Trio of Ford F-Series Trucks Earn 2021 Price Digests Highest Retained Value Awards
Further underscoring its commitment to deliver durable, cost-effective vehicles to commercial customers, Ford today was honored with 2021 Price Digests Highest Retained Value Awards for three F-Series trucks.
The annual awards recognize the top commercial trucks expected to retain the most value over the next five years.
The Truck Blue Book analyst team at Price Digests estimated that the Ford F-250 Super Duty, winner in the Light Duty Trucks Cab and Chassis category, would have the best retained value overall at 59.28%. Two Ford chassis cabs also won – Ford F-350 Super Duty took the Light Duty Trucks Crew Cab and Chassis category, while Ford F-550 was tops in the Medium Duty Trucks Crew Cab and Chassis category.
Read the article at Ford Media Center.
There’s a Renewed Push to Install Anti-DUI Tech in all Vehicles
Detecting whether a driver is drunk is relatively straightforward, police officers do it nightly, but neatly integrating a detection system into a car's cockpit is easier said than done. The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), has developed what it describes as "a fully passive, non-invasive alcohol detection system" for commercial and fleet vehicles.
Before starting their engine, drivers must exhale in the direction of a small sensor that can be integrated into the steering column or the A pillar. It detects their breath alcohol concentration and provides a pass/fail rating, so it doesn't make the distinction between one beer and nine.
Car manufacturers note that some of the more advanced drunk-detection systems, like driver monitoring systems, are unreliable. This technology can detect whether a driver is paying attention to the road ahead, yet it's not accurate enough to tell if you're drunk.
Read the article at Autoblog.
House Highway Bill Includes $4B for EV Charging, Alternative Fueling Stations
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday began debating a $547 billion highway bill that includes $4 billion for electric-vehicle charging stations and alternative fuel infrastructure.
The bill text tasks Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's department with developing guidelines within 90 days of enactment for states and localities to deploy the charging and fueling stations along the relevant corridors. States would be required to develop a plan laying out how they'll deploy their allocated funds.
The legislation authorizes $1 billion annually over four years for states to acquire and deploy this infrastructure along the designated "Clean Corridors," and to maintain and share data about the network. The legislation includes other provisions meant to tackle climate change, including $4 billion for zero-emission buses, and over $8 billion for highway, rail and transit projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
Read the article at The Detroit News.
How Much Does a Speeding Ticket Cost?
It is expensive to speed. The average cost of full coverage car insurance in the U.S. with a speeding ticket is $2,029 per year, compared to $1674 with a clean driving record.
It is difficult to decipher the average cost of a speeding ticket because many states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wyoming all assess penalties based on the number of miles that exceed the speed limit.
The consequences of speeding can also vary. Ultimately, the penalties you face will depend upon the officer who pulled you over and your local court system.
This is how speeding affects your wallet as a driver in the U.S. in 2021.
The ‘Word on the Street’ is that Fleet’s Been Missing Its Human Connection
By Steve Bender, CEO, Fleet Street Remarketing
The last year has been hard for fleets, that’s for sure.
And for allied service providers like Fleet Street, equally as challenging as well. From dealing with a virus that has threatened people’s well-being, to embracing a new world of protocols that changed the way we do business, let’s all hope the worst days of the pandemic are behind us.
Perhaps worse than anything, the pandemic has caused all of us to lose that critical “human connection” that all of us crave, and that was so vital to our wonderfully vibrant industry.
For fleet, the changes have been stark, and real. From working tirelessly to ensure top service to going without seeing our customers, colleagues and friends at great events like AFLA and NAFA, the past 15 months has been a tumultuous time virtually none of us could have imagined outside of a Hollywood soundstage.
