By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor, Fleet Management Weekly

Jennifer Costabile serves as General Director, Marketing and Sales Enablement for General Motors Fleet and brings more than 30 years of experience and success in automotive sales and marketing management.

She has worked for every division of General Motors and has held a number of leadership roles throughout GM’s U.S. operations. Here, Jennifer answers a number of questions that provide insight into her success in the automotive and fleet industries.

This is part of the Fleet Management Weekly series of Women in Fleet Management (WIFM) profiles.

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By Solera Fleet Solutions

Hiring truck drivers in this competitive market can be a tall order. The market is competitive, and companies who improve driver satisfaction by using both technology and the right programs are much more likely to retain and hire drivers for the long haul.

Why are truck drivers leaving their jobs and in some cases the industry? Because they aren’t happy where they are. Long hours lead to drivers who not only feel overworked but feel unsafe.

The key to hiring and retaining great talent is to set your company apart from the rest. Want to learn more about hiring and retaining drivers in a competitive market, and learning how we can help? Check out all fleet and driver management solutions today.

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By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant

With most OEMs touting electric fleets as the cornerstone of their aggressive ESG initiatives, lingering questions abound, mostly concerning range, charging infrastructure and cost.

While last year’s post-pandemic fervor seemingly had show-goers granting EVs a “free pass” in terms of scrutiny, this year’s attendees were looking for cold, hard facts as reality seems to have set in that the road to electrification will be long, winding and full of potholes.

“To be sure, there is a lot of excitement around EVs,” said David Hayward, Sr. Manager of Fleet Operations for ABM. “But excitement doesn’t always translate to viability, and that’s why it’s so important to take the time to vet the possibilities.” Hayward added that he would need to see more progress before he was ready to commit to wholesale EV integration.

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March Madness is the buzz around town and on social media now, but remember to keep the buzz out of your car.

Before picking up your phone while driving to check the latest scores or your bracket, know that 3,142 people died in distracted-driving crashes in 2020. Yes, simply glancing at your phone for a few seconds while driving is considered distracted driving.

If you’re out watching one of the many games over the three-week tournament, know that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. On average, one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred every 45 minutes in 2020; a total of 11,654 people died in drunk-driving crashes.

via NHTSA

The main barrier to widespread EV adoption, from a car buyer’s standpoint, is a very simple one: they cost more to buy than legacy vehicles.

The costs of producing EVs could drop drastically over the next few years, and given the competitive nature of the auto industry, automakers are likely to pass on much of the savings to buyers by lowering prices. The main reason for the steadily shrinking cost of an EV can be found in its batteries. Battery costs have been on a steady downward trajectory ever since the advent of modern EVs, thanks to improvements in the technology, along with economies of scale resulting from higher production volumes.

via InsideEVs

Image: City of Detroit

The Municipal Parking Department has become the first city department to fully convert its fleet to all electric, announced Mayor Mike Duggan. 

Detroit is now working toward converting the city’s active fleet of over 3000 vehicles to electric or hybrid vehicles, a key strategic initiative in our climate action plan to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions. The announcement of 48 new Chevy Bolt EVs and 25 on-site Level 2 charging stations marks a milestone for the city. The new fleet was deployed this week and residents can spot the new vehicles by the decals outfitted to illustrate the fleet’s 100% electric, zero emissions capacity.

via City of Detroit 

When J.D. Power quantified EV owner satisfaction with the public charging experience at Level 2 and DC fast chargers, it found owners unhappy about “finding the charging infrastructure inadequate and plagued with non-functioning stations.”

More homes have been fitted with Level 2 permanently mounted charging stations and more BEV and PHEV buyers own Level 2 portable stations. Despite the increased convenience, the study found owners less satisfied overall with the charging experience, the overall happiness with permanent home stations dropping from a score of 752 to 740 out of 1,000. Respondents cited cost as part of the problem, public utility kWh rates climbing with the prices of everything else. Another problem comes from charging speeds that apparently haven’t fulfilled expectations.

via Autoblog

Companies know that “Content is King,” but few have access to the fleet-savvy content creators who produce compelling fleet marketing copy needed for a whole host of marketing activities. FMW Brand Acceleration meets that need!

Whether you have internal marketing resources, rely on an agency, or call on multiple resources, FMW has a new, customized, fleet-specific branding solution that can meet any company’s marketing and lead generation need or budget.

Our team also includes advertising, branding, public relations, technology, and digital marketing professionals to create effective, multi-faceted branding and marketing campaigns. Just click below to get started today!

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By Matt Dyer, President, Wheels

It’s an exciting time in the fleet industry, as we’ve recently announced our decision to align our newly combined company, previously known as Wheels Donlen LeasePlan, under the brand name “Wheels.” I see this as an important milestone in our integration journey, as it unites our team—and our customers—under one name, one brand, one mission.

We’re moving forward with the Wheels name, but this is truly a new business we’re forming. This is The New Wheels, and I believe our name, logo, color palette, and tagline bring our new brand to life in a fresh, strong, and exciting way.

“Together Let’s Go Far.” We wanted this tagline to capture our mission—who we are, what we do and how we do it. Four simple words, but they carry a powerful message. This tagline is our commitment to help our clients succeed, and, as President of The New Wheels, I’m very excited for the road ahead.

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By Geotab

Regarding fleet management, industry standards have moved towards greater sustainability and efficiency over the last several years with the introduction of electric vehicle fleets, telematics for route optimization and efficiency, and alternative fuel options.

Practicing sustainability in fleet management is essential for becoming a leader in the industry and landing more clients searching for sustainable practices in their supply chain leaders.

This article will take a closer look at some of the sustainable practices becoming standard within the industry and the challenges facing transportation leaders in an increasingly green marketplace.

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