By Mayank Sharma, Head of Global Product Management and UX, Teletrac Navman

Gas prices have hit record highs across the nation, and fuel-hungry fleets are feeling the sting at the pump.

Prices have raised to an average of over $4 per gallon in the U.S. with an unprecedented high of $6.99 per gallon in some corners of the nation. With prices being slow to trickle down, fuel economy has become more important than ever for fleets looking to avoid mounting financial pressure.

Utilizing the power of AI and thorough data collection, telematics can be a major source of savings by optimizing the less visible drags on fuel economy.

Here are some of our top tips for cutting down fuel costs:

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By Lillian Holder, Marketing Manager, NoCell Technologies, LLC

It’s no secret that distracted driving is deadly. Every day, about eight people in the United States are killed in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. That’s 2,920 lives lost each year. Startling numbers, and yet cell phone use continues to be one of the leading causes of distracted driving.

And truck drivers are not exempt. Research commissioned by FMCSA shows that the odds of being involved in a safety-critical event (e.g., crash, near-crash, unintentional lane deviation) are six times greater for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who engage in dialing a mobile phone while driving than for those who do not.

While most of today’s fleets recognize the dangers of cellphones and prohibit the use of them while behind the wheel, it can be difficult to manage without proactive measures in place. It’s akin to playing a game of chance, but with no winners.

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By Adam Danielson, Sales and Business Development Director, SuperVision

If a company only pulls driver records (MVRs) at hire and then once per year, and a driver receives a violation or license suspension the day after, he or she has a 364- day grace period before the infraction is discovered.

If this driver were to have a traffic stop or be involved in an accident, the company could face large fines, direct and indirect accident costs and be held liable for negligent entrustment.

Continuous license monitoring allows the fleet manager to receive notifications of violations and license suspensions as they occur — eliminating the pitfall of the yearly “grace period”.

When a new violation or license suspension occurs for a driver, an MVR is automatically delivered to the driver manager. By getting this information sooner, the manager can take immediate corrective action with the driver, closing the accident and liability risk exposure gap.

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March 26, 2022 – The upcoming F-150 Lightning and its Intelligent Backup Power capability will allow owners to keep the lights on at home should there be an electric-power interruption.

Plugging a Lightning into your home requires the 19.2-kW Ford Charge Station Pro, which comes standard on extended-range models and costs extra on base models.  Depending on how much electricity you use, even the Lightning’s standard-range battery could power your house for about three days.

The Home Integration System takes the high-current DC from the Charge Station Pro and converts it into usable AC power. It connects between your utility power meter and your main power panel and disconnects your house from the power grid whenever it’s in use.

via Car and Driver

Photo: BrightDrop
March 25, 2022 – FedEx plans to test electric carts to make deliveries on its signature Express routes in 10 U.S. and Canadian cities with hopes to help address a major challenge it faces in every big city it serves: lack of parking.

E-commerce sales grew 86% over prepandemic levels in February. But the number of parking spots and loading zones remained largely the same in New York City and Toronto, where the global carrier has been testing the EP1 electric cart made by General Motors’ BrightDrop.

FedEx is encouraged by the early results from its pilot program. By deploying a truck of the electric carts and by getting couriers to their routes in a separate passenger van, the company estimates it can reduce the use of trucks on each route by as much 25% per day.

via CNBC

March 22, 2022 – As cars get more connected and infotainment systems are increasingly becoming a key selling point, we’re starting to see automakers imagine new ways for owners to use their vehicles.

Ford now envisages its EVs as mobile offices and has collaborated with Cisco in order to make its electric vehicles the ideal place to take a meeting when out on the road. While there’s nothing stopping the technology from being used in conventional vehicles, Ford is making a particular effort to integrate Cisco’s Webex meeting technology in its next-generation lineup of EVs.

“We don’t see why people wouldn’t be using their vehicles as a fantastic quality office, to be able to collaborate together,” said Darren Palmer, Vice President of Ford’s Electric Vehicle Programs.

via The Drive

March 24, 2022 – Charging an electric car isn’t as straightforward as refilling a gas tank. Recharging times can vary depending on the vehicle type and power source. Battery experts claim that charging times will eventually shrink to around 10 minutes, but not for years to come.

The company’s new stations are organized around comfort, security, and amenities. Electrify America says the goal is to create “a more inviting transition to an electric vehicle lifestyle from traditional gas station.”

The most notable change for Electrify America’s current design is the inclusion of solar panel awnings, which have the dual effect of sheltering customers from the sun and inclement weather while also supplying power for the station’s operations.

via The Verge

Don’t miss out on learning from the brightest minds in fleet and mobility as they discuss emerging trends and cutting-edge solutions that will help you make an impact on your fleet’s operations.

At this year’s NAFA Institute & Expo, build your expertise in the fleet management industry, discover solutions to today’s most common challenges, and explore new and emerging solutions that impact your fleet operations.

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By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor

The new partnership of Holman and Electrada presents a major step forward for fleets transitioning towards electrification.

Holman, which provides fleet management services to corporate, government, and utility fleets, recently announced a partnership with Electrada, who designs, builds, owns, operates, and maintains EV charging infrastructure. Their partnership will help companies that operate fleets make a seamless transition to electric vehicles in a way that provides reliable service and simplified fueling costs.

The successful transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs involves much more than selecting vehicles. Of equal importance is a focus on infrastructure, namely the power needs, charging locations, and reliable operation of charging stations. This adds quite a few new factors beyond the ICE costs that most fleet managers are familiar with. By partnering with Electrada, Holman will be able to ease the transition for their customers and help them meet their corporate sustainability goals.

In order to get more information about the new partnership between Electrada and Holman, we sat down with two of the top leaders from both organizations. Emily Graham is the Director of Sustainability at Holman while Kevin Kushman is the CEO of Electrada. They answered a variety of questions about their new partnership and what their thoughts were of the general shift towards electrification among fleets.

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March 23, 2022 – There are no benefits to bullying in the workplace – not to the people suffering it or the employees witnessing it, and not to the company’s bottom line. It does not make organizations more competitive, weed out the weak, or give anyone an edge.

It cannot be justified as “just the way things are done” or by the idea that because some workers dealt with it, everyone should, that it’s a kind of “paying dues.” More and more employees are recognizing that. Right now, we’re in the midst of a “great resignation” that’s driven in part by people no longer tolerating toxic workplaces.

With fewer employees willing to buy into cultures that enable bullying – and a growing cohort of workplace leaders learning, perhaps the hard way, that it’s in their best interest to root it out – change is possible. At the heart of this change is building an environment where bullies of any kind are understood to be unacceptable.

via strategy+business