Strange But True - Curiosity Put the Drivers in the Drink
In this edition of Strange But True, drivers have an unfortunate encounter with a moat, a driver assumed he could modify a vehicle without asking, and a fleet manager discovers an unusual source for a vehicle warning sound.
A private security company had a contract to patrol the perimeter of a large oil refinery. There was a large berm surrounding the property, with a deep moat inside to catch any spills that might occur. The fleet manager received a panicked call from the supervisor on duty stating a driver was overcome by curiosity, drove a car to the top of the berm, only to find he was unable to stop. The car rolled down the back side and plunged into the water. The driver was fortunate to get out safely, albeit soaking wet. The next day, another driver did the exact same thing.
Taking Back What’s Yours?
A new fleet manager for a major sporting goods company received a call from a wholesaler who had just received a vehicle to sell on consignment.
Ad Loading...
“This thing has holes in the roof,” the wholesaler said. The fleet manager immediately called the driver, who had just picked up his new car. “What did you do to that car you turned in?” he inquired.
The driver calmly replied, “Oh, I just took off the roof rack I paid for a while back.”
The driver had purchased a roof rack for the car as a driver-paid option, and thought it quite reasonable to take it off and bolt it to the new one.
Favor for a Friend
A fleet manager’s friend asked him to stop by his house and repair the battery cable on his truck. He cut the cable because he thought he had a short in the truck and was afraid of a fire. When the manager’s friend turned off the vehicle and pulled out the key, he heard the annoying warning “dinger” still going off. After trying to find the sound under the dash, he proceeded to try and disconnect the battery. All he had was a pair of side-cutters, so he cut the cable. When he went to manually lock the truck, he still heard the warning dinger going off. The sound turned out to be a toy under the floor board pressing the vehicle’s warning activation button.
AI is no longer a future concept for fleets—it’s already embedded in the tools, data, and decisions that operators rely on every day. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, recorded live at Fleet Forward, industry leaders take the conversation beyond hype to examine what responsible AI adoption really looks like in fleet operations.
As fleets rethink how they capture, manage, and act on vehicle data, telematics is at a major inflection point. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, we dive deep into one of the most pressing questions facing fleet leaders today: Should you rely on OEM factory-installed connectivity, aftermarket devices, or a hybrid of both?
Experts from telematics analytics, fleet-as-a-service operations, and national EV benchmarking share how real-time data is reshaping fleet strategy—dispelling assumptions, validating best practices, and exposing costly missteps.
A powerhouse panel featuring experts from the American Automotive Leasing Association, CalSTART, and municipal fleet leadership dives into the realities of navigating shifting emissions rules, regulatory waivers, federal agency actions, the future of the EPA’s endangerment finding, and the push for unified standards. They also examine the impacts of tariffs, autonomous vehicle policy, battery innovation, and the accelerating global EV market.
This episode kicks off with a deep dive into the technologies and market forces reshaping today’s fleet landscape. Host Chris Brown is joined by Laolu Adeola (Leke Services), Tyson Jomini (J.D. Power), and Richard Hall (ZappiRide) to break down real-world data, shifting incentives, and practical strategies fleet leaders can use right now.
In the middle of natural disasters fleet managers must shift priorities to protect people and assets. What policy items should be loosened, and when should the line be held?
In this episode, fleet leaders from municipal, university, and private-sector organizations share a candid EV reality check. From infrastructure setbacks and policy whiplash to grant funding, total cost of ownership, and charging resiliency, this conversation dives into what it actually takes to scale electrification in the real world.
After a decade of lagging compensation, fleet manager pay is climbing. But expanding responsibilities, larger fleets, and growing complexity continue to redefine the role.
