Nominations for the 2026 Fleet Visionary Award are officially open—but not for much longer. If you know a fleet professional who is helping shape the future of fleet management through fresh ideas, innovative thinking, and measurable impact, now is the time to recognize them.

The deadline to submit a nomination has been extended until July 2. Apply today!

Now in its 12th year, the Fleet Visionary Award honors rising fleet leaders who bring new perspectives and initiatives to the industry. Whether through operational excellence, process improvements, data-driven decision-making, or sustainability efforts, these professionals are helping move fleet forward.

Sponsored by Merchants Fleet, the award is open to fleet professionals who manage private fleets and have 10 years or fewer of industry experience.

The winner will be announced at the 2026 AFLA Corporate Fleet Conference, taking place Sept. 27–30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year's conference theme is "Strategy Over Chance: Driving Fleet Confidence."

Last Year’s Winner

Taylor Murphy, fleet manager at Hilti North America, had been in the business for four years when he was named the winner. Murphy spearheaded Hilti’s North American fleet electrification initiative, which ultimately led to the transition of 2,500 vehicles to electric or hybrid models. His background in finance before he transitioned to fleet helped refine his management approach.

He also implemented a new fleet safety program that focused on risk management and driver engagement, with a strong emphasis on telematics. Murphy implemented modern tech that allowed for real-time analytics. One of his biggest accomplishments was overcoming driver skepticism during the process.

“Don't get bogged down on the day-to-day operations and miss the bigger picture, because you (fleet managers) do more than you know. You send fuel cards out, you assign trainings, and you also make the world safer and more sustainable,” said Taylor Murphy as he closed out his speech as the 2025 Automotive Fleet Visionary Award winner at last year’s conference.

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