Last Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels of Central MD rolled out new vehicles to better serve seniors and others in-need. Collaborating with Element Fleet Management, the new vans have experienced less maintenance and downtime.
by Staff
November 25, 2014
Photo: Meals on Wheels
1 min to read
Photo: Meals on Wheels
Last Thanksgiving Meals on Wheels of Central MD rolled out new vehicles to better serve seniors and others in-need. As a result of its partnership with Hunt Valley-based Element Fleet Management, the non-profit was able to hit the streets with new vans that featured heating and cooling elements to ensure proper meal delivery and minimized vehicle maintenance costs and downtime.
A year later, it’s clear that the collaboration has paid off: Meals on Wheels has doubled its fleet, saved 8 percent on maintenance and, most important, it serves 1,000 more meals per month to people who need them.
Ad Loading...
Photo: Meals on Wheels
Element Fleet Management worked with an upfitter and selected a split configuration where the front half of the fleet's Ford Econolines are a refrigerated using a Thermo King unit with insulated insert and the rear half has auxiliary power to power cambro ovens, according to Meals on Wheels. The auxiliary power for refrigeration enabled Meals on Wheels to plug the unit in at the dock, so refrigeration would run to cool the unit without having to run the engine. That resulted in a significant fuel savings for the non-profit.
Delivering food is critical year-round, but it’s especially important during the holidays. Meals on Wheels is the only provider of meals to the homebound in the U.S., according to the non-profit.
AI is no longer a future concept for fleets—it’s already embedded in the tools, data, and decisions that operators rely on every day. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, recorded live at Fleet Forward, industry leaders take the conversation beyond hype to examine what responsible AI adoption really looks like in fleet operations.
As fleets rethink how they capture, manage, and act on vehicle data, telematics is at a major inflection point. In this episode of the Fleet Forward Podcast, we dive deep into one of the most pressing questions facing fleet leaders today: Should you rely on OEM factory-installed connectivity, aftermarket devices, or a hybrid of both?
Experts from telematics analytics, fleet-as-a-service operations, and national EV benchmarking share how real-time data is reshaping fleet strategy—dispelling assumptions, validating best practices, and exposing costly missteps.
A powerhouse panel featuring experts from the American Automotive Leasing Association, CalSTART, and municipal fleet leadership dives into the realities of navigating shifting emissions rules, regulatory waivers, federal agency actions, the future of the EPA’s endangerment finding, and the push for unified standards. They also examine the impacts of tariffs, autonomous vehicle policy, battery innovation, and the accelerating global EV market.
This episode kicks off with a deep dive into the technologies and market forces reshaping today’s fleet landscape. Host Chris Brown is joined by Laolu Adeola (Leke Services), Tyson Jomini (J.D. Power), and Richard Hall (ZappiRide) to break down real-world data, shifting incentives, and practical strategies fleet leaders can use right now.
In the middle of natural disasters fleet managers must shift priorities to protect people and assets. What policy items should be loosened, and when should the line be held?
In this episode, fleet leaders from municipal, university, and private-sector organizations share a candid EV reality check. From infrastructure setbacks and policy whiplash to grant funding, total cost of ownership, and charging resiliency, this conversation dives into what it actually takes to scale electrification in the real world.
After a decade of lagging compensation, fleet manager pay is climbing. But expanding responsibilities, larger fleets, and growing complexity continue to redefine the role.
