By Brett Carlson, CEO, ServiceUp

Fuel cost is the number everyone is watching. Diesel prices have surged sharply, driven by geopolitical instability in the Middle East and global supply disruption. Fleet managers did not cause this and cannot negotiate their way out of it.

What most fleets are not seeing is the downstream effect rising fuel costs have on something they can control: their repair and maintenance process.

Treat repair turnaround as a fuel cost metric. Every additional day a vehicle is offline has a measurable cost in excess fuel burn across the rest of the fleet. That number should factor into how quickly repairs get authorized and which providers you use.

Fuel costs are an external pressure you absorb. Repair and maintenance is the internal process you manage. Right now, how well you manage the second one has a direct and measurable impact on how much the first one costs you.

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

The 2026 version of NAFA I&E pulls into the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio, April 13-16 for its annual fleet conference.

According to Bill Schankel, NAFA’s Executive Director, the focus is on practical topics of the day like sustainability, maintenance, and the significant deficit in the number of technicians needed to service a new era of vehicles.

In addition to the traditional exhibitors like FMCs and OEMs, NAFA has seen a significant uptick in new blood in the past few conferences, with nearly 30% of last year’s show attendees being first timers. Hopefully, this trend will continue.

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By Ed Pierce, Fleet Brand Acceleration

Telematics is no longer just about tracking vehicles. It now involves predicting issues, automating decisions, and optimizing operations in real time. Fleets that adopt this shift are moving ahead quickly. Those who don’t risk falling behind.

Managers must balance uptime and cost, safety and productivity, efficiency, and service expectations. Traditional telematics provided past data, but visibility alone doesn’t solve issues. Today’s systems go even further: they turn data into action.

Older maintenance models relied on fixed schedules, which often led to vehicles being serviced too early or too late. Modern telematics platforms use AI to monitor engine data, usage patterns, and conditions in real time.

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Streaming has made content easier to access, adding a layer of convenience for users. However, it is also increasing road risk, as more drivers use apps like TikTok behind the wheel – a clear form of distracted driving.

TikTok is built around short-form content. That means users can consume a full clip and get a quick dose of entertainment almost instantly. This is an especially tempting distraction for drivers, as it can feel like an easy excuse to sneak in a quick video while on the road.

Some drivers even watch longer videos that can last for hours. Others even livestream themselves or make content while driving, adding yet another distraction instead of focusing solely on the road.

via Autoblog

The National Transportation Safety Board called for standardized performance requirements and greater oversight to improve the safety of automated vehicle technology.

The NTSB investigated two fatal 2024 crashes in which vehicles using Ford Motor Company’s hands-free partial automation system, BlueCruise, failed to stop for stationary vehicles. The NTSB concluded that the drivers’ overreliance on the automated system contributed to both crashes.

The NTSB found several gaps in safety and oversight of partial automation systems. There are no federal requirements for these systems to record data during crashes, which often means that manufacturers lack the needed information to comply with NHTSA’s standing general order requiring them to report crashes involving this technology.

via NTSB

We’ve been through this cycle enough times to know exactly how it plays out. Gas prices spike, everyone panics, politicians promise to fix it, prices eventually come back down, and then the next crisis hits a few years later.

The math on switching to electric is so overwhelmingly clear that millions of drivers are doing the calculation and reaching the same conclusion: they can’t afford not to drive electric.

Oil prices are set by a volatile global market that no American consumer can control. Electricity prices move slowly, are set domestically, and have averaged between 16-18 cents/kWh nationally — a fraction of equivalent gas costs.

via Electrek

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers like General Motors and Toyota, is pushing to replace the gas tax with a single fee based on vehicle weight. Such a measure could disproportionately impact owners of pickup trucks, SUVs, and electric vehicles.

Trucks and SUVs typically use heavy-duty components to improve capability, often at the cost of added weight. EVs tend to be heavier than internal combustion vehicles because of their battery packs.

If approved, the proposal could impact a substantial share of U.S. drivers, especially given that full-size pickups like the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado remain among the country’s best-selling vehicles.

via Autoblog

By Randy Pressgrove

The fleet-dealer-manufacturer dynamic has changed dramatically. Manufacturers have grown from looking at fleet as a means for quick plant fill and satisfying a sales plan when retail slips, to embracing fleet as a cherished business partner.

Manufacturers have moved their fleet contact and administrative personnel away from their long-traditional role as adjuncts to sales operations into separate fully functioning stand-alone departments.

Smart dealers that survived the oil recession of 1979-82, the dot-com bubble crisis years later, the Great Recession of 2008, and the coronavirus epidemic have come to recognize how vital a role fleet sales are to the viability of a strong dealership.

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By Fleet Management Weekly Staff

Cox Fleet, a Cox Automotive brand, supports fleets of all sizes across the country with a comprehensive service model including scheduled maintenance, emergency roadside assistance, managed care, parts distribution, and equipment sales.

With a network of more than 65K+ service providers, 1,500+ expert Cox Fleet technicians and a 24/7/365 support team, Cox Fleet provides national scale with local accountability.

FMW speaks with Patrick Brennan, Senior Vice President of Operations for Cox Fleet, about how unifying services under one brand, predictive maintenance, and ecosystem-wide data are reshaping uptime, cost control, and long-term fleet performance.

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By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor, Fleet Management Weekly

Fleetio’s recently introduced AI Service Advisor aims to improve how maintenance approvals are handled by changing the evaluation process. Instead of relying only on manual review, the system uses data analysis to review repair orders and determine priority.

One of the main functions of the platform is to differentiate between routine maintenance and potential exceptions. Repairs that match expected service intervals, historical cost ranges, and known vehicle conditions can be classified as standard.

Tools like AI Service Advisor illustrate an emerging approach where routine decisions are automated or driven by data, and human oversight focuses on exceptions and significant issues. In this context, the fleet manager’s role may continue to change.

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