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Automotive Fleet Magazine

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Oct 20-22, 2026 | MD

Driving Notes

Knowing about a vehicle is one thing; driving it is quite another. Getting behind the wheel gives yo...

Multiple Authors

3 contributors

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FleetTakes

FleetTakes is exactly that — a take on what fleets need to know when it comes to the latest in autom...

Chris Brown

Associate Publisher

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Insight Lane

Insight Lane delivers Colin Sutherland’s perspective from the intersection of leadership and innovat...

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Market Trends

Automotive Fleet's former editor, Mike Antich, shared his opinions and ideas on the overall commerci...

Mike Antich

Former Editor and Associate Publisher

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Remarketing Streams

Remarketing Streams reports on the flow of used vehicles moving through the consignor-auction-dealer...

Martin Romjue

Managing Editor

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Nobody Asked Me, But...•by Sherb Brown•September 24, 2014

A great deal of our attendance this year was made up of risk and environmental, health & safety (EH&S) professionals from Fortune 500 companies. I hope that, as time goes by, we'll grow our fleet professional attendance as more and more of you realize that safety is an area where you can truly make a difference and even save lives.

Market Trends•by Mike Antich•September 17, 2014

OEMs Improve Quality Hold Process, But More Needs to be Done to Avoid Backlogs

The good news is the management of quality holds by OEMs has improved tremendously in the 2014-MY. However, much more still needs to be done. As has been the case for the past several model-years, lengthening OEM quality holds continue to adversely impact fleet order-to-delivery (OTD) times by incurring added costs due to missed residual timing, repair costs to older vehicles still in service, and rental expenses

Market Trends•by Mike Antich•September 15, 2014

Increased Demand Creates Backlogs at Upfitters

One challenge for the 2014-MY has been the increased volume of fleet vehicles going to upfitters, which has resulted in capacity issues. With the increasing demand and growth of the commercial truck/van segments, particularly among utilities and service industries, the percentage of upfitted vehicles is growing. Order-to-delivery time on large trucks keeps getting longer with upfitters. Some fleets don't place factory orders and instead purchase most their vehicle chassis from bailment pools.

Driving Notes•by Staff Writer•September 12, 2014

2014 Ram 2500 ProMaster Cargo

The inside of the ProMaster is cavernous, especially when it's empty. When I clapped my hands after jumping into the driver's seat, the sound reverberated like a bear cave. Settling into the saddle, which keeps you high above traffic after only a minor step up into the van, I was able to easily reach all the bells and whistles

Market Trends•by Mike Antich•September 9, 2014

Sustainability: A Proven Way to Reduce Fleet Operating Costs

There is a cost efficiency component to green fleet initiatives that not only helps meet sustainability goals, but also reduces operating costs by decreasing fuel consumption.

Driving Notes•by Mike Antich•September 2, 2014

2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman EcoDiesel

The 2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman Regular Cab 4x2 is a no-frills, utilitarian work truck with hand-cranked windows, manually adjusted seats, hand-adjusted driver- and passenger-side mirrors, and manual door locks.

Driving Notes•by Mike Antich•September 2, 2014

2015 Mercedes-Benz C300/C400 4MATIC

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Mercedes-Benz media event to test drive its two new, all-wheel-drive C-Class sedan models. The 2015 models included the C300 4MATIC and the C400 4MATIC. I tested these vehicles from the perspective of a corporate executive driver.

Market Trends•by Mike Antich•September 2, 2014

Cost-Reduction Single-Mindedness Creates Corporate Blind Spots

When corporate revenues soften, it is management's fiduciary responsibility to demand expense reductions and limit capital expenditures. Unfortunately, many fleet-related cost-reduction decisions are made for the short-term, with very little consideration on the long-term impact on the total cost of ownership (TCO). Many times senior management is more interested in the fiscal, rather than economic, consequences of their fleet-related decisions.

Driving Notes•by Staff Writer•August 29, 2014

2015 Subaru Legacy

The Subaru Legacy enters its sixth generation with the 2015 model year, and benefits from a redesign that should make it a more compelling mid-size-sedan choice in one of the most competitive automotive segments.

Driving Notes•by Chris Wolski•August 18, 2014

2015 Mazda CX-5

For the 2015-MY, the CX-5 is loaded with a number of safety features, including air bags, stability control, and traction control.

Driving Notes•by Mike Antich•August 14, 2014

2015 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Bi-Fuel CNG Pickup

I’ve driven a number of CNG vehicles over the years and I must say this was one of the most seamless bi-fuel transitions I have experienced, segueing from CNG to gasoline and back all with a simple flip of a switch — while you are driving.

Market Trends•by Mike Antich•August 11, 2014

Are You a ‘Fireman’ or a Manager? Hint: One is a Dead-End Job

How would you characterize your job? Are you more of a “fireman,” spending your days putting out one fire after another? Or, do you devote the time to truly manage your fleet? Most of us will say we do both, but putting out fires consumes a tremendous amount of time and decreases the time invested in managing the fleet from a strategic level. At the most fundamental level, we have to ask ourselves: Are we tactical or strategic managers?

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