By Tod Trousdell, Fleet Marketing Consultant and Partner/RobertsTrousdell Communications
February 29, 2024
How well has vehicle availability recovered in the last year? Where will the price of diesel head in 2024? And will EVs dominate the conversation the way they have at the last two Work Truck Week conferences?
With perhaps the biggest trade event of the year – Work Truck Week – just days away, many questions swirl around the industry. As a fleet marketing consultant, there are surely a few things I’ll be anxious to learn more about when the NTEA Work Truck Week touches down for its annual run at the Indianapolis Convention Center March 5-8.
But it’s hardly like these hot button issues – important as they may be – are the only ones facing fleet. So many aspects of both the industry – and the world in general – have changed in the post pandemic era, that in many ways fleet is an entirely different industry than it was just a few short years ago.
One of the things I’ll be interested in learning more about is how fleet management companies are faring after what seems like a decade of non-stop consolidation – the most recent being the blockbuster Wheels/LeasePlan NA/Donlen merger completed late last year, resulting in the newly formed Wheels entity. According to Kristofer Bush, Head of Marketing, Wheels is excited to be attending its second Work Truck Week as a unified team.
“We look forward to showcasing our truck solutions next week at the NTEA Work Truck Week, Booth 4019. As a leader in offering companies a comprehensive source for their transportation needs, we are happy to showcase our truck service offerings including heavy-duty truck and equipment, a variety of lease and finance options and flexible solutions that align with truck fleets’ business goals and operational requirements.”
Also looking to make a big splash at this year’s conference are vehicle upfitters including Adrian Steel, Masterack, and Ranger Design, which plans to showcase a “slew of new market leading innovation” at their massive booth, according to Peter Young, Executive VP of Business Development at Ranger Design. Young also said that Ranger is eager to remind fleets that it’s been “ready for years” to help fleets thrive with lighter, stronger materials that maximize payload and extend range regardless of whether it’s in EVs, hybrids, or ICE vehicles.
EVs – as they have for the past two years – will definitely be front and center at this year’s show as fleets everywhere strive to meet corporate and government ESG mandates. One show attendee who’s undoubtedly focused on carbon neutrality is Ted Chan, Senior Fleet Manager at Schindler Elevator, a fleet that’s pledged to full scope net zero emissions by 2040.
“Our fleet is looking at multiple strategies to help us achieve a decline in our emissions year over year,” said Chan. We understand EVs are still continuing to improve with range and charging speed. This is why it’s important for us to build strong partnerships with our vendors so we can provide constructive feedback to help OEMs develop the vehicles we need today and the very near future.”
EVs won’t be the only low emission vehicles on display as it’s apparent the industry is coming to the realization that it will “take a village” of technologies to reach carbon neutrality. Todd Muow, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Roush CleanTech believes that fleets are open to a variety of solutions for weaning off dependence on ICE vehicles and traditional fossil fuels.
“The NTEA Show this year will be important as it will help fleets better understand that there are multiple options available to reduce their carbon intensity and operational cost,” said Muow. “And while EVs have a promising future in the commercial vehicle space, options like our propane vehicles provide an opportunity for fleets to make a significant impact immediately as our solution is already commercially viable without government subsidy.”
One of the other things I am most anxious to see at this year’s show is how the OEMs will present their offerings after seemingly going “all in” on EVs the past few years. Recent indications are that while they are still actively pursuing EV agendas, most have tempered their exuberance, as continued concerns around the lack of charging infrastructure, insufficient power grids and higher acquisition costs keep many fleets from wholesale implementation of EVs.
One fleet manager attendee who’s been testing the effect of EVs in a commercial fleet, actually predicted a reverse in the unbridled enthusiasm for EVs that characterized the last two Work Truck Week conferences. Sherwin Williams’ Global Director of Fleet Operations Joe Lukacs, a top fleet leader who’s served on both the Ford and GM advisory boards, sees continued challenges to widespread EV implementation:
“For our fleet – and I think a lot of work fleets – it’s hard to predict when – or even if – EVs will be ready to meet our needs,” said Lukacs, who’s described EVs as more of a “novelty” at this point geared towards the retail space.
According to Lukacs, there is a place for EVs, in general. But, having tested several over the past 4 years, the results of those tests bring him to the conclusion that EVs may not be “ready yet” and that too many “unknowns” in the Commercial space need to be figured out before actively pursuing a full EV agenda.
In addition to the legions of fleets and services providers that consider Work Truck Week their biggest show of the year, organizers say many new exhibitors are attending this year’s show.
Matt Williams, CMO of first-time exhibitor Kingbee Work-Ready Vans, said the Salt Lake City-based firm was excited for the opportunity to tell attendees about its flexible offering, which now includes the Canoo EV, featuring a modular shell that can be swapped out for various vehicle applications, helping fleets get more utility from their electric vehicles.
“Kingbee keeps fleets flexible by tailoring the best solution for their needs no matter how frequently those needs change,” said Williams. “We think there are many fleets who would like to try out EV technology on a short-term contract before committing to a large purchase, and Kingbee can help with that. So, whether a fleet needs one van – or 1,000 – we can help them scale quickly for as long – or as little – of a duration they need. It’s just that easy.”
For their part, the people at Work Truck Week say they have enhanced several aspects of this year’s event, including an expanded training session schedule, the always popular EV Ride & Drive, the Green Fleet Summit, as well as visits from NFL Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Jerome Bettis.
“We are looking forward to bringing the commercial vehicle industry together at Work Truck Week 2024,” said Steve Carey, NTEA President and CEO. “There’s nowhere better to network, check out the latest commercial vehicles and equipment, and learn what’s new and what’s next. There’s something for all industry professionals at Work Truck Week.”
Registration is still open at www.worktruckweek.com.
For a complete schedule of Work Truck Week events, click here.
