By Brian Holland, President and CEO of Fleet Advantage

Even though 2023 started a few months ago, the transportation fleet sector continues to face numerous industry, economic and environmental challenges that are certain to create operational turbulence.

Everything from fuel and equipment prices due to interest rates, ongoing driver and technician shortages, and a possible economic recession have many in the industry on edge as they navigate through the early parts of this year. There are a handful of critical areas the industry must continue to navigate through to remain prosperous during the current and ongoing economic turbulence.

With the right plan in place and the right asset management partner, you’ll find better flexibility to make agile business decisions that benefit your employees, customers, and the environment.

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Adam Danielson, Solera’s Director of Business Development, moderates a live panel of three motor carrier representatives as they discuss their safety technology success, how to best implement new technology, getting company buy-in, and what safety technology would benefit their operation in the future.

ATA SSHR Technology Panel • Wednesday, April 5, 11:15–12:15 pm, Booth 405 at Hilton Minneapolis. For more information, click below.

For more information about ATA’s 2023 Safety, Security & Human Resources Conference & Exhibition (SSHR), April 4-6, in Minneapolis, MN click below.

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NAFA Fleet Management Association announced the addition of two new programs at their 2023 Institute & Expo Conference.

The first is a special Innovations Showcase where attendees can experience new products from I&E exhibitors. NAFA is also excited to connect with Braindates, a networking experience that gives attendees the opportunity to spark meaningful conversations with peers at I&E.

“I&E has long been the can’t miss event for those in the fleet and mobility world, and given the rapid pace of evolution happening in this space right now, the all-new Innovations Showcase is designed to highlight the newest products and services changing the game in our industry,” said Mike Camnetar, CAFM, NAFA Board President.

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One of the biggest hurdles facing widespread EV adoption in the U.S. is the issue of charging. But in many European cities, EV infrastructure is much farther along.

Street parking in Paris is plentiful, and all throughout the city, curbside parking spots offer EV charging stations from the company Belib, which seems to have the ideal strategy for public charging. The charging stations are equipped with a variety of socket types so just about any EV can plug in, and there are different types of stations that cater to different needs. If you’re in a rush, nab a pricier 22-kW Boost charger; if you’ve got some time, go for a lower-priced Flex charger for 3.7 to 7 kW of juice.

via Jalopnik

According to the British Royal Automobile Club, a speed camera and dash cam combination is coming soon. The app will allow drivers to report each other directly to the police with video evidence for things like running red lights, failure to use a blinker, distracted driving, and yes, speeding.

Video evidence of a crime could be uploaded as soon as the driver who captured it stopped their vehicle to do so safely. The footage could then be “submitted to the police through an official video portal in less than a minute.” Police reportedly were open to the idea of using the videos as evidence in court.

via The Drive

Self-driving cars have the potential to revolutionize the way we travel and impact many other aspects of our lives. Since Tesla and other cars with self-driving features are not yet capable of being fully autonomous, motor vehicle regulations treat them as any other vehicle.

You are still responsible for your actions while behind the wheel. Whether driving a classic 1928 Ford Model A or a Tesla with Autopilot and FSD, the law is the same. If you’re over the legal blood alcohol limit for alcohol, you can get arrested for a DUI.

via Motor Biscuit

image: Hyundai

For some time now, Hyundai Motor Group has been growing itself into as much a robotics company as an automaker. Its latest featured robot won’t scale the apocalyptic rubble of future dystopias to save/finish off humanity, but it will get people moving more conveniently.

The automatic charging robot (ACR) is designed to connect and charge electric vehicles without the driver having to so much as crack a window. After showing a CGI animation of the design in 2022, Hyundai has now videoed the working prototype in action.

via News Atlas

By Frank Terlep, Vice President for ADAS Services for OPUS IVS

In a recent survey, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that owners of vehicles equipped with front crash prevention, blind spot detection or rearview or other visibility-enhancing cameras, still had issues with the features even after the initial repair job was completed.

There’s no denying that identifying, recruiting, and retaining qualified repair technicians is difficult today, but the standardization of how vehicles are repaired properly, especially with crash avoidance technology, is simply not there.

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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 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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