Buick Fleet Sales Rep Platfoot Dies
Ernie Platfoot, a former fleet sales representative for the Buick division in Dallas, has died. He was especially active with the Mary Kay account.
Platfoot
Platfoot
Ernie Platfoot, a former fleet sales representative for the Buick division in Dallas, passed away April 8. He was 86.
Platfoot attended the University of Illinois and graduated from the General Motors Institute of Technology (now Kettering University) in 1950. After college, Platfoot served for three years during the Korean War.
After his military service, Platfoot joined the Buick division of General Motors, and enjoyed a 35-year career in the sales department. He was especially active with the Mary Kay account.
Platfoot worked in Buick Division Fleet Department from 1962 until his retirement from GM in 1991. He also remained involved with the GMI/Kettering University Alumni Association and various other volunteer activities.
Platfoot was an avid photographer and spent many years photographing and researching all 254 Texas county courthouses. He was also good on horseback and could be found riding trails with his horse, Dan. You would often find Platfoot wearing a 10-gallon hat and boots, according to friends and family.
Platfoot is survived by his wife, Sandra; four daughters and their spouses; and 10 grandchildren.
More Operations
Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem. What Comes Next? | AF News Recap
Where will fleet’s next generation of leaders come from? This week, we’re looking at the industry’s talent pipeline, what certification can add to a fleet career, how to build an award-worthy track record, and the return of Automotive Fleet’s Personal Use Survey.
Read More →
Smith System Launches Driver Risk Management Program
Fleets have more driver data than ever, but identifying risky behavior doesn't necessarily correct it. Smith System's new Driver Risk Management program combines monitoring, training, and follow-up coaching to help fleets connect risk signals with driver intervention.
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
From AI Prompts to AI-Generated Safety Songs | AF News Recap
Can better prompts make AI more useful for fleet managers? This week, we’re breaking down smarter fleet analysis, an AI-assisted experiment that turned safety training into music, and what happened to fuel prices in August.
Read More →
How to Write Better AI Prompts for Fleet Analysis
Include these six elements in your fleet prompts to generate more relevant analysis and accurate answers.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →