Art Liggio, President & CEO, Driving Dynamics

The holidays are here, and we’re excited to welcome the bright lights and warmth that comes with the season.

We all had a great deal of hope riding into 2021 and despite health and economic challenges, we’re grateful that many of the customers we serve and the overall fleet community, are making steady progress in resuming operations and, in many cases, exceeding expectations.

At Driving Dynamics, we’ve been busy adding new programs to address the everchanging issues affecting safe driving performance. With 34 years of service now behind us, we’ve been honored this year to reach the highest number of enrollments in the company’s history. We thank you for the privilege of guiding your drivers toward safety excellence.

While we understand that there are many challenges ahead, this is a time of year to pause and enjoy some good cheer. With that, the staff and management at Driving Dynamics would like to share a well-known Christmas poem, but with our own fun little twist. Enjoy!

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By Richard Mallek, Director of Business Development/FLD Remarketing

December – it’s a month that everyone looks forward to. This year, that’s probably even more true, as the world does its best to move past Covid to experience the joy and familiarity the holidays bring.

In the fleet space, as in most industries, December is a time to not only put the finishing touches on the previous eleven months, but to get one’s “ducks” in a row for the year ahead. Right sizing fleets. Planning strategy. And getting excess inventory off the books.

At FLD, December has been an especially busy time ever since we first pioneered the space nearly 45 years ago. That’s because as the only remarketing provider that gives customers a quote – and gets them paid – in less than a week, we know fleets will turn to us to get their transactions wrapped up quickly, and them prepared for the year ahead.

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By Rose Morrison, Managing Editor, Renovated.com

Fleet management technology is rapidly helping companies differentiate in a crowded marketplace.

There are many factors outside their immediate control, but choosing the right technologies can help operations remain profitable and productive.

Fleet management tech is becoming more accessible, too. Here are five possibilities likely to make an impact in 2022.

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The Guardian

Despite the fact that the company has delivered only about 150 trucks, Rivian is now valued at about $100bn, more than either Ford or General Motors, which produced about 10m vehicles between them in 2020.

“People have been quick to dismiss the old guard as new players have come in and tried to take over, but I don’t think that’s going to happen because Ford and GM are positioned to do so well with their logistical chain of production,” said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at the automotive analyst Edmunds.

Read the article at The Guardian.

InsideEVs

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a three-year $1.4 billion plan for zero-emission transportation infrastructure and manufacturing to help the Golden State achieve its 2025 electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling goals.

Focusing on ZEV infrastructure build-out, the plan allocates nearly 80% of available funding to charging stations or hydrogen refueling. Investments are allocated at the beginning of the process, to help “ensure the public adoption of ZEVs is not stymied by lack of infrastructure.”

In-state ZEV manufacturing, workforce training and development, as well as near- and zero-emission fuel production, are also supported by the plan.

Read the article at InsideEVs.

The Detroit Bureau

Automakers of all types are making massive commitments to battery-electric vehicles with 50 new models expected to hit the U.S. by the end of next year.

President Biden’s push for 500,000 new EV chargers is funded, while several EV charging companies are investing hundreds of millions into their own ventures. All that investment is good news, but none of those things really reveal who — or more precisely, where — is ready to handle this influx of electric cars and trucks?

California is the most EV-ready state in part because it is the only one with more than 1% of all vehicles registered being electric. Washington, D.C. got kudos and a top score because there is a public EV charger every 2.66 miles on average, this is far better than the national average of one charger every 121 miles.

Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.

NICB

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is warning the public of the increased criminal threat environment across the United States this Holiday Season.

The nation is witnessing historically high auto theft, violent crime and carjackings.  Beginning in June 2020, the United States experienced a 13% increase in auto thefts, a trend that has continued throughout 2021.

NICB encourages shoppers remain alert during the holidays. Criminals are searching for unlocked vehicles to take personal belongings and shopping goods, or to steal the car itself. Most holiday shoppers encounter a number of distractions, from heavy traffic to crowded stores, making auto theft and carjacking more probable.

Read the article at NICB.

Piet Maes, Sofico’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer

Automotive finance, leasing and fleet software provider, Sofico has launched Miles eDocs, a fully integrated Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, to enable customers to speed up transactions, automate processes and seamlessly capture information.

The latest addition to Sofico’s Miles Enterprise Suite mainstream software solution, eDocs is intended to automate information capture and processing for smoother, smarter, transactions for Sofico’s expanding group of automotive customers, including leasing companies, captive finance companies, OEMs and mobility providers.

Piet Maes, Sofico’s Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, said: “The world has changed. So too have the expectations of mobility customers. Customers now demand the means to transact seamlessly, swiftly and securely. Miles eDocs enables us to offer tools, and opportunities for growth, essential to our customers in this age of digital automation.”

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By Adam Danielson, Sales and Business Development Director

March 1997, a 23rd old man was driving his Chevy 4×4 pickup truck when he was hit by a semi-truck owned by a commercial trucking company. The semi-truck crossed the centerline and hit the pickup truck head on.

The young man suffered a ruptured left anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, which required reconstructive surgery. He sued the trucking company for negligent hiring, retention, and supervision of its driver due to the truck drivers’ record.

Between 1978 and 1997, the driver had been convicted of 21 traffic violations, most of which involved speeding, a DUI, and he was driving with a suspended license at the time of the accident.

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Roadshow

Your windshield is so much more than a piece of glass on new cars. Yesterday’s $500 windshield replacement can run into thousands of dollars today.

First is the integration of cameras or other sensors in the windshield, looking out at the road with you. What were once really simple operations now require complex diagnostic and calibration work. A modern car’s windshield may also have a special display area for a head-up projector, and technology related to automatic wipers or self-dimming high beams.

As cars have become more complex, repair shops frequently turn to good quality aftermarket parts to keep costs down, but Ford, Honda and FCA all advise against using aftermarket windshields. BMW goes so far as to request that special electromagnetic compatibility screws be used in repairs so as not to interfere with ADAS features.

Read the article at Roadshow.