AFLA Preview: More Fleet Managers, New Technologies, Actionable Information

By Tod Trousdell, Partner, RobertsTrousdell Marketing

September 4, 2024

An energized attendee list of more than 500 of fleet’s most active and determined top leaders. A packed schedule of noteworthy speakers and useful panel discussions. And plenty of downtime for catching up with colleagues you might not have seen in years.

With just two weeks until the big event, this year’s AFLA Conference in San Antonio, Texas, September 15 – 18 is setting up to be perhaps the most active and well-attended since before the pandemic. It includes three packed days of activities, and a return to a Sunday starting date (that had been the standard for years), as well as the always-popular “Women in Fleet” dinner, the late night “afterglows,” and the sold-out afternoon golf scramble. As usual, the highlight of the week will be the presentation of the Edward J Bobit Award for Professional Fleet Manager of the Year.

Held for the second time in three years at the beautiful La Cantera Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas, this year’s conference has not only seen an influx of new sponsors and attendees, but an increased presence of younger people and emerging technologies. Perhaps most importantly, it also includes an uptick in the number of fleet managers attending this year vs. the last few years.

“We’ve definitely seen the kind of active interest and robust participation that tells us this year’s conference is going to provide a number of meaningful opportunities for attendees to network while gaining insights they can use to improve their businesses and fleets,” said Elizabeth Schlicht, Executive Director of AFLA, which is celebrating its 55^th anniversary.

Echoing Schlicht’s comments, longtime industry veteran and current AFLA President Matt Betz of Ore Creek Consulting, said that he is “confident” AFLA leadership, and the conference task force had “planned an event full of great educational and networking opportunities that will provide a meaningful experience for all attendees. I’ve been involved with AFLA for years, and this board of directors and the people volunteering have impressed me in so many ways, it’s been amazing to see everyone come together.”

Betz said he was especially “looking forward” to helping AFLA’s charity of the year – The Hourglass Foundation – further its goal of providing trade scholarships to the next generation of fleet mechanics and technicians, a vital need for an industry with vehicle technology that changes by the minute.

“This is a charity that everyone in fleet should get behind because they are doing so much to help ensure the future well-being of our industry. I’m going to be looking for opportunities to leverage the power of AFLA’s membership base and creative thinking to propel the foundation forward,” said Betz, who said he welcomes input from AFLA members interested in helping the foundation thrive.

Karyna Zarate, Fleet Manager for Houston-based Inframark, as well as AFLA’s incoming president, says this year is not only an important gathering of fleet’s top leaders, but an opportunity to give back to others, including the local San Antonio community. To accomplish that she has organized an outing where attendees can volunteer to perform an afternoon of service at a local food bank rather than attending the conference’s traditional pool party or golf outing.

“Virtually every corner of this country is touched by the important work fleets do every day,” said Zarate. “That’s why we wanted to show the local community how much AFLA appreciates them by doing something meaningful for the community – and for our members to participate in.” Further, Zarate reiterated, it’s the perfect way to show others that the fleet industry “truly cares” about not just their own local communities, but those everywhere.

As we’ve seen at other industry conferences, like this year’s NTEA and NAFA, new service providers and fresh faces continue to enter the fleet space, many of them bringing advanced technologies and new ways of doing things. One of those includes second-time attendee uShip Logistics, an Austin, Texas-based company that leverages technology to optimize the logistics process. Encouraged and looking to build on their experience at their first AFLA last year in Palm Springs, the company has signed on as a Diamond sponsor this year in hopes of growing its fleet presence, strengthening relationships with top fleet leaders, and partnering with fleet management companies to help them better serve their customers.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming AFLA to our home state of Texas,” said Nathan A. Reid, uShip’s President and CEO. “We’re confident our offering can help fleets restore predictability, reliability and meaningful savings to their fleet logistics needs,” said Reid. He also pointed out that the company was bringing in BBQ brisket from one of its favorite local haunts for conference attendees to sample! 

And while several new sponsors like uShip will be featured at this year’s conference, many long-time sponsors such as Wheels, Element and Geotab will also be at AFLA in force. Lori Olson, Team Leader of Signature Accounts at Geotab, who is also slated to appear on one of AFLA’s panels, said she and her Geotab colleagues “always look forward to AFLA as one of its most important conferences of the year.” The Oakville, Ontario headquartered company will be hosting the conference’s opening reception.

Further, this year’s AFLA promises a solid mix of both new – and past – attendees, including several veteran fleet pros representing new breed companies. One of them – former AFLA President Brian Barber – said he thinks AFLA’s format offers perhaps the “best opportunity” to network with fleet leaders while learning about the challenges they face in a rapidly changing environment, as well as how they’re overcoming those challenges to help their fleets thrive. He’s also “excited” to introduce a brand-new solution for the commercial modification field. The company – Indianapolis-based Model 1 – is a well-established shuttle bus modifier that brings a unique solution that shaves 2 to 5 weeks off the delivery of an upfitted commercial van or truck.

Sarah Sweeney, Director of Product Management at Wheels, who will be speaking at AFLA, believes the event is one of the company’s favorite forums to engage with fellow attendees. “Many fleets have recently undergone significant changes, particularly with the emphasis on sustainability,” said Sweeney. “That’s why I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on how the key to a successful program is understanding the needs, preferences and potential impact on your stakeholders.”

As it does most years, this year’s conference will include three packed days of panels, keynotes and the kinds of face-to-face networking opportunities offered at few other shows. Included in the uptick in participating fleet managers will be the finalists for this year’s Edward J. Bobit Award for Professional Fleet Manager of the Year: Ted Chan of Schindler Elevator, Sharon Etherington of Roche, Joe Lukacs of Sherwin-Williams, and David Hayward from ABM.

Chan, attending his first AFLA in a few years, said he was especially honored to make this year’s list of finalists given the stiff competition, which had originally included 15 nominees before being whittled to the final four. “I know people say it all the time, but it’s an honor just to be nominated,” he said. “These are some really smart, innovative fleet managers so even to be mentioned in the same breath is special.”

One attendee who says this year’s event holds a special meaning for him is former AFLA President Steve Bender of Fleet Street Remarketing, whose son Sean was recently struck by a speeding boat while looking for lobster in the Florida Keys. The collision – which Bender witnessed first-hand – and initially left Sean fighting for his life, has evolved into what will likely be months and years in recovery. The life-changing event has also reminded Bender how tight the AFLA family is after it raised over $25,000 to help ease expenses around Sean’s recovery.

“We can’t thank the AFLA community enough,” said Bender, who is also planning an event to premiere the “big reveal” of his 6-part YouTube mini-series at AFLA. “It’s very humbling when you even have your competition chipping in to help you at a time like this. It says a lot about the kind of people who work in this industry and I’m looking forward to thanking them all.” 

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Tod Trousdell is partner at RobertsTrousdell Marketing and Communications and a periodic contributor to Fleet Management Weekly. He works with several companies in the fleet space and can be reached at [email protected].