Fleet Sales Expected to Reach 18 Percent for January
Light-vehicle fleet sales in January are projected to total 204,000 units making up about 18 percent of the total vehicle sales for the month.

Photo of F-150 courtesy of Ford.

Photo of F-150 courtesy of Ford.
Light-vehicle fleet sales in January are projected to total 204,000 units making up about 18 percent of the total vehicle sales for the month. This number represents an increase in units but is on par in percentage of total sales with January 2014.
New-vehicle retail sales in are expected to reach the highest January levels since 2004 according to a sales forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. Sales are projected to reach 932,000 units for the month, an 8.5 percent increase over 2014.
J.D. Power is holding to its prediction of 17 million vehicles sold in 2015 a slight increase over 2014's numbers.
"The year is off to a great start with exceptional growth in retail sales," said John Humphrey, senior vice president of global automotive practice at J.D. Power. "The sales momentum seen throughout 2014 is continuing into 2015."
Continuing a trend from 2014, low gasoline prices are causing consumers to buy more trucks, with truck, van and SUV sales accounting for 55.4 percent of sales so far in January.
Vehicle production is expected to increase in 2015 but at a slower rate than last year which saw a 5 percent increase. LMC Automotive expects North American production to hit 17.4 million vehicles in 2015, an increase of 3 percent over 2014.
"The auto industry is starting 2015 on auto pilot," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at LMC Automotive. "Growth of 3 percent should be easy to achieve as the risk could be centered more with automakers and suppliers not being able to keep up with demand if growth were to be stronger than we project."
More Operations

How to Manage Conflict for Your Fleet Operations
Conflict management is becoming a core leadership skill. Here are five strategies fleet leaders should know.
Read More →
Turning Connected Vehicle Data Into Decisions That Matter
Fleet leaders have more data than ever, but turning that data into clear, actionable decisions remains a challenge. This white paper shows how leading organizations are using connected vehicle data to improve safety, reduce costs, and optimize fleet performance. Learn how to turn insight into action across your fleet.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-time Prevention
Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Learn more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab.
Read More →Are You Tracking Your Fleet's True Total Cost of Ownership?
Bobit Business Media surveyed 190 fleet professionals and found that while most fleets are tracking costs, fragmented systems and data gaps are keeping true TCO visibility out of reach. With rising pressure to control spend in an increasingly volatile environment, the gap between what fleets think they know and what the data actually shows is wider than you might expect. See how your peers are managing costs today and where the industry still has room to improve.
Read More →
Turn Fleet Data Into Smarter Decisions
Fleet leaders have access to more operational data than ever, but disconnected systems and unclear metrics often slow decision-making instead of improving it. This article outlines five practical steps fleets can take to transform fragmented data into actionable insights that improve planning, safety, utilization, and long-term performance.
Read More →
Hybrids: Electrification Without the Challenges
For fleet managers, fuel is one of the biggest line items in the budget — and it's one hybrids can shrink without changing how your people work. Download the eBook to see the numbers, understand the technology, and get a step-by-step guide to making the switch.
Read More →
How NOV Uses Telematics to Improve Fleet Safety Across 160 Locations
James Victory of NOV discusses how the company manages fleet safety, maintenance, and telematics across more than 150 locations supporting oilfield operations throughout the U.S.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Steven Santostasi
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features Steven Santostasi, the current TSP channel manager for Ford Pro.
Read More →
Why Fleet Managers Are Replacing Departmental Vehicles with Shared Motor Pools
Departmentally assigned vehicles often create hidden costs through underutilization, poor visibility, and increased administrative burden. This white paper explores how shared motor pool strategies help fleets reduce costs, improve accountability, and optimize vehicle utilization.
Read More →Soap Box Derby Challenge: Assembling the Crew
Meet Gabriel, Matthew, and Angel — the team helping bring this soap box derby build to life.
Read More →
