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FleetManagementWeekly
January 21, 2026

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Editor’s Analysis & Top Industry News

Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect

When we sat down with Scott Haslam, founder and CEO of Kingbee Vans, we had many questions. The van rental company is known for delivering fully upfitted vans in just a few weeks, all run by technology. How do they do it?

In Kingbee Vans Reinvents Fleet Rental with Work-Ready Vans and People-First Principles, Haslam, a former musician and DJ, tells us how a core mantra guides him to deliver a winning customer experience: “PLUR is a common acronym in rave culture that stands for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. It reflects the idea that we’re all coming together to have a good time and to take care of one another. These two ideas resonate with me, and I believe they apply to all facets of life.”

We could not have said it better!

Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief


VIDEO: Big Changes are Coming to the World of Telematics

What’s happening with the Telematics Industry and Connected Vehicles is similar to what happened to the phone industry when the iPhone arrived, and some big changes are coming.

VIDEO: Kingbee


  What Rave Culture Taught a CEO About Running a Van Business
 

Scott Haslam, CEO of Kingbee, has an unusual secret: while running a $50 million fleet business by day, he transforms into a DJ by night, hosting sets from a converted military truck that’s become a mobile sound stage for underground music events.


Zoom Video Interview with You Here?

  Request for Zoom Video Interviews
 

We now conduct the majority of our interviews via Zoom, and are looking to speak with a variety industry experts (and we know that many of you are reading!).

Please feel free to suggest yourself, or someone you know. Any and all timely industry topics will be considered, and we look forward to speaking with you!

Contact Ted Roberts to learn more.


Spotlight

Windrose to Offer 3 Months of Complementary Charging On the Greenlane Network with Every Electric Truck Purchase Windrose to Offer 3 Months of Complementary Charging On the Greenlane Network with Every Electric Truck Purchase

To address the TCO gap between electric and diesel trucks, Windrose Technology will offer 3 months of unlimited charging on Greenlane Infrastructure’s network for each qualifying Windrose Global E700 Class 8 electric truck purchased.

Windrose has also negotiated preferred rates for its customers to use Greenlane’s network for pilot programs, helping fleets experience fast, reliable charging without upfront infrastructure investment.

The incentive helps lower the barrier to fleet electrification while providing immediate access to Greenlane’s high-performance charging network and technology ecosystem, enabling a seamless transition to electric freight.

READ MORE

NAFA’s 2026 Institute & Expo: Keynote Speakers Announced NAFA’s 2026 Institute & Expo: Keynote Speakers Announced

Two dynamic and inspirational business leaders, Stephen Drum and Duncan Stevens, will take center stage at NAFA’s 2026 Institute & Expo (I&E), which will take place April 13-15, 2026, in Cleveland.

“Both professionals understand how critical solid leadership is to the health and growth of organizations….Together, their presentations will provide fleet professionals with the tools and knowledge to excel in a rapidly changing environment.” – Bill Schankel, CAE, CEO of NAFA.

Early bird registration for I&E 2026 ends Feb. 6, 2026. Fleet professionals who register by then will enjoy discounted rates, ensuring access to all educational sessions.

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Sacrificing Safety is Not the Way to Make Cars Affordable Sacrificing Safety is Not the Way to Make Cars Affordable

The average new vehicle is expensive, and that’s actually a problem for safety. The higher prices go, the longer Americans hold on to older vehicles that lack the crash protection and safety systems of more recent models.

Despite the remarkable progress made in vehicle safety, the U.S. lags behind other developed nations in reducing traffic fatalities, and in recent years, road deaths have been trending the wrong way.

In response, IIHS launched 30×30, a vision to put the country back on the right track by cutting road deaths 30% by 2030. Doing so will require policy changes to address risky behavior such as speeding and impaired driving.

READ MORE

AFLA 2026 Canada Summit - Look Who's Coming... AFLA 2026 Canada Summit – Look Who’s Coming…

Many long tenured fleet professionals have spent years finetuning the management of their fleets. To protect that legacy, it is important to prepare the next generation to takeover.

