By Bradley J. Smith, Manager, Mercury Associates

Over the past six decades, regulatory frameworks have significantly impacted fleet operations. As emissions control measures and efficiency upgrades evolve, the costs associated with purchasing and maintaining vehicles have risen.

Recently, the EPA issued the “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards” for light and medium-duty vehicles, effective for model year 2027 and beyond.

This ongoing trend of regulation and new compliance requirements keeps fleet operators vigilant and presents continuous challenges in maintaining compliance.

By preparing for these shifts, fleet operators can position themselves to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and capitalize on the opportunities presented by a cleaner, more sustainable future.

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By Bill Bishop, SVP Marketing, FLD 

FLD has developed the Sentiment Index: an in-depth, quarterly look at how top fleet managers feel about 7 key indicators that have an outsized effect on the fleet industry.

We asked members of our Customer Advisory Board – as well as some of the industry’s top fleet managers – to tell us how they were feeling about these 7 topics at the beginning of Q3 this year.

The first Sentiment Index taken during Q3 showed that our panel of top fleet managers was mildly positive on the industry.

While events of the last few years make it hard to predict where the industry is definitively headed, one thing’s for sure. Our team at FLD will continue striving to better understand the important dynamics at play in fleet.

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Work Truck Solutions®, a leading commercial vehicle authority, released its Q3 2024 Commercial Vehicle Market Analysis.

While the commercial vehicle market overall continues its recovery, the interplay between new and used truck segments reveals a series of subtle yet significant indicators that warrant attention.

New work truck prices continued their ascent, rising by 0.8% from Q2 and 1.0% YoY. In contrast, used work truck prices softened, falling by 1.7%.

“The commercial vehicle market is revealing some complex dynamics this quarter,” said Work Truck Solutions CEO Aaron Johnson. “While new truck inventory is steadily climbing, we’re not seeing the corresponding surge of on-lot inventory in the used truck segment.”

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Whether we want to round up or simply get as much gas into the tank as possible, some of us top off our vehicles by squeezing in a little more, even after the pump shuts off to indicate the tank is full. Can adding that extra bit of fuel damage components in your car’s fuel system?

Adding more fuel after the gas pump clicks off can damage the charcoal canister by saturating it with fuel and cause the check-engine light to illuminate. If the onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) is damaged, it won’t adequately capture those harmful vapors. The system typically lasts the lifetime of a car, but topping off could lead to an avoidable repair that could cost hundreds of dollars.

via Consumer Reports

Hyundai is teaming up with German optical giant Zeiss to develop what they call a “Holographic Windshield Display.” What that means, the company’s announcement says rather excitedly: “The entire windshield becomes a full-display screen!”

“Imagine navigation and driving information unfolding like a panorama across the wide, transparent windshield where the driver’s gaze rests,” Mobis officials said in a news release. “Passengers next to the driver watch movies or other videos on the vehicle’s glass. While viewing the latest video, a video call comes in, and a friend’s welcome face appears in the corner of the glass screen. This dream technology, previously existing only in movies or advertisements, is about to become reality.”

via InsideEVs

Amazon is using a new, proprietary AI solution called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval (VAPR) to reduce the time and effort it takes for delivery drivers to locate packages in their vans. 

VAPR makes Amazon delivery drivers’ lives easier by automatically identifying the packages to be delivered at a given stop.

Amazon says its drivers won’t have to spend time organizing packages by stops, reading labels, or manually checking identifiers like a customer’s name or address to ensure they have the right packages in between stops.

via Electrek

To help guide parents and in honor of National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 20 – 26, 2024), the experts at Kelley Blue Book created 2024’s Best Cars for Teens: The List Every Parent Needs.

When creating the Best Cars for Teens lists, the Kelley Blue Book experts set specific parameters. All picks in the “Under $30,000” and “Under $20,000” lists come with the advanced safety and driver-assist features listed above, and they all have at least a “Good” rating in at least five of the IIHS crash tests.

via Kelley Blue Book

When your sales and marketing teams operate as a unified force, your business’s value proposition will resonate powerfully with fleet managers and key decision-makers. The result: A dramatic boost in your bottom line. To find out now, click here.

With our deep-rooted expertise in the fleet industry, we know what it takes for product and service providers to thrive. Our fleet specialists can tailor a unified marketing and sales strategy to meet your specific promotional goals while helping you exceed your business goals.

Supercharge your revenue growth with an FMW Brand Acceleration integrated marketing plan.

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By Sofico

OEM captives and lease companies have a tremendous opportunity to revolutionize their operations through AI and data analytics.

Accurate, accessible data enables personalization, efficient service delivery, and cost-effective opportunities to scale internal operations.

Much of this data revolution is powered by connected vehicles or telematics. This technology combines GPS navigation and onboard diagnostics to monitor and track a vehicle’s location, movements, and performance in real time.

The rise of AI in the automotive finance industry has benefits for customers too. By analyzing behavioral data, spending patterns, and historical transactions, you can offer insightful recommendations tailored to individual preferences and financial situations.

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Fleetio, a leading fleet optimization company, announced a new partnership with Razor Tracking, a fleet telematics software company.

“This partnership brings significant value to our customers due to Razor Tracking’s ability to automatically sync telematics data from agricultural equipment and heavy machinery into Fleetio,” said Stefano Daneri, Product Marketing Manager from Fleetio.

“We are proud of our new partnership with Fleetio and to offer even more solutions for our customers,” said Eric Mauch, Managing Partner of Razor Tracking. “Our in-vehicle devices and dash cameras are the perfect complement to any fleet operation management.”

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