What’s Trending in Truck Fleet Management?
The truck fleet manager has a tough job. So, being able to access the resources and expert advice from a fleet management provider with a team specializing in complex truck fleets is a boon.
Steve Jansen, director of Truck Fleet Services at Donlen, has more than 35 years of experience in transportation, many of them in fleet. When he began telling us about the trends he is seeing in the truck fleet arena we knew right away that we were going to get an insightful review of key issues.
A Call to Action (for Fleet Providers)
This is the first Fleet Management Weekly-exclusive column written by branding and marketing authority Ed Pierce expressly for product and service providers who want to connect and influence fleet decision-makers.
Having just eclipsed 21 years of fleet industry marketing, I can confidently say this is the most exciting time to market your company, products and services to fleet decision-makers. As fast as technology is changing the fleet products and services you are promoting, it is changing the media that you use to promote them.
Twenty years ago, Marketing supported sales by creating awareness. No sales rep wanted to make a cold call or go to a meeting and hear, “Who is (name of company)?” Today, studies show that about 71 percent of enterprise purchase decisions in the U.S. begin with research conducted online. More so, business buyers do not contact suppliers directly until 57 percent of the purchase process is complete.
Obviously, awareness is now just the first of several critical marketing goals. In this age of the well-informed buyer, earning a great reputation, creating a differentiated position, providing quantifiable value, building a strong base of customer “advocates,” and delivering those messages effectively through multiple channels are your other important marketing goals.
Multiple Channels
Not that long ago, there was just one media channel, that was, “earned”. Companies either paid (advertising) for access or earned editorial coverage based on newsworthiness (public relations). Yes, you could disseminate a customer newsletter, but distribution was limited to customers and possibly a prospect list.
In today’s digital world, “earned” media has expanded to include banner advertising, Google Ads (AdWords), native advertising and more. Fleet Management Weekly was one of the digital media pioneers in any industry, and it is still a great example of how “earned” media must be an important part of your marketing mix. But the web has ushered in a second media channel, that is, “owned.” The “owned” channel includes your own corporate website, microsites, landing pages, video, blogs, social media presence, back links, and content marketing. The “owned” channel provides completely new opportunities to effectively reach fleet decision-makers.
In the next column, we’ll take a look at trends and opportunities related to the “earned” media channel as they pertain to the fleet industry.
I welcome feedback, questions, suggestions, experiences and differing points of view from fleet product and service providers as well as from fleet managers, corporate buyers, consultants, trade association and media representatives who want to help build better connections. Just send an email to [email protected].
PHH Arval Releases Three New Software Application Platforms
PHH Arval has launched three new technology platforms to replace PHH Interactive, its current Web-based solution platform: Clarus, Clarus Driver, and PHH Xplore
By Mike Sheldrick, Senior Editor, Fleet Management Weekly
Fleet Management Weekly spoke about the new releases with Robert Sandler, senior vice president, Customer Experience and Enterprise Consulting, and Chris Brown, director of Customer Experience. “These tools enable our customers to improve the productivity of their fleet and to ensure driver compliance with their corporate fleet policies,” Sandler said. “They allow our clients improved access to data, the ability to sift through that data quickly, and to make guided and predictive analytical decisions based on the data.”
Fleet Tracking Solutions: Why Cheapest Isn’t Best
When making the decision of which GPS tracking solution is best for your business, you need to evaluate based on the benefits and features you are looking to obtain. There are certainly tracking solutions that will only provide the current locations of your vehicles and have less upfront costs. If you are looking to gain full insight into your fleet’s activity, then an advanced GPS tracking solution, like GPS Insight, is right for your business.
New NHTSA Study Shows Motor Vehicle Crashes Have $871 Billion Impact on U.S. Citizens
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a new study that underscores the high economic toll and societal impact of motor vehicle crashes in the United States. The price tag for crashes comes at a heavy burden for Americans at $871 billion in economic loss and societal harm.
"No amount of money can replace the life of a loved one, or stem the suffering associated with motor vehicle crashes," said U.S. Secretary Anthony Foxx.
READ MORE to learn about the key findings