This session, entitled Hiring and Inspiring the Next Generation of Fleet Professionals, will be moderated by Gary Bruce. Jen Pearson and Paul Kurrat will discuss strategies to prepare the next generation for success as fleet managers.

Join us for the AFLA 2026 Canada Summit in Mississauga, Ontario. We look forward to a great event focused on topics and interests of Canadian corporate fleets. Be sure to register and secure your room at this year’s hotel, Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale.

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A Company Built Around PLUR


Kingbee upfits, wraps, and delivers fleet vans within two weeks, then rents them on a monthly basis. The flexibility and speed of their process enable fleets to scale as needed.

The secret to Kingbee’s success has been a combination of modern innovation and, interestingly enough, the principles of rave culture.

Scott Haslam, founder and CEO of Kingbee, built the company around PLUR, the core mantra of rave culture: Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. We interviewed him to learn more about Kingbee’s principles and how the company is disrupting the rental space.

“Kingbee can deliver a customer experience 10 times better than traditional rental companies. All a customer needs to do is take out their phone, open the app, select a vehicle, and they’re good to go.”

READ MORE

 

EVs


By Jay Collins, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EV and Mobility, WEX

Heading into 2026, the mixed-energy fleet is at a crossroads – the era of EV experimentation is over and the era of optimization phase is here. The question is no longer whether to electrify, but how to do it in a way that actually delivers value.

For most operators, that means managing mixed-energy fleets more intelligently, balancing electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engines (ICE) while keeping a close eye on costs, utilization, and risk.

The EV conversation is becoming more grounded with an industry moving beyond early adoption. Fleet leaders are prioritizing smarter integration, better data, and more resilient systems.

As technology becomes more prevalent, EV charging will not be immune to fraud. We forecast that in 2026, fleets will increasingly rely on platforms that integrate telematics and use machine learning to stay ahead of fraudsters.

READ MORE

 

Road Safety


(Image credit: Motive)


By Motive

To better understand how collision patterns evolved over the past year – and where risk is headed – Motive analyzed data from commercial drivers using the Motive AI Dashcam across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The 2026 Motive AI Road Safety Report is based on aggregated, anonymized insights from the Motive platform covering October 2024 through October 2025, with select analyses extending through December 2025.

This analysis focuses on AI-detected safety events captured in 1.2 billion hours of video to identify when, where, and why collisions occurred from 2024 to 2025.

Early estimates show road safety meaningfully improved in 2025 with fewer severe collisions on the road, exactly the kind of progress AI-powered prevention is meant to drive. Severe collisions involving injuries, tow-aways and fatalities are trending 9.5% lower.

READ MORE


Trending

Urgent Warning: Two More Deaths from Substandard, Dangerous Chinese Air Bag Inflators

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is issuing an urgent warning to used car buyers and owners after two more drivers have been killed in crashes in December by substandard and dangerous Chinese replacement air bag inflators that are likely illegally imported.

NHTSA is aware of 10 crashes resulting in death or serious injury from ruptured replacement air bag inflators. All known crashes have occurred in Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata vehicles

Eight drivers have been killed in otherwise survivable crashes, while two other drivers suffered severe injuries. All of these vehicles had their original equipment air bags replaced with substandard airbags after a previous crash.

via National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

California Plans to Plug the EV Tax Credit Gap With $200 Million

California is proposing new incentives for electric vehicle buyers in a move that could soften the blow from the loss of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which Congress killed last September.

According to the 2026-2027 budget summary released by Governor Gavin Newsom’s office on Friday, the state is proposing to set aside $200 million to establish a new light-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) incentive program.

A handful of other states, including Colorado, Massachusetts and Oregon continue to offer generous state incentives. California’s latest proposal could help it maintain its leadership role in EV adoption at a time when federal support has become practically nonexistent.

via InsideEVs

Ford Could Bring Back Sedans After Realizing It Can’t Afford Not To

Ford’s North American lineup has been focused on trucks and SUVs since the discontinuation of the Taurus sedan in 2019. However, with new-car prices soaring and affordability becoming a serious problem, the abandoned segment may be getting a second look.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said: “Never say never. The sedan market is very vibrant. It’s not that there isn’t a market there. It’s just we couldn’t find a way to compete and be profitable. Well, we may find a way to do that.”

