RTA Opens its 31st Annual Users’ Conference
RTA opened its 31st annual users’ conference, RTA Connect, Tuesday, at The Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
This year’s theme is Defining Fleet Success, centered around the company’s goal of helping fleets succeed.
“What makes a fleet successful?” RTA CEO Josh Turley asked during his opening keynote address. “We asked several people to define ‘fleet success.’ There was no standard definition of what it means for fleets to succeed.
RTA took on the challenge and will focus on what it means to succeed this week. The three-day conference will feature more than 36 sessions for attendees, ranging from classes on how to help their fleet operations succeed, to the latest fleet industry trends, to training on RTA’s fleet management software.
Included in the itinerary is a live recording of RTA’s podcast, “The Fleet Success Show,” which is hosted by Turley, fleet Hall of Famer Steve Saltzgiver, and former trucking executive Jeff Jenkins.
For more information about RTA Connect, or about RTA and its mission to help fleets succeed, contact Jeff Jenkins at [email protected], or 623-581-2447.
Finding Normal & Defining Fleet Success
We were delighted to read Rich Mallek’s enthusiastic take on the just-concluded AFLA conference. “This year’s AFLA fleet conference was not only meaningful, but chock full of elements that attendees can leverage as the industry looks to establish its new normal.”
RTA’s Steve Saltzgiver writes a notable column: Defining Fleet Success. He says, “As fleet professionals, we focus on the right metrics to track to monitor how our fleet is performing, and what reports to run to ensure we’re up to date on services and staying on budget. But how can you determine if you have a successful fleet?”
The supply chain disruption is not going to end anytime soon. We looked to Merchants Fleet for their tips on how to deal with the vehicle shortage dilemma.
Enjoy this issue and please check in with us for daily updates.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
GM Will Build New Battery Facility to Realize Cheaper EVs
General Motors continues its all-in effort on electric vehicles with Tuesday's announcement of a new battery research facility in Michigan, named the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center.
GM will pursue lithium-metal and silicone technologies as it looks to reduce the cost of batteries by 60% with its next-generation Ultium battery units. This, in turn, fuels GM's goal of bringing EVs to market quicker and at far more affordable prices than what we see today.
A Chevy Bolt EV still costs thousands more than a comparable small crossover, for example. Knock 60% off the cost of a battery and then we may see some real price parity with EVs and a car with an internal-combustion engine.
Read the article at Roadshow.
Chip Shortage Tanks GM’s Third-Quarter Sales
General Motors’ U.S. vehicle sales during the third quarter plummeted by more than 30% from last year as an ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips interrupted vehicle production and cut dealer inventories.
About 447,000 vehicles were sold from July through September, down 32.8% from a year earlier when sales volumes were depressed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decline was slightly wider than industry analysts’ expectations of 28.9% and 31.5%.
The chip shortage has caused GM to shut plants for weeks, if not months.
Read the article at CNBC.
NETS Executive Director Joe McKillips Steps Down
Joe McKillips, who has served as Executive Director of NETS since 2016, will step aside from his position at the end of the year to spend additional time with his family.
Joe became NETS Executive Director in 2016 after a distinguished 26-year career with Abbott as Global Director of Commercial Environmental Health and Safety. During that time, he served on the NETS Board of Directors for several years, including two years as NETS Board Chair.
Susan Gillies, NETS' current Marketing and Operations Director has been promoted to Executive Director. She has worked closely with Joe throughout his tenure, making her uniquely qualified to lead NETS and continue to build the organization and execute its strategic vision.
