By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

Harbinger, based in Southern California, is an electric truck manufacturer whose focus is not on the long-haul trucks that have captured the attention of most fleets but on medium-duty vehicles such as walk-in vans, box trucks, and recreational vehicles.

By focusing on modernizing the medium-duty vehicle market, Harbinger is creating EVs with superior performance and durability at the exact cost of gas and diesel vehicles. “Harbinger was set up with a particular goal in mind: to electrify the medium-duty segment,” says John Harris, CEO and Co-founder of Harbinger.

By manufacturing the entire design of their vehicles themselves, Harbinger is more on par with manufacturing companies like Ford and Freightliner. However, neither company is tackling the electric vehicle space like Harbinger.

READ MORE

By Matt de Aguiar, Chief Operating Officer, Fleet Advantage

Contracts are the lifeblood of relationships between lenders, partners, and customers such as organizations with heavy-duty transportation fleets. Technology has enabled the modernization of company processes, and this has resulted in reducing their reliance on paper contracts.

Today’s transportation fleets and their finance partners recognize the importance of digitization, and they have seen significant enhancements including faster processing, streamlined workflows and a more reliable, trusted document handling system.

To be clear, paper is still used throughout the industry, but through digital transformation, companies are realizing a more effective alternative in solving several key pain points for the industry.

READ MORE

Geotab Inc., a global leader in connected transportation solutions and Wheels, a leading fleet management company in North America, are partnering to provide telematics solutions to the State of Michigan.

This move advances the state’s executive directive to decarbonize its fleet by starting the conversion of state owned vehicles to zero-emission vehicles by 2040, as directed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Telematics and data insights will allow Michigan to achieve its goal of efficient and cost-effective conversion to zero-emission vehicles.

The adoption of telematics is for more than just environmental gains. It can provide significant operational advantages, such as fuel management, and engine diagnostics.

READ MORE

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urges used car buyers and owners to be aware of cheap, substandard replacement air bag inflators that can cause death or serious injury in a crash. Three people have been killed and two people have suffered life-altering, disfiguring injuries in the past nine months due to these faulty aftermarket replacement air bag inflators.

NHTSA advises consumers to obtain a vehicle history report before purchasing a used vehicle or if they have already purchased a used vehicle and do not know its history. If the vehicle has been in a reported crash where the air bag deployed, they should visit a reputable independent mechanic or dealership for an air bag inspection to ensure the parts are genuine.

-via NHTSA

• Do not drive during a hurricane. Wind gusts can cause a vehicle to overturn or deviate off course and wind gusts can blow heavy debris onto the road or onto your vehicle.
• Do not attempt to drive or walk through flooded areas; turn around, don’t drown! The depth of water is not always obvious, and a foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle — even a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) — off the road.
• If you must drive, slow down and exercise caution, especially if it is dark or if you have limited visibility. Roads and bridges may be damaged, weakened, or covered with debris.

Hurricanes can cause loss of life, catastrophic damage to property, severe economic losses, and injury to your physical and mental well-being.

via FEMA

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) declined to 196.1 in June, ending the first half of 2024 down 8.9% from a year ago. Wholesale used-vehicle prices (on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis) were down in June compared to May. 

“Wholesale value declines have been stronger than we normally see for much of the last two months,” said Jeremy Robb, senior director of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. “However, even though much of the industry was feeling the retail sales disruptions caused by the CDK outages in the latter part of the month, Manheim started to see wholesale price declines decelerate, ending the month at a seasonally normal pace.”

-via Cox Automotive

It was assumed that EVs would require fewer repairs than gas-powered vehicles because there were fewer moving parts and systems that required maintenance. But J.D. Power found that, in general, the more technology that is in a vehicle the more service it needs.

“Owners of cutting edge, tech-filled EVs and PHEVs are experiencing problems that are of a severity level high enough for them to take their new vehicle into the dealership at a rate three times higher than that of gas-powered vehicle owners,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power.

–via Consumer Affairs

By Sarah Bechtold, eDriving

As the summer sun blazes, fleet managers face the dual challenge of maintaining vehicle performance while ensuring the well-being of their drivers. High temperatures can wreak havoc on fleet vehicles, leading to increased maintenance demands and potential breakdowns.

Understanding how high temperatures affect fleet vehicles and implementing practical preventative measures and maintenance schedules can keep both vehicles and drivers in optimal condition throughout the summer.

In addition to vehicle maintenance, prioritizing driver health and safety is crucial, especially during extreme heat. Implementing a comprehensive driver risk management program, such as Mentor by eDriving, can significantly enhance safety measures.

READ MORE

By Ed Pierce, Fleet Management Weekly’s Brand Acceleration

After years of building and receiving marketing proposals, I’d like to share with my peers an email campaign strategy that is proven to work in targeting corporate and government fleet managers and decision-makers. The goal is to generate prospects’ interest and increase conversions of fleet optimization services.

This email marketing campaign is designed to effectively target and engage corporate and government fleet decision-makers by providing valuable, personalized content that addresses their specific pain points and demonstrates the clear benefits of our fleet optimization services.

By focusing on education, showcasing accurate results, and offering compelling calls to action, we aim to significantly increase qualified leads and conversions, ultimately driving substantial revenue growth for our fleet optimization business.

READ MORE

Shell Fleet Solutions, along with NAFA, administered a survey among NAFA fleet owners, operators, managers and drivers about top trends and priorities for fleets in 2024.

The results are the basis for a new and vital Shell Fleet Solutions whitepaper. The survey examined such crucial fleet issues as total cost of ownership (TCO), EVs, safety, sustainability and business growth.

Among the key findings: 89% agreed or strongly agreed total cost of ownership was the top concern/priority for 2024. Safety came in second as a top priority (86%), and efficiency management (82%) in third.

To download the full Shell Fleet Solutions whitepaper, click here.

READ MORE