The Taurus might have disappeared from North America, but it still has a presence overseas. A new generation of the sedan continues to be sold in the Middle East and China, where it’s known as the Mondeo.

via CarScoops

Even Oil States Know EVs Are the Future: UAE Opens 60-Stall DCFC Hub

Middle Eastern petrostates aren’t known for betting against an ever-increasing demand for oil – but the UAE does have a reputation for being able to read the room.

Built by local convenience store chain ADNOC Distribution and situated on a key stretch of highway connecting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai, the 60-stall DC fast-charging station is just the first step towards ADNOC’s larger plan to electrify nearly all of the UAE’s highway network by the close of 2027.

ADNOC operates over 500 hundred gas stations in the UAE, along with more than 170 in Saudi Arabia and over 240 in Egypt. Currently, the company has nearly 370 EV charging stations deployed under the E2GO brand.

via electrek

ServiceUp


Photo: Demetra Markopoulos, SVP of Fleet at ServiceUp


By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

Through ServiceUp’s AI-powered platform, fleet managers gain an overview of the entire repair process and use data and analytics to identify where time and money can be saved.

They can communicate with technicians, manage the billing process, and even automate approvals based on preset rules to get vehicles back on the road without delay.

We interviewed Demetra Markopoulos, SVP of Fleet at ServiceUp, to learn more about the company’s AI platform and how it can boost fleet profitability and efficiency.

READ MORE

 

Inspiration


By Ray Miller, Director, Fleet Advisory at Inspiration Mobility

For decades, fleet powertrain decisions were simple: gas or diesel. But in 2026, fleet managers face far more complicated, and consequential, vehicle options.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrids (HEVs), and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are all competing for a place in fleet lineups, yet they’re often lumped together under the generic label of “EVs.”

That shorthand is convenient, but it can also be misleading. In fact, these technologies behave very differently in real-world fleet operations, and choosing the wrong one can stall progress, frustrate drivers, and erode expected savings.

READ MORE

 

Work Truck Week


(Photo credit: NTEA)


Find the latest commercial vehicles plus everything it takes to transform a “truck” into a “work truck” at Work Truck Week® 2026, the industry’s biggest launchpad.

Explore dozens of new products and companies in the sold-out Work Truck Show® exhibit space and experience cutting-edge vehicles during Ride & Drive. Work Truck Week runs March 10–13, 2026, at Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

More Than a Trade Show®, it encompasses The Work Truck Show, Green Truck Summit, NTEA Annual Meeting, Work Truck Week Ride & Drive, educational program and more.

READ MORE





Fleet Management Resources

 

AFLA
The Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association works with member companies to address key issues facing the entire industry and deliver leading-edge programs that advance their skills and enhance the environment in which they sell products and services.

FLD
The fast, easy way to remarket without risk. Get an offer in hours, paid in a few days. Improve TCO. Save time, money and resources.

PARS
PARS’ mission is to provide you with high-quality service at competitive prices for all of your transportation needs.

Agile Fleet
Whether you have 25 vehicles or thousands, Agile Fleet will help with their easy-to-implement-and-use solutions for vehicle sharing, fleet utilization and optimization, vehicle maintenance, and right-sizing.

Fleet Street
The Fleet Street Vehicle Remarketing Solution: 30+ years of experience and knowledge to sell your off-lease and/or owned inventory by using a spectrum of wholesale and retail channels.

Ranger Design
Work van equipment tailored for your every need. Committed to developing products and solutions that help customers save time and money, do more with less, and meet – and exceed – their biggest goals.

eDriving
eDriving partners with its clients to engage with drivers and their managers to create a culture that supports lasting behavioral change to reduce collisions, injuries, license violations as well as a fleet’s total cost of ownership.

NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location, or fleet composition.

Wheels
Helping vehicle fleets exceed their business goals since 1939, Wheels is committed to truly understanding your unique needs and providing solutions to help you succeed.




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