Automotive Fleet's coverage of the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic plus useful resources, all in one place. We will be updating this page as we add new COVID-19 content.
The largest fleet expense is vehicle depreciation, so managing it is critical to operating a well-run fleet. Remarketing is core to fleet management. In many ways, fleets are very much the “factories” that manufacture used vehicles.
Getting buy-in from multiple departments within the company, including safety, health, and environment; HR; employee relations; and legal was critical to the success of their safety program.
Topics discussed included the emergence of more electric vehicles in fleet operations, the proliferation of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), the increased complexity in fleet maintenance along with the lack of technicians in the market, an increase in vehicle diagnostics capabilities, and changes that have occurred as a result of the pandemic.
The decision was made to postpone the event, providing organizations and attendees more time to plan, evaluate budgets and resources, and determine staff travel for next year.
Today's video looks at how the pandemic has accelerated new fleet safety best practices; ongoing risks of distracted driving; the legalization of marijuana leading to impaired driving; importance of reducing preventable accidents; and budgeting for a fleet safety program.
The maker of commercial electric vehicles won’t meet its projected production target of 300-400 vehicles in 2020 in part due to more than 36% of its production-related staff having contracted the coronavirus or quarantined awaiting results.
Preventive maintenance (PM) expenses in CY-2020 were lower compared to 2019, primarily due to the pandemic-induced economic shutdown resulting in fewer miles driven as many fleet vehicles were idled.
The trend has been to extend PM intervals due to the use of longer-lasting synthetic motor oils, but during the COVID lockdown many fleet vehicles were idled, decreasing miles driven, causing PM compliance to diminish.
Although unscheduled maintenance increased due to extended service lives, prolonged inactivity during the COVID lockdown, and longer downtime due to parts shortages, costs were flat as vendors refrained from price increases.
The COVID-19 pandemic divided the fleet market into essential and non-essential businesses, causing hundreds of thousands of company vehicles to sit idle from mid-March to mid-May. The economic shutdown caused miles-driven to plummet.