What’s the biggest problem facing fleet? Will EVs change the face of our industry? How long have you been around this industry anyway?

By Richard Mallek, Director of Business Development at FLD

There are a lot of questions swirling around fleet these days.

Today’s fleets are facing the types of challenges one could hardly have imagined just a decade ago.

That got us to thinking at FLD. How are fleet professionals feeling after these raucous few years?

And where do they think our industry stands in the wake of these once in a lifetime challenges? Even more important, where do these same professionals think we’re headed in both the near and long term future?

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its early estimates of roadway deaths for the first half of 2022. Data analysis indicates an approximate 0.5% uptick in fatalities over the same period last year.

This same analysis also envisions a decline in traffic accident deaths from April to June 2022, making it the first quarterly downturn in this category since quarter three of 2020, ending a seven-quarter streak of increasing fatalities.

“Traffic deaths appear to be declining for the first time since 2020, but they are still at high levels that call for urgent and sustained action. These deaths are preventable, not inevitable, and we should act accordingly,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

“Safety is our guiding mission at the Department of Transportation, and we will redouble our efforts to reduce the tragic number of deaths on our nation’s roads.”

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Ford Pro™ today announces a suite of fleet management solutions designed to help make mountains of paperwork and endless spreadsheets a thing of the past for small business owners moving into a digital age.

The affordable, always-on flagship software program – available on a subscription basis for as low as $5 per month per vehicle – gives office admins, business owners and fleet managers a new tool to combat drawers and file folders brimming with paperwork that tracks important metrics on every vehicle in their fleets.

Built on software from provider Fleetio, the cloud-based, easy-to-manage system fully digitizes cost-related data and puts total cost of ownership at their fingertips.

“Small and medium businesses told us they need a suite of tools ranging from driver and vehicle tracking to title and registration to vehicle health and maintenance monitoring but simplified – all on one platform, so that’s why we developed Ford Pro fleet management solutions,” said Dave Prusinski, Ford Pro global chief revenue officer.

“Total cost of ownership is the most crucial piece of fleet-related data to business owners, and Ford Pro has invested significantly to scale software products typically reserved for large fleets, making them accessible to small and medium-sized businesses, completely flexible for their needs and budgets.”

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New all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E Sport Crossover Utility Vehicles are among the vehicles expected to take the places of the four-door “police interceptor” sedans New Yorkers have seen on city roads for decades.

The department isn’t ready for an all-electric fleet just yet — so it’s stocking up on hybrid Ford Explorer SUVs, said Robert Martinez, deputy commissioner of the NYPD’s support services bureau.

The SUVs have a number of advantages over the older sedans, including higher seats that give officers a better view when they respond to emergency calls

via Police1

Nauto was recognized with Frost & Sullivan’s 2022 Customer Value Leadership Award for its comprehensive AI-powered driver and vehicle safety platform that can significantly reduce collisions and safeguards drivers’ lives 

Although there are devices in the market to monitor the driver, Nauto offers a highly accurate and efficient AI-based platform to provide real-time in-cab alerts to drivers and it also optionally alerts the fleet manager, to help significantly prevent collisions and offering an edge over conventional ADAS and video telematics,” said Amrish Nagarajan, Senior Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan.

via PR Newswire

Ford is working on a mobile app designed to alert drivers to pedestrians and bicyclists nearby. The function is intended to complement, not replace, its Co-Pilot360 advanced driver assistance system.

The app, scheduled to debut at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America’s World Congress in Los Angeles this week, uses Bluetooth Low Energy to send a location alert from a pedestrian or cyclist’s smartphone to passing Ford vehicles equipped with the latest infotainment system. The system then calculates potential crash risks, providing screen and audio alerts.

The safety package includes features such as automatic lane keeping and blind spot assistance.

via TechCrunch

Solar-powered EV charger company Paired Power has just debuted a modular, off-grid electric vehicle charger that is powered by a solar canopy. The company has called its new modular charger PairTree.

According to a 2022 McKinsey & Company Report, “On average, each person in the United States travels about 30 miles a day by private vehicle.” PairTree is designed to optimize EV charging loads to deliver up to 75 miles of daily range. But PairTree supports the integration of up to 40 kWh of lithium iron phosphate batteries, which can can extend the EV’s delivered daily range to up to 230 miles.

PairTree is a flexible design that works in various settings, such as locations that have either maxed out their local grid capacity, or workplaces and retail locations that lease their property and don’t want to invest in permanent infrastructure. PairTree also can provide emergency backup power and temporary power for particular events.

via Electrek

Bankrate’s Elizabeth Revelli wrote a very insightful article on the dangers of drowsy driving.

Often taking a back seat to more topical issues, driving while sleepy can result in many of the same tragedies as drunk driving.

According to the article, Most drivers understand the dangers of drinking and driving and texting and driving, but many people underestimate the dangers of drowsy driving.

Each year, drowsy driving accounts for about 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

In addition, a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that drowsiness was a contributing factor in up to 9.5 percent of all crashes and 10.8 percent of crashes that included airbag deployment, injury or significant property damage.

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By Brian Calhoun, Motus

Whether gasoline or groceries, the cost of goods have escalated across the country, impacting people everywhere.

While we often read about consumers feeling the effects of inflation, companies face their fair share of difficult decisions as they explore possible steps to keep their businesses afloat and maintain profits.

While large enterprises will likely be more insulated from the impact that growing costs inevitably have, small businesses are gearing up to make tough decisions as they grapple with rising supply and labor costs.

For those seeking guidance on inflation-proofing their business, there are three key small business tips to keep in mind.

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By Ed Pierce, FMW Contributing Editor

In today’s B2B remote work environment, buyers have fewer opportunities for face-to-face sales calls and developing relationships than in the past. Instead, establishing and building relationships depends more and more on digital connectivity tools and media.

Coincidentally, tech-savvy millennials are making more B2B purchase decisions. And they are more inclined to rely on communications technology for their interactions with product and service providers. These time-strapped managers are more likely to visit supplier and peer review websites and more likely to attend supplier-hosted webinars before ever meeting with a sales rep.

In this digital business world, a vendor’s digital channels – website, social media, search engine and banner advertising – are more than likely the impetus for a buyer to meet with a sales representative. So, aligning marketing and sales tactics to create a single, synergistic strategy is critical.

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