By Bill Bishop, SVP Marketing, FLD

Nearly five years after the dawn of Covid, I can’t honestly say that fleet ever really found a “new normal.” And, in many ways, I’m not sure that given the myriad challenges our industry has faced – new technology integration, an attempt at EV adoption, the drive for carbon neutrality, a changing labor market – that finding a long lasting “new normal” was really all that achievable.

I think 2024 is the year the market experienced an extended period of what I like to call “predictable patterns.” And frankly, that may be the best we can hope for in the post pandemic age – or at least the foreseeable future.

With so much going on in fleet as 2024 drew to a close, we have little doubt 2025 will yield significant developments. And while most of remarketing’s talking heads are predicting a breakout year for used wholesale vehicles, we’re not entirely sure that will be the case.

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By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

We sat down with Josh DeLaune, co-founder of American Coating Company and its subsidiaries, to discuss Patriot Fleet Solutions, its genesis, and how it fits into American Coating Company’s plan to help FMCs and dealers.

What’s in store for Patriot Fleet Solutions in 2025?
“We’re most excited for 2025. We’ve beta-tested our proprietary software, which we hope to launch to our FMCs and dealer network in March fully. After that, we’ll roll out a private-labeled truck accessory line, including industry-standard toolboxes, bed covers, and truck bodies. This will all be accessible to our dealer network.

“We aim to have Patriot Fleet Solutions be the relationship binder between the FMCs and our applicators, who have specialty services you can’t get anywhere else.”

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By Ed Pierce, Fleet Management Weekly’s Brand Acceleration

An adequately filled sales funnel is critical for any company to thrive in today’s accelerated business landscape. Fleet industry service providers can learn and utilize effective marketing strategies that attract potential clients before turning them into lifelong clients.

Before developing marketing strategies for fleet industry companies, it’s essential to recognize their distinctive characteristics. The fleet industry encompasses services related to vehicle fleets and has its own challenges and opportunities.

At the core of any successful marketing campaign lies finding its target audience. Within the fleet industry, knowing your ideal customers is imperative. To do this effectively and reach them efficiently, segmentation of the market is necessary.

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The Ford Ranger captures the coveted title of 2025 North American Truck of the Year™, marking the fifth consecutive year a Ford truck has received the trophy. This unprecedented achievement underscores Ford’s continued leadership, capability and innovation in the truck segment.

“Earning this recognition celebrates our team’s dedication to continuously raising the bar for midsize truck customers,” said Jim Baumbick, vice president, Advanced Product Development, Cycle Plan, and Programs. “We rigorously tested Ranger in challenging environments around the world to deliver the Built Ford Tough durability our customers demand. This award is a tribute to our customers who inspire us every day.”

via Ford Media Center

Reflective clothing makes pedestrians more visible to human drivers, but it could make them invisible to the automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems meant to lessen the likelihood of vehicle-pedestrian collisions, according to a new IIHS case study.

“The placement and motion of reflective strips on the joints and limbs of pants and jackets allows drivers to quickly recognize the pattern of movement as a person,” study author David Kidd said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the moving strips didn’t have the same effect for the pedestrian AEB systems we tested and probably confounded their sensors.”

New federal regulations, slated to go into effect in 2029, could help address this by setting minimum performance standards for these systems.

via TheCarConnection

To ensure new charging stations are sited where they’ll have the most impact, GM’s data scientists are tapping into artificial intelligence. AI tools analyze EV traffic patterns, driver behaviors, and existing infrastructure to identify optimal locations for chargers.

By treating site selection as a mathematical optimization problem, these algorithms evaluate factors like traffic flow and proximity to other chargers. The results are then visualized on detailed maps, helping stakeholders understand the reasoning behind each recommendation. Human experts review and refine these suggestions to finalize charging site plans.

Once the data-driven decisions are made, GM works with its partners to bring these strategic charging stations online.

via Electrek

Car dealers paid nearly 1% less for used cars at auction in December than they did in November. Wholesale prices tend to become retail price changes after about six to eight weeks, so the change likely means lower prices for used car shoppers in late winter.

The index finished 2024 up 0.4% from a year before, as the supply of used cars nationwide remains low. Automakers built fewer cars than planned during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That will constrain supply for years to come, helping keep prices high. Used car retail prices increased in December, settling at $25,565 on average. But dealers paid 0.8% less at auction, showing that a minor price drop is possible soon.

via Kelley Blue Book

Join ABM on a (virtual) tour of its new ABM Electrification Center. Located in Forsyth County, GA, the Center is where ABM is shaping the future of sustainable energy solutions, bringing together innovative technologies and expertise to drive the electrification revolution.

Since its opening in 2024, the Center has hosted a wide range of local and regional schools and development organizations, including the Georgia Institute of Technology Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) and Forsyth County Schools (Georgia). 

Supporting a multitude of industries, ABM, which has installed close to 30,000 EV charging stations to date, serves as a single-source solution provider across the entire EV ecosystem, offering comprehensive engineering, design, installation, and maintenance services.

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By Brad Parker, Co-Founder and CEO, DealNow

Fleet managers are constantly seeking innovative solutions to streamline their operations and maximize efficiency. One area that has seen significant technological advancement is the buying and selling of fleet vehicles for inventory management.

Advanced tech platforms today are changing this process, offering numerous benefits to fleet managers, including enhanced fraud protection and the ability to now initiate private sales.

Tech platforms offer comprehensive inventory management tools that allow managers to monitor their fleet’s composition, age, and value in real-time.

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Photo: Allen Goetz, Director of Fleet Sales with OWL Services

By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

With over 30 offices nationwide and over 1,500 field service professionals, OWL Services is helping fleets manage their fueling needs while complying with environmental standards and sustainability goals.

To learn more about OWL and how the company works with fleets, we spoke with Allen Goetz, Director of Fleet Sales with OWL Services.

“When a fleet is looking for someone to come out and twist the wire nuts and turn the wrenches in their EV project, we are that company. We’ll not only get the job done on the front end with utility coordination and permitting straight through construction but also preventative maintenance and break fixing in the e-mobility space.”

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