Competition will begin soon for the 2005 Fleet Car and Truck of the Year Awards, sponsored by Automotive Fleet and Business Fleet magazines. Qualified fleet buyers, including the Fleet Financials magazine audience, will choose from a wide slate of car, pickup, and SUV models. All are 2005-model year vehicles. Balloting will start on the Fleet-Central Web site, www.fleet-central.com/ Sept. 22. Click on the Fleet Car & Truck of the Year trophy icon. Background on each model, including photo, description, and specifications, will be provided for voter convenience. Results will be announced in the December issue of the sponsoring publications. The commercial fleet audiences of Automotive Fleet, Business Fleet, and Fleet Financials represent nearly 20 percent of all domestic car and truck sales. In the first Fleet Car and Truck of the Year Awards held last year, thousands of fleet managers selected the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu and the Ford F-150 vehicles as winners. In contrast to other industry publication awards chosen by the magazine editors, the fleet awards represent the preferences of professional fleet managers who face the daily real-world challenges of operating business vehicles, according to Edward J. Bobit, chairman and CEO of Bobit Business Media. “Fleet mangers make their purchase choices after careful deliberation — studying specifications, operating costs, and projected resale values,” Bobit notes.