A Call to Action: Damn the Marketing Trends, Let’s Live in the Real World of 2022
By Ed Pierce, Director of Stakeholder Relations, Inertia Marketing
“Digital selling is taking over…are you prepared?” “Identify the existing gaps in the desired sales experience.” “Dealing with scale in a digital-first future.”
As a fleet marketer, you have surely seen the steady stream of alarming online opinions from generalist research firms and one-dimensional product vendors. They start by fearmongering -- “Change is coming!” …duh – and offer snake oil salesmen-like promises of technology that can remedy every symptom.
As any fleet marketer knows, the road to a future-proof marketing nirvana is littered with unknowns; unforeseen economic conditions; unavailable application-specific proof, untried integrations with existing technologies, unbudgeted expenses that won’t see the light of day in budget-constrained businesses, and many other reasons the journey can come all undone.
What NHTSA’s New Fuel Economy Rules Will Mean to Drivers
April 10, 2022 - The improved efficiency requirements announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are looking to result in a fleetwide average for new cars and light trucks of 49 miles per gallon by model year 2026.
NHTSA estimates that its updated rules will mean the average 2029-model-year vehicle would cost $960 more than the average car today but the lifetime gains through fuel savings would be $1280, which means that buyers will save an average of $320 thanks to these more efficient vehicles.
Another way to think about it, as described by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, is that if you’re filling up four times a month today, you’d only have to stop at a gas station three times a month if you’re driving one of these more-efficient vehicles.
FedEx Ground Operators Receive Xos EV Stepvans for California Market
April 5, 2022 - Xos Inc. has delivered 15 of its battery-electric step vans to five different FedEx Ground operators in Southern California. These independent service providers ordered the vans in 2021 for 2022 delivery.
“We are pleased to continue delivering vehicles to FedEx Ground operators and supporting them in meeting their sustainability goals and reducing total cost of ownership,” says Jose Castañeda, vice president of business development for Xos. “This is the first of our 2022 deliveries to FedEx Ground operators, and we are excited to continue rolling out our products to this leading, nationwide fleet.”
The FedEx Ground ISPs that received the vehicles are Pharo Deliveries Inc. in Bakersfield; Eric Young Corp. in Ventura; Bonanno Investment Enterprises Inc. in North Hollywood; Expedited Delivery Services Inc. in Oceanside; and Espinoza Inc. in Santa Maria.
An Increase in Distracted Driving, and a Simple Answer for Leadership
Distracted driving isn’t just bad for people, it’s bad for business
By Paul Atchley, PhD, eDriving’s Brain Science Advisor
Distracted Driving Awareness Month (April) is a good time to take stock of the current status of road safety in the United States, think about progress toward zero fatalities on our roads, and examine how we are doing as we tackle threats to safety, old and new.
This March, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released its analysis of motor vehicle crash data from 2020, which provides us a good look at where we are. The results are not encouraging.
WIFM Mentorship Program: Sign Up Now
The WIFM Mentorship Program pairs various levels of experienced professionals who are hoping to gain knowledge and perspective.
This engaging program pairs mentors and mentees based on identified areas of focus submitted in the sign-up process. All AFLA members are both welcomed and encouraged to participate.
The next pairing deadline is May 13, 2022. If you would like to be paired before the next deadline, click here
