By Sarah Bechtold, eDriving

A crash-free culture not only reduces the risk of crashes and associated costs but also serves as a significant competitive advantage, enhancing operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and brand reputation.

For SMB Fleet Managers looking to strengthen their safety culture, integrating technology can play a pivotal role. Applications like Mentor by eDriving seamlessly integrate into existing fleet operations, offering a comprehensive approach to safety management.

Mentor provides proactive driver feedback, personalized coaching, and actionable insights that help reinforce safe driving behaviors across the fleet.

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By Ed Pierce, Fleet Management Weekly’s Brand Acceleration

Business leaders, especially those in the fleet industry, are hearing about and experiencing “disruption” more than ever. Indeed, marketers must not only adapt to the concept to remain viable but also promote it to their employers and customers.

The most significant trend that has affected B2B industries, including fleet, is that mobile is now the dominant platform. Intelligent smartphones, tablets, watches, wearable gadgets, glasses, microchips, HoloLens, and others have already reshaped and remixed the marketing world.

Mobile technology isn’t just changing interactions; it’s also driving revenue. A considerable portion of revenue for leading B2B organizations is now influenced by mobile, thanks to its role in streamlining decision-making processes and bolstering team collaboration.

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By Tod Trousdell, Partner, RobertsTrousdell Marketing and Fleet Marketing Consultant

With just two weeks until the big event, this year’s AFLA Conference in San Antonio, Texas, September 15 – 18 is setting up to be perhaps the most active and well-attended since before the pandemic.

“We’ve definitely seen the kind of active interest and robust participation that tells us this year’s conference is going to provide a number of meaningful opportunities for attendees to network while gaining insights they can use to improve their businesses and fleets,” said Elizabeth Schlicht, Executive Director of AFLA, which is celebrating its 55^th anniversary.

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The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released its 2023 American Driving Survey, providing insights into U.S. daily driving trends after the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey reveals that overall driving patterns have rebounded from the depths of the pandemic.

The survey raises concerns as nearly 40% of trips involve vehicles older than ten years. These vehicles often lack modern safety features and may be in poorer mechanical condition, potentially contributing to a higher risk of crashes. Those living in the Midwest, West, and South were likelier to drive older vehicles than those in the Northeast. Teenagers and those with lower education are more likely to drive older vehicles.

via AAA Newsroom

While there’s some dispute over whether Gen Z loves or hates cars, a recent study by Insurify found that the kids these days have favorite vehicles just like any other generation. The study ranked the 10 most popular models by generation.

Younger people prioritize fuel economy, price, and maneuverability, with smaller sedans ranking highly in the age group. The two older age groups ranked some pickup trucks and SUVs among their favorite vehicles, while Gen Z ranked none. The Ford F-Series pickup and Chevrolet Silverado landed at numbers six and 10, respectively, among Millennials.

via Autoblog

A recent study from J.D Power affirms EV sales are definitely up. But interest in, and adoption of, the technology are both slower than expected.

In short, J.D. Power insists that there are a number of factors at play here that have caused EV adoption growth to slow. However, because growth has slowed so much, the firm has adjusted its EV adoption forecast downward. Initially, it predicted that 12% of the U.S. new car market would be made up of EVs by 2025. Now, it says that EV sales will only make up 9% instead. Still, 2030 EV sales are predicted to make up 36% of all sales and reach 58% by 2035.

via InsideEVs

Owning a car can get expensive, but where you live makes a big difference. A recent study looked at the costs of owning a vehicle across all 50 states. Researchers considered insurance rates, gas prices, repair costs, and even speeding fines to determine the most budget-friendly places for car owners.

According to the research, Ohio is the cheapest state to own a car. Interestingly, insurance rates and speeding fines are higher here than a few other areas. It seems the state is serious about punishing lead-footed drivers: fines for speeding average $150 a pop. However, average fuel and repair costs seem much more reasonable compared to the rest of the country.

via MotorBiscuit

By Richard Mallek, Director of Business Development, FLD Remarketing

A recent series of interviews with top fleet managers shows that a lack of accurate and timely insights into their assets during the remarketing process was one of the biggest problems they’d experienced before working with FLD.

Without a proper assessment, many fleets sell used assets for far less than they’re actually worth, further eroding their return on investment while driving up total cost of ownership.

In the 45 years that we have been pioneering the remarketing space, the team here at FLD has encountered – and helped fleets overcome – a wide range of problems. It’s what we do.

Contact the experts at FLD to make remarketing fast, easy and painless with an offer in days and payment in hours on any used asset in any condition – anytime.

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By Greg Oppenheim, Head of Marketing, IoT Solutions, Telit Cinterion

Even if EV fleets have reliable access to charging stations via home-based charge points, these stations cannot function without always-on connectivity. Stable connectivity is another significant hurdle to electrification, which fleet managers must address accordingly for such initiatives to be successful.

Fleet managers should leverage a network adapter enabled by cellular Internet of Things (IoT) modules and supported by SIM technologies, permitting their charge points to exchange data securely and communicate reliably with acceptable latency.

Fleet managers should also use management platforms to respond in real time to connectivity issues. Rather than sending technicians on-site to remediate problems, fleet managers can identify, diagnose, and remediate IoT devices remotely, saving precious time and resources.

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In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced nearly $62 million for 20 projects across 15 states to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of next-generation clean hydrogen technologies.

“Under President Biden and Vice President Harris, America is leading the world in the development and deployment of clean hydrogen—a versatile fuel critical to reducing emissions from the most energy-intensive and polluting sectors of our economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

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