Building a Weather-Ready Fleet

A proactive approach to maintenance, vehicle selection, driver training and risk assessment can help fleets stay operational through severe weather.

The weather has always been a factor for Canadian fleets, but increasingly, it is becoming a business risk that can’t be treated as a seasonal inconvenience. From wildfires and extreme heat to flooding, ice storms and severe winter weather, events that once seemed exceptional are becoming more frequent, more disruptive and, in some cases, more difficult to predict.

For fleet managers, the consequences extend well beyond a vehicle being temporarily sidelined. Severe weather can close roads, disrupt supply chains, damage vehicles and infrastructure, limit access to fuel or charging, and create dangerous conditions for drivers. Even when vehicles remain operational, changing conditions can accelerate wear on components and tires, increase maintenance demands and reduce productivity.

A range of weather risks

The geographic scale of Canada adds another layer of complexity. A fleet operating across several provinces may encounter dramatically different weather risks at the same time, making a one-size-fits-all approach to preparedness increasingly difficult.

A wildfire affecting transportation corridors in Western Canada, for example, presents a very different challenge from flooding in Ontario or an ice storm in Quebec. Fleets with operations spread across multiple regions need to understand not only which weather events are likely to occur, but also how those events could affect their specific vehicles, routes, facilities, drivers and customers.

“Without regular risk assessments, fleets are often reacting to events rather than preparing for them.”

- Dylan Isbecque, Consultant, Holman

Preparation and anticipation

Extreme weather is changing the way fleet managers think about resilience. Historically, much of the focus has been on responding to weather-related disruptions after they occur. But as extreme events become a more regular part of fleet operations, preparation needs to begin well before the forecast calls for severe weather.

This means assessing seasonal risks, reviewing maintenance practices, preparing drivers, examining vehicle and tire specifications, and having contingency plans that can keep critical operations moving.

The financial case for preparedness is equally compelling. The cost of preventive measures may be relatively modest compared with the potential consequences of prolonged downtime, emergency repairs, lost productivity, damaged assets or interrupted service. For fleets operating on tight margins, protecting uptime can be just as important as minimizing acquisition and maintenance costs.

Adapting to change

So, how should Canadian fleets adapt to a changing weather environment? Dylan Isbecque, Consultant with Holman, offers his perspective on the growing risks and the steps fleet operators can take to build greater resilience into their vehicles, maintenance programs, procurement strategies and driver training.

Fleet&Mobility: Which weather events now pose the greatest operational challenges: heat waves, wildfires, flooding, ice storms, blizzards, windstorms, or something else?

Dylan Isbecque: For Canadian fleet operators, wildfires currently pose the greatest operational challenges due to their ability to disrupt transportation networks, reduce asset availability, impact driver safety, and threaten business continuity across large geographic regions.

Unlike many weather events that impact a specific region for a limited period of time, wildfires can disrupt large areas for an extended duration.

Additionally, extreme heat is rapidly emerging as a comparable long-term risk, driving increased maintenance costs, component failures, and workforce productivity challenges.

F&M: How does severe weather affect a fleet’s day-to-day operations? What are the financial impacts of weather-related disruptions?

DI: Severe weather affects fleet operations by reducing vehicle availability, disrupting transportation networks, increasing maintenance requirements, impacting supply chains, and creating safety challenges for drivers.

Financially, these disruptions lead to higher operating and repair costs, lower productivity, increased risk exposure, and additional investments in operational resilience.

As extreme weather events become more frequent, leading fleets are shifting their focus from recovery planning to proactive strategies that protect uptime, maintain service continuity, and minimize total lifecycle cost impacts.

F&M: What should a severe weather preparedness plan include? Are seasonal risk assessments a must?

DI: A severe weather preparedness plan should combine seasonal risk assessments, business continuity planning, vehicle readiness programs, driver safety procedures, emergency response protocols, and real-time monitoring capabilities.

As extreme weather events become more frequent and unpredictable, seasonal risk assessments are increasingly considered a critical component of fleet resilience, helping organizations proactively identify vulnerabilities and maintain operational continuity. Without regular risk assessments, fleets are often reacting to events rather than preparing for them.

F&M: Do preventive maintenance schedules need to change because of increasingly extreme weather?

DI: Preventive maintenance programs should increasingly account for weather-related operating conditions.

As extreme heat, wildfire activity, flooding, and severe winter weather become more frequent, fleets may need to supplement traditional mileage- and time-based maintenance schedules with condition-based inspections focused on components most susceptible to environmental stress.

This approach can help reduce unplanned downtime, improve asset reliability, and support overall fleet resilience.

F&M: Should extreme weather trends influence vehicle purchasing decisions? If so, how?

DI: Extreme weather trends should increasingly influence fleet purchasing decisions. As operating environments become more challenging, organizations should evaluate vehicle specifications, drivetrain configurations, safety technologies, and infrastructure requirements through the lens of operational resilience.

As weather-related risks increase, fleets should evaluate weather resilience alongside traditional procurement factors such as acquisition cost, utilization, and lifecycle economics.

Selecting vehicles that are better equipped to withstand local weather conditions can help reduce downtime, improve safety, and maintain service continuity during weather-related disruptions.

F&M: Do tire specifications need to change in order to better handle a wider range of weather conditions?

DI: Fleet operators should periodically review tire specifications as weather conditions evolve. While a single tire may continue to meet the needs of many applications, increasing exposure to extreme heat, heavy precipitation, and severe winter weather may warrant region-specific tire strategies that improve safety, traction, durability, and overall fleet resilience.

F&M: How can fleets prepare drivers for increasingly unpredictable weather?

DI: Fleets can prepare drivers for increasingly unpredictable weather by expanding weather-specific training, providing real-time weather intelligence, establishing clear safety protocols, and leveraging technology to improve situational awareness.

As severe weather events become more frequent, organizations that equip drivers with the tools, training, and authority to respond effectively will be better positioned to protect employees while maintaining safe and reliable operations.