THE CAR AND TRUCK FLEET AND LEASING MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
Our long-time editor and fleet expert, Mike Antich, offers opinions and ideas on the overall commercial fleet industry and draws interesting comments from fleet managers and other industry professionals from across the country. Mike was inducted in the Fleet Hall of Fame in 2010.
While personal use averages 16%, outside market dynamics can cause personal use mileage to increase. For instance, when fuel prices increase, there is typically a spike in employees using fleet vehicles for personal use since the company pays for gasoline.
A great fleet manager constantly conceptualizes new initiatives, is creative in problem-solving, motivates staff and suppliers to excel, and is willing to experiment by implementing new technology-based fleet solutions.
Although most commercial fleets self-insure or have large deductible programs for their fleet to cover vehicle damage, most carry commercial general liability insurance for bodily injury or property damage caused by their company vehicle or employee.
Over the years, work trucks have evolved into mobile offices equipped with a variety of in-cab devices, however, these devices and equipment take space, creating an increasingly cramped cab, restricting the body movement of a driver, which can potentially lead to ergonomic injuries.
Successful fleet managers know how to promote themselves without being perceived as self-promoters. They use their self-promotion skills so others in the company know what they do and how well it is done.
A proverb is a phrase that gives real-world advice learned from practical experience. Upfitting is complicated and there are many opportunities to make mistakes, sometimes very expensive ones. Here are 10 proverbs for a successful upfit.
The three future Black Swan events that have the potential to turn today’s fleet management paradigm upside down are the advancement of 3D printing, widespread use of remote diagnostics, and the growing preference of next-gen employees for virtual meetings.
Time in the shop, instead of on the road, means lost sales and less face time with customers, putting downward pressure on the bottom line. Downtime mitigation is key to controlling costs and helping to maximize fleet uptime.
Overall improved business conditions opened pent up demand for replacement units, especially in the oil sector and construction, which in the prior several years had scaled back new-vehicle acquisitions due to stagnant growth.
One under-discussed topic is when a fleet vehicle is impounded because it is part of a crime scene and declared by the police to be physical evidence in a criminal investigation.
