Market Trends

For the past several decades, FMCs have employed in-house fleet managers in their fleet administration departments to manage client fleets, but were promoted from within the FMC. Now, we are starting to witness FMCs hiring traditional fleet managers. Does this make a trend? It is still too early to tell, but, what I can say is that it has caught our attention. My prediction is that this is indeed the start of a bona fide, long-term, industry trend that will accelerate in future years. READ MORE

Tags: Outsourcing, Fleet Management Companies, Career Advancement

The resale value of a used vehicle is determined by three factors: the unit’s age, total mileage, and overall condition. A used company vehicle in poor condition, because of driver abuse or neglect, will result in lost resale value or incur unnecessary reconditioning expense at auction. Here's what you can do to minimize vehicle abuse. READ MORE

Tags: Resale Value, Vehicle Abuse, Used Vehicle Sales, Risk Management

One factor driving the deluge of Chinese exports of replacement truck tires to the U.S. is China's immense tire production overcapacity. In 2015, China manufactured 120 million tires, with an overcapacity rate of almost 25 percent. The influx of Chinese truck tires is also having a detrimental effect on the tire retreading industry, because many of these “bargain” tires have only one life because they cannot be retreaded. READ MORE

Tags: Tires, Replacement Tires, China, Regulations, Tariffs

At one time, the scope of the fleet department’s responsibilities was crystal clear. However, over time these demarcation lines have shifted and departmental boundaries separating them have become fuzzy. Now, collaboration with sourcing, legal, HR, finance, sales, service, and environmental, health & safety (EHS) is needed, often requiring approvals or buy-in from individual departments. There is only one strategy fleet managers can adopt in this new world of fleet management and here it is. READ MORE

Tags: Procurement, Driver Safety, Collaboration, Risk Management, Human Resources

Two of the most significant changes in fleet management were the result of military breakthroughs – namely the opening of GPS to civilian use and the creation of the Internet, both of which will be critical to operating autonomous vehicles. While extremely difficult to do, technology will not be the issue with the implementation of autonomous vehicles. Other broader non-fleet issues may slow or inhibit widespread implementation of autonomous vehicles. READ MORE

Tags: Technology, vehicle research, Autonomous Vehicles

Ergonomics and operator safety is a growing concern by HR and risk management departments, since there has been an uptick of workers’ compensation claims by fleet drivers. As a result of strong trends in the upfit market, there is an increased focus on designing upfits to enhance operator safety. READ MORE

Tags: Ergonomics, Upfitting, Risk Management, Vocational Trucks

The fleet industry is on the verge of a productivity revolution through the introduction of faster, better, and more sophisticated analytical tools. Developing in parallel with this trend are increasingly sophisticated vehicle connectivity tools that will turn predictive analytics into a true science. The first manifestation of this will be the transition of fleet maintenance from reactive to proactive practices using remote diagnostic tools. READ MORE

Tags: Productivity, Big Data, Analytics

I recently attended a seminar comprised of fleet drivers from different corporations, and what surprised me was that none of them knew the name of their company fleet manager. Is this important? I think so. READ MORE

Tags: Fleet Policies, Communication

I surveyed a number of commercial fleet managers in a variety of industries and asked them to reply anonymously to the following question: “What are the most pressing problems in commercial fleet management that need to be addressed? If you could wave a ‘magic wand,’ what problem would you fix?” Here’s what they told me. READ MORE

Publicly held corporations include risk factors in their annual reports that forecast potential market forces that may impact their business. Recently, three insurance companies and an auto-parts supplier cited the emergence of autonomous vehicles as potentially disruptive to their future business. READ MORE

Tags: Insurance, Autonomous Vehicles, NHTSA

Until the emergence of strategic sourcing in the 1990s, procurement did not hold the same prominence within corporations as it does today. Nowadays, procurement plays a pivotal strategic role. Procurement is now the new engine of change in fleet management, which has resulted in dramatic changes in the fleet purchasing and supplier selection process. READ MORE

Tags: Strategic Sourcing, Cost Reduction, Vehicle Purchasing, Communication

Fleet managers and tailors are both in the business of providing a service and making a profit. In global fleet management, we take a great product or service, and apply it at a global level by tailoring it to meet local conditions. There's no such thing as one-size-fits-all. READ MORE

Tags: Fleet Europe, Global Fleet Conference, Fleet Events

The hard reality is that many senior managers do not consistently view fleet safety as a top priority. I know many will disagree with me and say fleet safety is, indeed, a top concern, but when you talk with suppliers of fleet safety programs and related services, they point out that the “talk” often does not translate into action. READ MORE

Tags: Fleet Safety Conference, Accident Management, Driver Safety

Some fleet managers lament they used to be in "control," but now "share" responsibility, requiring approvals or buy-in from every affected department. Fleet managers must learn to be diplomats, because interdepartmental conflict can have a corrosive effect on how departments work with fleet operations. READ MORE

Tags: Leadership, Customer Service

The next real challenge for many fleet managers, executives, or anyone with fleet responsibilities is going to be how to manage and take a fleet to a global platform. Executives at these companies are looking at their fleets from a global perspective. READ MORE

Tags: Global Fleet Conference, Multinational Fleets, Continuing Education

Building a truck is a complicated process. Specifying the right truck requires hundreds of decisions and choices – and each choice potentially impacts another. The tricky part is finding the balance between over-spec’ing and under-spec’ing a vehicle, each with its own unique set of consequences. READ MORE

Tags: Payload, Spec'ing, Medium-Duty Trucks

Respect is not an entitlement, it is earned over time. Consequently, genuine respect is not bestowed gratuitously. What are you doing, on an ongoing basis, to earn management’s respect? Here's some real-world advice on how to increase your stature in the eyes of senior management. READ MORE

Fleet managers tend to get bogged down in the day-to-day operations and then wonder why they are not connecting with upper management. These fleet managers wrongly assume that effective fleet management is simply managing assets. READ MORE

Tags: Senior Management, How-to Guides, Financial Planning

The recent drop in fuel prices has been as breathtaking as earlier run-up in prices. If sustained, these reduced fuel prices will begin to make a dent in overall fleet fuel expenditures. READ MORE

Tags: Tires, Driver Behavior, Fuel Costs, Personal Use

The role of ride-sharing and car sharing services in fleet operations, is a growing topic of conversation in Europe and China. With this as a backdrop, what future role will car sharing services have in U.S. fleet operations? READ MORE

Tags: Carsharing, China, Mobility, Fleet Management Companies, Rental Car Industry

As we approach the start of a new calendar-year, it is inevitable that we take a look at where we’ve been and where we are going. I'll start by examining the evolution of the medium-duty truck market over the past 45 years and then identify the key trends that will influence product design in future model-years. READ MORE

Tags: Medium-Duty Trucks, Trends, Fleet History

The majority of companies place new model-year orders according to set vehicle replacement parameters; however, projected improvements in economic conditions across almost all business segments bode well for 2015- and 2016-MY commercial fleet sales. READ MORE

Tags: Fleet Sales, Medium-Duty Trucks, 2015-MY