Fleet Logistics’ Samuel Kellner-Steinmetz Looks at the State of the European and Global Fleet Industry
By Ed Pierce, Contributing Editor
Samuel Kellner-Steinmetz, the Chief Sales Officer of Fleet Logistics Group, recently sat down with Fleet Management Weekly to provide insight into the current European fleet market as new challenges and opportunities demand the remaking of European and global fleets.
Headquartered near Munich, Germany, Fleet Logistics is Europe’s largest independent fleet management supplier, serving as the link between the leasing company and the company operating the fleet.
He says, "The world has undergone two significant dislocations in the recent years. First, there's the COP21 Paris Climate Agreement. The second dislocation is COVID-19.
How do these two events affect the acceleration of electric vehicles, among other trends in Europe and worldwide?"
Toyota and Lexus Roll Out New Post-Collision Feature
Being involved in a crash is one of the most stressful times as a vehicle owner, even if everyone walks away from the accident without injury. In the immediate aftermath of a wreck, drivers must gather insurance information from other parties, speak with police, arrange a vehicle tow or other transportation, and figure out how to fix the damage.
Toyota and its Lexus luxury division are hoping to help owners of newer vehicles ease those hassles with a new service called Collision Assistance, which the automakers say will help guide vehicle owners through the process with less stress and hassle. Toyota and Lexus owners now have access to Collision Assistance through the Owners App, available for iPhone and Android smartphones.
Users start with pre-populated vehicle information through the app, such as the make, model, and VIN. From there, the app guides them through taking photos of vehicle damage and making notes of where repairs are needed. If the user’s insurance company participates in the service, the app can send relevant information to their agent. The service also offers users the ability to search for a repair facility and updates progress as the claim and repair move through to completion.
Read the article at J.D. Power.
Heroes Moving Heroes
PACE Suburban Bus did a fantastic job celebrating their essential employees - and other essential employees - during the pandemic, including bus parades at local hospitals.
Used Car Prices Rise Again in July, But at Slower Rate Than Before
Prices for U.S. consumers rose last month but at the slowest pace since February, a sign that Americans may gain some relief after four months of sharp increases that have imposed a financial burden on the nation's households.
Americans continue to face higher costs, with the year-over-year inflation rate matching June's increase as the largest annual jump since 2008. At the same time, some recent drivers of the inflation surge slowed last month. The price of used cars, which had soared over the past three months, ticked up just 0.2% in July. Airline fares, which had been spiking, actually declined 0.1% in July.
“We believe June marked the peak in the annual rate of inflation,” said Kathy Bostjancic, an economist at Oxford Economics. “That said, price increases stemming from the reopening of the economy and ongoing supply chain bottlenecks will keep the rate of inflation elevated.”
Read the article at Autoblog.
It’s Deja Vu All Over Again
We have been writing in this column for many months about how excited we were to gather with our fleet community in Pittsburgh for NAFA I&E later this month. Regrettably, the FMW team will not be attending the in-person conference after all and it’s all down to the gravity of the delta variant. While we were vaccinated as soon as our turns came, we have vulnerable family members. Our team is now looking forward to seeing you at NAFA's Virtual I&E September 13-15.
In Customer Driven, Wheels' customer service pro Sheila Keyser writes about flexibility in the workplace, specifically as it relates to the creative changes her team has made during this pandemic.
Art Liggio points out that it's not just the shocking number of fatalities we need to look at in the 2020 highway safety statistics, but the staggering estimates of 4,795,000 injuries!
How do we get our drivers onboard to improve these numbers? ITA Communications shows us how we can “Apply the Principles of Advertising to Win Driver Understanding, Acceptance, and Advocacy"
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
