.
Predictions: Over the next five years, we foresee an increased adoption of AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics for route optimization, real-time tracking, predictive vehicle maintenance and more informed decision-making.
Sustainability efforts will continue to push fleet managers toward electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle choices, along with eco-friendly logistics strategies, with increasing urgency. Enhanced data analytics will drive increases in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, while the fleet management market will continue to expand with smart, innovative solutions to accommodate the industry’s evolving demands on the road.
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