By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant
September 10, 2025
Those attending the Automotive Fleet Leasing Association’s (AFLA) Annual Conference in Marco Island, Florida, September 14 – 17, face a virtual laundry list of unknowns and a host of seemingly non-stop challenges.
When will – or even if – the tariffs introduced earlier this year finally shake out, what will the impact be?
What can fleets do to contain spiraling costs, especially in the face of stubborn inflation and high interest rates?
And how will the continued influx of technology – and especially AI – change the industry? This is something both have been doing at warp speed since AFLA last convened in San Antonio a year ago.
All important questions that – unfortunately – defy easy answers.
Erin Gilchrist
For the time being, fleets and fleet managers are forced to live with the uncomfortable reality that the industry gets more complicated by the day. So, whether it’s dwindling budgets and headcount, baffling software and technology integration, or simply being forced to do more with less, the “good old days” of fleet have long passed. Something that isn’t lost on savvy veterans like Erin Gilchrist, who’s attending AFLA for the first time as an independent consultant and podcaster. As a former fleet manager – and panelist at this year’s conference – she knows fleet managers are facing some pretty harsh truths. And that AFLA is one of the best places to find answers to their biggest questions.
“Safety, driver behavior, high operational costs, finding ways to do more with less without compromising your fleet – these things are really challenging fleet managers on a daily basis,” said Gilchrist, who has been busy consulting with fleets on a variety of topics and preparing to launch her podcast, “But the great thing is that AFLA provides the perfect opportunity to come away with actionable insights informed by top fleet pros that help you better manage your biggest issues – that’s what makes it so special.”
(Courtesy of AFLA)
And that might be what makes AFLA such an important annual event. The fact that it provides not just the perfect backdrop for idea exchange, but a place to meet top fleet pros and influencers one-on-one in an industry where relationships still matter, making conferences like AFLA feel more akin to a warm family reunion than a brusque business affair.
It’s a quality that spurred vehicle logistics provider uShip Logistics to jump at the chance to be an AFLA Diamond sponsor for the second year in a row. This is despite only being involved in fleet for a few years.
Nathan Reid
“We knew right after coming to our first AFLA that this was the fleet organization to be involved with,” said uShip CEO Nathan A. Reid, whose company – which handles vehicle logistics for a growing list of fleet clients – is also one of the top sponsors of The Hourglass Foundation, AFLA’s official charity. “The fleet customers we’ve been fortunate enough to partner with, and the people we’ve met here at AFLA, have all been so supportive and you just don’t find that in many industries,” said Reid.
Karyna Zarate
Reid’s enthusiasm is indicative of many newer AFLA members, evidence by the fact nearly a third of last year’s attendees were first timers who appear to be returning this year. It’s that spirit of camaraderie – and the feeling of truly being at “home” – that initially drew AFLA President Karyna Zarate to the organization over a decade ago. Today, she still encourages fleet professionals – especially newbies – to join and get involved in AFLA.
“This is just such a great association to experience both personal and professional growth, especially for people just getting into the industry,” said Zarate, fleet director for the Audubon Companies, who looked back fondly on her first few trips to AFLA. “We want people who are attending their first or second conference to really immerse themselves and to know that there are amazing fleet professionals willing to support them in their fleet journey and that AFLA is all about helping our members get ahead not just in their careers, but life.”
One way attendees can do that is through AFLA’s Education program, which breaks important fleet topics down into short, easy to digest education modules. The modules can then be consumed quickly at a member’s convenience, even earning them a digital certificate they can use to burnish their professional credentials.
Heidi DiAngelo
Heidi DiAngelo of safety solutions provider Netradyne, who chairs the Education committee, said the program is proof that AFLA is focused on bringing value to members by keeping them up-to-date and in-the-know about topics that will help them become better fleet professionals. Among these topics are how to leverage the mountain of data spewed out by the influx of technology in fleet over the past few years. A subject important to John Ebel, VP of Enterprise Fleet at Comdata.
