Planning for the Future
After a year like the last one, planning for the future might seem tricky - but it’s also more important than ever! If you’re like many fleets, one big planning element is cost containment. So you probably already know that your organization can save tens of thousands – even hundreds of thousands of dollars — by sharing vehicles, reducing unneeded vehicles, and automating fleet management processes. That’s what Ed Smith thoughtfully lays out in Want to Make Your Case for Motor Pool? Here’s How.
Succession Planning
Another smart way to plan for the future is to minimize your organization’s brain drain, as Paul Lauria explains in his video interview. Speaking of succession planning, would you be willing to speak, confidentially, with an FMW writer on the subject of succession planning and experience retention? It’s a hot topic these days, and we aim to shed as much light here as we can!
Ted Roberts
President
Merchants Fleet Launches New National Fleet Electrification Initiative
Merchants Fleet announced the launch of an innovative new vehicle electrification initiative, Electrify Fleet. This initiative will rapidly deploy new electric commercial vehicles into the market with OEM partners and educate clients about the advantages, applications and options available to them as fleet electrification continues to expand.
“We are committed to the future of electrification and developing an extended ecosystem of industry partners to address clients’ biggest electric vehicle needs and electrify their fleets,” said Brendan P. Keegan, CEO of Merchants Fleet. “Merchants is proud to be at the forefront of fleet innovation, and we look forward to providing our clients with access to a range of electric vehicle solutions that meet their growing needs.”
In conjunction with the launch, Merchants Fleet developed a sophisticated ecosystem of internal and external expertise, which includes a strategic partnership with Lordstown Motors, an Ohio-based original equipment manufacturer of all-electric, light-duty fleet vehicles.
Geotab Announces Release of Upgraded GO9+ Telematics Device
Geotab introduced the availability of its new GO9+ telematics solution, which now includes Wi-Fi connectivity.
The new GO9+ is built upon Geotab’s GO9 device. Released in 2019, this device was designed to help businesses better manage their fleets through improved acceleration tracking, a more accurate GPS and better support for vehicle-generated data and for new vehicle types. The newly added connectivity of GO9+ will allow businesses full visibility of their vehicles in real-time, as well as offering Wi-Fi connectivity for up to four hours with the ignition off, thereby eliminating wasted fuel and greenhouse gas generated when idling for WiFi access.
The GO9+ is ideal for fleets and vehicles of all classes and duties, including heavy truck fleets, rideshare vehicles, small business fleets, ride-for-hire services, buses and even for use as a single-vehicle mobile office. As with all Geotab devices, it is supported by the MyGeotab platform, which provides managers with centralized access to all connected vehicle data.
Donlen Risk Center Wins 2021 BIG Innovation Award
Donlen announced today its Risk Center is a winner of the 2021 BIG Innovation Awards.
Presented by the Business Intelligence Group, the BIG Innovation Awards recognize organizations, products, and people who bring new ideas to life.
“We are thrilled the Donlen Risk Center is named a winner of the 2021 BIG Innovation Awards,” said Dennis Straight, Donlen chief technology officer. “The Risk Center takes advantage of the vast amounts of data that we create and collect and utilizes AI across that data in an innovative way that helps keep drivers safe. We are proud that it’s being recognized for its industry-first features and capabilities.”
KPMG: Temporary Relief to Value Personal Use of Employer Provided Automobile
The IRS released an advance version of Notice 2021-7 to provide temporary relief for employers using the automobile lease valuation rule to value an employee’s personal use of an employer-provided automobile for purposes of income inclusion, employment tax, and reporting.
The temporary relief is in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Notice 2021-7 [PDF 97 KB] provides that if certain requirements are satisfied, employers and employees that are using the automobile lease valuation rule to determine the value of an employee’s personal use of an employer-provided automobile can instead use the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule to determine the value of an employee’s personal use of an employer-provided automobile beginning as of March 13, 2020.
Read the article at KPMG
