By Ken Robinson, Market Research Manager at Motus

Companies have plenty of incentive to reduce carbon emissions and boost sustainability initiatives.

Beyond embracing the evolving trend toward energy-efficient technologies and supporting the White House’s goal of halving the economy’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, sustainability has proven to be a significant indicator of a company’s financial performance and business success. It’s as essential to today’s business climate as it is beneficial to the environment.

Organizations looking to improve their competitive advantages through more efficient use of resources can begin with their fleet vehicles.

Transportation currently produces 29% of all greenhouses gasses in the United States, which is more than any other sector. Reducing vehicle emissions can have the greatest impact on sustainability initiatives, since business and personal driving account for 57% of transportation sector emissions.

With this in mind, let’s explore how companies can meet their sustainability goals while continuing field operations and preserving driver count.

READ MORE

By Grant Feek

Car thefts are more common than you might imagine, and have been on the rise over the past year.

There are a number of things you can do to make your car less likely to be targeted. But what about actual car anti theft devices?

Are they really car theft prevention? Which ones are best?

Here’s a rundown of the types of devices on the market, which ones are (or are not) likely to be effective, and how they work.

We’re all familiar with the car alarm. Ever since the mid 80s, these dreaded sirens (many of which have evolved into a sequence of varied noises designed to attract more attention) have shattered the silence. Usually in the middle of the night.

READ MORE

Driving Dynamics has recently announced a number of senior position promotions, with key leadership changes including the appointment of Tony Vinciguerra as President & CEO and Debbie Balestra transitioning to Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Vinciguerra is stepping up from the COO role, following the recent retirement of managing owner Art Liggio, who will now serve as Chairman of the Board and remain active in the organization.

The shifts in leadership represent Driving Dynamics’ focus on driving growth and innovation in fleet safety management amid the ever-increasing safety challenges drivers and fleets face.

Vinciguerra and Balestra will be responsible for the company’s strategic guidance and collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure the organization is positioned to continuously achieve its mission of improving overall fleet safety performance.

“Tony brings a unique set of skills, perspectives, and relationships to lead Driving Dynamics.” said Art Liggio, Driving Dynamics’ new Chairman of the Board. “Under his leadership, the Board of Directors is confident that our strategic direction, organizational growth and development, dedication to innovation, and delivery of impactful, client-valued safety services will continue to drive our future success.”

READ MORE

February 14, 2022 – It hasn’t been an easy start to 2022 for the auto industry, but there are reasons to be bullish the retail market will turn around by year’s end, or sooner.

“All of our data shows us that we’ve we found the bottom at the end of Q4 (in 2021), and we think the first half of 2022 will be a gradual build—inventory will slowly start building,” Mike Darrow, president and CEO of TrueCar said.

While Darrow sees the new car market coming back strongly by the end of this year, he also sees the used car market remaining strong, perhaps longer than it will take for the new car market to fully rebound. As a result, used car prices should remain high until new car sales ramp up significantly.

via MSN

In the beginning, buying an SUV almost certainly meant you were going to be buying a midsize SUV.

Early models are the reason a niche, off-roading vehicle segment morphed into the bread-and-butter family transportation choice and then spawned numerous offshoot segments based on size, capability, performance and luxury.

There are two-row, style-oriented choices like the Chevy Blazer, Nissan Murano and Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport that are resolutely intended to stay nice and clean on-road. On the opposite end, there are the old-school, body-on-frame, definitely-not-a-crossover Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner.

via Autoblog

Parents of teenagers who are starting to drive can turn to a new resource for expert advice on safely navigating this milestone.

The American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are launching Navigate to Safety: Roadmaps for Parents of Teen Drivers, a series of downloadable guides on everything from choosing the right vehicle for your teen to understanding state laws and setting appropriate rules.

“Driving carries extra risk for teenagers. Per mile driven, they are nearly 4 times as likely as drivers ages 20 and older to crash,” says David Harkey, president of IIHS.

via IIHS

February 10, 2022 – Korean auto brands Kia, Genesis and Hyundai earn three of the top four rankings in the newly redesigned J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), released today.

The 2019 model-year vehicles measured in this year’s study were first examined in the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS).SM Seven of the 10 highest-ranked brands in the 2019 IQS are among the 10 highest-ranked brands in this year’s VDS.

“Many owners are holding on to their vehicles longer, so long-term dependability is even more critical,” said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power.

via J.D. Power

By Julian Carrington, Product Support Analyst, Donlen

Over the past two years, “safety training” has pivoted to instruction on wiping down surfaces and wearing masks.

In that time collision statistics have taken a startling turn. We’ve taken our eyes off the road and we may need to re-route. It’s time to get back to the basics of fleet safety.

The distressing numbers speak for themselves. After decades of declines, traffic fatalities and high speed crashes rose during the 2020 COVID shutdowns and have not returned to prior normal levels. The shutdown spike of a 7.2% annual rise in real numbers of deaths (38,680 fatalities) was shocking when contrasted against the decrease in driving volume (13% fewer miles driven).

According to the US Department of Transportation’s 2021 report, there was a decrease in driving volume at the start of the pandemic, but those remaining on the road engaged in riskier behavior.

READ MORE

By Josh Turley, CEO, RTA Fleet

Electric trucks are certainly all the rage in the news right now. We all eagerly await our chance in line to get these into our fleets.

Of course, at this point, we’d be happy to just get any vehicles, but I digress.

We’ve seen Electric Truck announcements from new companies like Rivian and Lordstown, as well as established electric player Tesla.

The Big 3 were silent for a long time until Ford announced its Lightning F-150, and now just recently the big announcement from GM at this year’s CES expo.

While a lot of these vehicles are designed with the consumer in mind (Cybertruck anyone?), I think it’s important to see how electric trucks fit into a fleet’s overall electrification strategy — which means looking at these from a different perspective than most reviewers in media.

READ MORE

Are you making your vehicle a target for theft?

As the weather gets colder, many drivers will want to warm up their vehicles before hitting the road.

“Puffing” refers to the practice of leaving a vehicle running while unattended. As the vehicle’s exhaust runs, it will actually emit puffs of steam when warming up, making it an easy target for thieves to spot.

With no one around to stop them, and the key already in the ignition, criminals only need to hop in and drive off.

via National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)