Few things frustrate fleet managers more than vehicles sitting unused because of a reservation that never turns into an actual trip. These “ghost reservations” make vehicles appear unavailable, skew utilization data, and reduce overall efficiency. For government, university, and utility fleets, the ripple effect is wasted resources and frustrated drivers.
The good news is that ghost reservations can be significantly reduced, and even eliminated, with the right strategies and tools.
A ghost reservation happens when:
• A driver reserves a vehicle but never picks it up
• A reservation is canceled too late to reassign the vehicle
• Keys remain uncollected at the kiosk after a booking window closes
These events may seem minor in isolation, but they add up to real costs when multiplied across dozens or hundreds of vehicles.
• Vehicles appear unavailable when they’re actually sitting idle
• Utilization rates drop, leading to misleading right-sizing decisions
• Staff must spend time managing exceptions and overrides
• Departments pay unnecessary mileage reimbursements when fleet vehicles aren’t available
• Automate cancellations: Tie reservations to key kiosks so unclaimed keys trigger an automatic release.
• Send reminders: Email or SMS notifications before pickup reduce forgotten bookings.
• Track no-shows: Reports identify repeat offenders so managers can address behavior directly.
• Use “use it or lose it” policies: Frequent no-shows can lead to suspension of booking privileges.
• Make cancellations easy: Give drivers simple ways to release vehicles they no longer need.
Sonoma County Human Services manages a large fleet across multiple offices. After implementing key kiosks integrated with FleetCommander, the agency saw a sharp reduction in ghost reservations. Automated cancellations released unclaimed vehicles, improving availability and reducing reliance on personal mileage reimbursements. The change boosted utilization rates and cut administrative headaches.
Ghost reservations are more than an annoyance—they create hidden costs that hurt fleet performance. By combining policy enforcement with automation and driver accountability, agencies can eliminate no-shows, increase availability, and maximize the impact of every vehicle.