NHTSA: Put the Phone Away or Pay!
By Dave Bean, Content Editor, FMW
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled a refreshed promotion to reiterate the hazards of driving while distracted. The rebranded campaign is entitled Put the Phone Away or Pay.
Prompting the revised NHTSA program was the release of distracted driver and fatality data from 2022, which revealed that more than 3300 people died and nearly 300,000 people were badly hurt in road accidents directly linked to driver distraction.
Prophecta Introduces AI Tool to Track, Correct, and Incentivize Cost-Conscious and Safe Truck Driver Behavior
Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup Prophecta has introduced a vehicle tracking algorithm to complement and extend the value of Geotab, Samsara, and any other telematics solution.
The Prophecta tool's exclusive causality-aware modeling, real-time simulation, and forecasting help drivers maximize potential fuel cost savings and emissions reductions while increasing truck driver safety through real-time coaching and incentives.
"We focus squarely on cost reduction, with fuel savings of up to 40% just through driver behavior modification," says Anatoly Volkhover, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer.
Fluid Truck Offers Fleets Commercial Truck Rental On-Demand
By Ed Pierce, Fleet Management Weekly’s Brand Acceleration
Fluid Truck is an on-demand commercial vehicle rental platform where both individuals and businesses can access a variety of trucks and vans for short- and long-term use.
Through their mobile app, users can book vehicles online and pick them up from a nearby location any time of day or night.
While some small businesses may rely entirely on Fluid Truck for vehicle rental, the company also serves businesses that already have existing fleets.
“Fluid Truck gives individuals and businesses access to a commercial vehicle when they need it, whether it be a cargo van, pickup truck, or box truck,” says Stephen Joos, Vice President of Corporate Development at Fluid Truck.
‘Pro-EV’ New Jersey Just OK’ed the US’s Highest Dumb EV Fee
New Jersey just signed a law approving a punitive new EV registration fee – and at $250, it’s the highest in the country. The EV registration fee kicks in July 1, and then rises by $10 each year before it caps out at $290 in July 2028.
Plus New Jersey new car purchases require a four-year upfront registration, so that’s more than $1,000 for new EV purchases. Your new EV will be exempt from state sales tax and you get the federal Inflation Reduction Act upfront tax credit of $7,500. The state funding that provided incentives of up to $4,000 for the purchase or lease of new EVs for 2022, 2023, and 2024? Afraid that’s already tapped out. Or as the state puts it, “temporarily unavailable.”
Cox Automotive Deploying Industry-First, VIN-Specific EV Battery Health Solution Across Manheim Locations
Cox Automotive is rolling out the used car industry's only solution that will measure the EV battery health for each specific VIN across Manheim. In addition, the company is expanding LotVision’s capabilities of reporting battery health for each unique vehicle. Both enhancements give wholesale buyers and sellers the information they need to make more informed and confident decisions.
Cox Automotive’s VIN-specific solution, developed by its EV Battery Solutions team, uses Manheim’s LotVision technology to quickly assess the battery in each unique vehicle and automatically transmit in-depth battery health information to condition reports (CRs) and vehicle detail pages (VDPs) on Manheim.com. Created in partnership with Cox2M, the commercial IoT business line within Cox Communications, LotVision is a wireless tracking device placed in a vehicle that helps dealers, transporters and team members accurately locate vehicles on Manheim lots to within 10 feet.