“Fleets are looking for new ways to leverage their data that drive down fuel and other fleet related costs and use a more proactive (approach), something we’ve been actively working on,” said Ebel. “Attending AFLA allows us to connect and engage with fleet leaders on how we can help on this emerging topic.”
As always, AFLA will feature its usual jam-packed schedule, famous for its non-stop slate of events which generally kicks off with breakfast at 7:30 am and ends with the final “Afterglow” events held well into the evening. That includes three days of keynote speeches, group panels and plenty of social time. Of course, the always popular golf scramble, the pool parties, and the community service initiative – which had a waiting list last year because so many attendees wanted to give back – will be part of this year’s activities.
As usual, the conference will dispense several industry awards including the top prize – the Edward J. Bobbit Fleet Manager of the Year Award. One of the three finalist for this year’s award – Joe Lukacs, Global Director of Fleet Operations for the Sherwin-Williams Company – will be attending his first AFLA conference and is excited to “meet up with some old friends and make some new ones.”
“It’s a huge honor to be nominated for fleet manager of the year and an even bigger one to be named a finalist, especially considering how strong the competition is,” said Lukacs, who was one of four finalist for the award last year as well.
Shlomo Crandus
The other finalists – Linda Ellis of UCB and Charlie Schott of Rollins – are both clients of fleet management company Wheels, which will be out in force with a group of 15 plus fleet professionals, including CEO Shlomo Crandus. Representatives from other members of the “Big 4” FMCs will make their presence known, as well. This includes industry notables Holman and Merchants Fleet, as well as Element, whose team is focused on the future.
“At Element, our purpose ‘to Move the world through intelligent mobility’ shapes how we serve our clients, how we innovate, and how we anticipate tomorrow’s opportunities. We’re not only solving today’s challenges, we’re defining what’s next, and we look forward to sharing that message at AFLA,” said Marni Colpitts, SVP Relationship Management, Element Fleet Management.
In addition to FMCs, service providers of all kinds will represent a major percentage of attendees, but not just the traditional fleet service providers like transporters, remarketers, upfitters and OEMs. Today’s AFLA – as with many fleet conferences like Work Truck Week and NAFA – has seen increasing amounts of software, telematics and – these days – AI providers attend. Even so, the conference can expect the usual host of service providers, especially upfitters, which seem to have proliferated with a slew of new and non-traditional players looking to penetrate the white metal market over the past year. Many are attempting to finally take delivery on work vans that were plagued by long delays after Covid. Fortunately, vehicle availability picked up at the beginning of this year.
Brian Barber, a two term AFLA President and now the SVP of Sales and Marketing for German upfitter Sortimo’s North American operations, said he’s looking forward to experiencing the “energy rush” that comes from interacting with both fleet pros he’s known for years and many of the new attendees that bring a renewed spirit to the industry.
(Courtesy of AFLA)
“There’s really no place like AFLA – and no place better to experience the heartbeat of the industry,” Barber said. “I’m excited to see old friends for sure, and to share some of the industry leading cargo and component innovation we have at Sortimo, we’re truly focused on where fleet’s need and want to be, not where they’ve been.”
Barber also reminds attendees to stop in at Sortimo’s “Our Future’s So Bright … Ya Gotta Wear Shades” event at the Kane Tiki Bar on Monday between 4:30pm-6:00pm for drinks and to grab a free pair of shades.
The 2025 AFLA conference will be held at the JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Marco Island, Florida, September 14 through September 17. Fleet professionals interested in learning more about or registering for the event still have a few days. Please visit www.afla.org.
About the author
Tod Trousdell is a 40-year marketing veteran and a partner along with Kathi Roberts in the boutique communications firm RobertsTrousdell. With over 15 years of fleet experience and hundreds of marketing projects under their belt for top fleet services providers, the firm focuses on developing actionable insights, strategy, campaigns, and lead generation for clients from all industries. He can be reached at [email protected].
