The Rivian R1T Is Safest Truck the IIHS Has Ever Tested
Pickups aren’t usually as safe as regular cars and SUVs, but that doesn’t apply to the Rivian R1T. It is the only electric truck to be named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
This is a remarkable achievement for a young company like Rivian to make one of the safest vehicles on the road, and it makes the updated R1T sound like an even more enticing proposition.
The Rivian R1T has kept the highest safety distinction awarded by the IIHS for the last three years straight. It got top marks in all of agency's crash tests (including the small overlap crash test), but it only got an ‘Acceptable’ rating for front crash prevention.
Escalent Blog: Five Tips to Remain Competitive in Classes 4 & 5 Commercial Vehicle Market
Classes 4 and 5 stripped chassis are used in various industries, including in large fleet operations. These chassis are mostly used in package delivery, snack food services and linen services. In 2023, the top use cases were delivery, material handling and food distribution.
In the future, we’ll see a shift toward electric vehicles that offer cleaner transportation, better driving conditions and increased load capacity. They’ll incorporate additional sensors and advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) technology, enhancing safety with elements such as collision avoidance, lane-keeping and adaptive cruise control.
Improved upfit bodies will feature more driver comfort, upgraded safety and modular shelving systems, allowing easy customization and reconfiguration to meet diverse operational needs.
To read the complete Escalent blog, click here.
[Photo credit: Freightliner]
Fill Up for a Good Cause When “The Giving Pump” Returns to Nearly 7,500 Shell Stations Nationwide
Celebrating its fourth year, Shell is proud to announce the return of The Giving Pump, benefiting nonprofits across the nation. Starting September 1 and running through October 31, a portion of purchases made by consumers who use the designated purple pump at select Shell stations will support local children's and family-focused charities.
"The Giving Pump is an easy and impactful way for customers to give back through the simple act of filling up their vehicles and we look forward to highlighting the many organizations whose mission is to aid children and families in their communities," said Barbara Stoyko, Senior Vice President, Mobility Americas at Shell.
Fleet Pro Focus: AFLA Fleet Visionary Award Winner Ernest Garcia
Editor's note: Since this article was first published in July, Ernie Garcia won the Fleet Visionary Award at the 2024 AFLA Conference in San Antonio. We congratulate Ernie on this well-deserved honor and are excited to revisit this peek into his life, both on-the-job and at home.
By Tod Trousdell, Marketing Consultant
We continue our Fleet Professional Profile series with some thoughts from Ernie Garcia, Director of Fleet and Business Systems at Gothic Landscape. Here’s a look at his thoughts on some of key issues facing fleet.
Looking at the industry today, what excites you most about fleet?
There is always a new path to take, or new ways to approach an issue. Every fleet is different and discovering solutions for our challenges is what gets us out of bed in the morning.
Fed Pivots: With a Big Cut, the Journey to Stronger Retail Demand Begins
The Federal Reserve changed their tune dramatically from their stance at the last official meeting on July 31 by cutting the Fed Funds Rate by 50 basis points, double the consensus expectation of a 25-basis-point cut.
It may take several weeks or even months for consumers waiting on lower auto loan rates to see any meaningful change. With auto loan performance still shaky, lenders will be reluctant to reduce the spreads they charge to compensate for risk. That means that auto loan rates are likely to be sticky on the way down.
To read the detailed article on Cox Automotive, click here.
