Is Work-from-Home Viable?

Everyone does not agree that remote working from home has proven to be viable and productive. In some cases with the right people, with the right mindset, it can be productive.

The software industry has had to sort through the people that can work from home and be productive. They seem to make it work better when there is constant and regular video conferencing. Generally it appears that people who work from home feel they have all the time in the world to take their kids to school at different times depending upon the age and pick them up the same. I personally have interviewed several people for dispatch jobs that only wanted to work from home for the freedom to do what they needed to do. The company’s needs were secondary.

In general, working from home requires a different discipline to get work done. In a job where the employee is kept constantly busy, it’s easier. Constant monitoring must be maintained to make sure work is actually accomplished. Again, the software industry works with programmers who work from home and has for several years. It has taken years to weed out the workers who did not discipline themselves to perform. That ramp up cost was very high, because monitoring is tough to do. All that said, a percentage of the work force will transition into work from home. It is the job of management to make sure the job can effectively be done that way. Too many companies just sent people home to work and are not monitoring people correctly. This will change as we come out of the pandemic. Companies will realize that some people can work remotely and some are not suited to work that way. There will be an upheaval from this till it settles down.

Lance Gyldenege, President for Crane Repair Service in Puyallup, Wash.

Infancy of Virtual Selling

I watched your State of the Fleet Industry video entitled “Gauging the Vitality of the Fleet Industry” and gained several great insights! Look forward to seeing the Fleet Vitality indicators for April 2021,which was the first full month to be affected by broad-based lockdowns. Also agree that we’re witnessing the infancy of virtual selling. Wonder what the sales process will look like a decade from now! Thanks for sharing.

Peter Knott, Director, Strategic Sales for Wheels Inc. in Des Plaines, Ill.

Add Low-Floor Utility to Vans

I read the article entitled: “Deep Dive Analysis of the 2022-Model Ford E-Transit” and would like to make a recommendation. OEM groups, customers, and planners might look more at  added “low floor"  utility, by adding a “drop-floor’ just behind the wheel boxes for rear wheel drive vehicles, saving the costs of vehicle and assembly redesigns. The “low floor” designs, especially for urban distribution, will open the door to “feeder logistics” and the endless gains from ongoing improvements in upstream sorting to downstream transfers, for optimal throughput.

Sent via E-mail by Joseph Farley

My Favorite Article

One of my favorite articles published by Automotive Fleet is the Market Trends blog entitled “Fleet Manager Strategies to Elevate Your Stature with Senior Management.” I have strived to adapt to in my management philosophy. This is catered toward fleet managers but I believe the principles apply to any positions within in a company. Thank you, Mike Antich, for the many years of wisdom.

Christopher T. Haas, MBA, Division Fleet Manager for Airgas in Pensacola, Fla.