By Elizabeth Wills, Senior Vice President of Client Services, Wheels

Listening is deceptively simple – yet extremely powerful when done with intention. As leaders, it’s easy to nod along, agree in the moment, and move on to the next priority.

But the real listening – the kind that builds trust demands more. It calls for curiosity, humility, and follow-through.

The most effective leaders I know aren’t the ones with the loudest voices or the most polished answers; they’re the ones who make people feel heard, respected, and valued. They know that feedback, even when it’s hard to hear, is a gift.

As we continue to navigate through change, let’s remember that listening is leadership in motion. It’s how we turn good intentions into real progress and how we show the people we serve that their voice truly matters.

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For more than 25 years, the people who design, build, use and maintain the work trucks and equipment that keep the world moving have come together each to experience the latest innovations, exchange knowledge, and explore what’s next.

What began as a trade show has grown into a dynamic, can’t-miss annual gathering that reflects the evolving needs of the commercial vehicle community.

From Monday through Friday, Indianapolis transforms with the energy and scale of Work Truck Week — delivering an industry experience.

Register for Work Truck Week 2026 and join thousands of commercial vehicle industry professionals in Indianapolis to connect, see what’s new and do business. Advance registration pricing discounts are available through Feb.13, 2026.

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By Wheelsaway

Long wait times at the DMV are often cited as an irritation for motorists, so we wanted to explore which states are making it easier for you to conduct your vehicle admin, and which are lagging behind.

A study from dmv.com found that the average U.S. motorist spends 44 minutes at an office before receiving any form of service.

With the average hourly U.S. wage at $36.53 in 2025, Americans could lose an estimated $6.2 billion, across the 235 million licensed drivers per year.

To find out where drivers have it easiest, we analyzed DMVs in the three most populated cities in each state, looking at opening hours, weekend availability, and whether drivers can complete some of the most common DMV services online.

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November’s new-vehicle sales, when announced next week, are expected to fall in both volume and pace from last year’s levels.

Sales volume is expected to fall to 1.27 million, down 1% from October and 7.8% from last year’s finish.

“Sales of EVs and PHEVs accelerated in the wake of the Big Beautiful Bill’s passage in early July as buyers rushed to market before the $7,500 tax credits expired at the end of September,” Cox Automotive Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough noted. “Q3 was the strongest quarter ever for EVs; however, Q4 is a different story. Sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids are now collapsing after tax credits expired.”

via Cox Automotive

So there you are, sitting at a stoplight when a texting driver smashes into your rear bumper. You call your insurance company, file a claim, argue over the value of your totaled car, and try to convince them your daily neck pain is real. Then the claim gets denied.

A report found that insurance companies used the same tactic in 42% of denied claims. They reviewed victims’ own social media posts to reduce payouts or deny claims entirely.

For example, you explain that you can’t leave the house, then post a story from a neighborhood walk. Scanning your socials is far from their only strategy. Insurers also use AI to devalue or deny automotive claims.

via MotorBiscuit

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) released a new female crash test dummy design that addresses the ongoing trend of higher crash injury and fatality rates among women than men.

The advanced design better represents women’s body types, enabling improved assessment of injury risk for small female occupants and ultimately resulting in more effective safety features in cars.

“Women continue to suffer higher rates of crash fatality and serious injury compared to men, despite being less likely to get into fatal crashes than men. This new vehicle crash test device is a breakthrough in efforts to close the safety gap for female vehicle occupants that has persisted for far too long,” said Lorraine Martin, CEO of the National Safety Council.

via PR Newswire

How safe are today’s cars from the threat of hacking? Automakers have delivered “software-defined vehicles” – rolling computers linked to the Internet. Over the air updates can add new functionality without having to visit the dealership.

But as these sophisticated vehicles add intelligence and operate with more than 100 million lines of code, they become even more alluring to hackers, even while automakers and cybersecurity experts try desperately to establish impenetrable firewalls.

The threats could be catastrophic if a hacker gains control of steering, braking and overall vehicle function, or taps into the treasure trove of personal data gathered by today’s smart cars. While automakers say they want to fight hackers, their practice of sharing data isn’t helping.

via CarBuzz

By Ed Pierce, Editor, Fleet Management Weekly and Director, Fleet Brand Acceleration

Automation is transforming how work is performed. Robots move materials in warehouses. Autonomous carts deliver parts in factories. Drones inspect power lines and pipelines. They are business tools, already saving time and labor. For companies with vehicle fleets, this change offers an unexpected opportunity.

For companies with vehicle fleets, this change offers an unexpected opportunity. Fleet and operations leaders, who already oversee some of the company’s most valuable moving assets, can now broaden their influence to include automation and robotics.

Your next competitive advantage might not come from having more vehicles — but from how effectively you manage all the machines that drive your business forward.

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By Sara Burnam, RTA

Fall and winter bring ice, wind, and outages. This recipe poses a significant risk on America’s roadways, leading to accidents and road closures. The fleets that fare best treat disasters like an operational discipline, not a once-a-year checklist.

The core approach should follow a three-step program: learn from every event, rehearse realistic scenarios, and keep people and communications flexible. Do that, and your team can adapt when the usual playbooks break.

To improve your winter operations, you don’t need a total overhaul; you need to leverage tools you have more effectively. By focusing on light integrations that streamline workflows, you can eliminate unnecessary clicks and empower your team.

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A new survey from Geotab Inc. shows that cargo theft remains a top-of-mind threat for U.S. fleet operators, with more than a third (38%) saying they are more worried about it today than they were a year ago.

This rising concern comes as the U.S. heads into its busiest delivery period, a time when increased delivery volumes, congestion, and longer vehicle idling times create prime conditions for opportunistic theft.

“Cargo theft is bigger than operational losses for individual fleets, it’s become a critical issue for supply chain integrity and the economy in general. Consumers are paying attention…,” said Emily Williams, Head of Transportation, Business Development at Geotab.

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