“Don't get bogged down on the day-to-day operations and miss the bigger picture, because you (fleet managers) do more than you know. You send fuel cards out, you assign trainings, and you also make the world safer, and more sustainable,” said Taylor Murphy as he closed out his speech as the 2025 Automotive Fleet Visionary Award winner.

The Fleet Visionary Award spotlights an industry leader who promotes and champions innovation, resulting in more efficient, cost-effective, and safer fleet operations.

With just four years in the world of fleet, Taylor Murphy is a forward-thinking fleet manager who spearheaded Hilti’s North American fleet electrification initiative. Beginning in finance and transitioning to fleet, Murphy’s background helped drive his success in fleet.

Murphy was presented with the award, sponsored by Merchants Fleet, at the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association (AFLA) 2025 Corporate Fleet Conference in Florida on September 15, 2025.

From Finance to Sustainability

Jumping in with both feet, Murphy led Hilti’s initiative toward electrification, successfully transforming Hilti’s fleet of over 2,500 vehicles into a hybrid and electric lineup. This includes the addition of 200 EV pickups, making Hilti one of the largest recipients of that particular EV model.

“Sustainability and safety, it's embedded in our culture," he continued from the stage. "We want to be our customers ' best partners in sustainability and safety, and so we have to live that within fleet."

Taylor referenced when the fleet first acquired electric vehicles four years ago, and the strategy involved in getting them to the right drivers and solving initial operational challenges. "It's been an interesting time,” he noted.

Going beyond the acquisition of electric and hybrid vehicles, Murphy worked hand-in-hand with his OEM to plan and implement charging and vehicle command processes that would work for Hilti’s fleet. He also worked closely with his FMC’s analytics team to analyze usage data and performance. 

Hilti’s fleet is now composed of 72% sustainable vehicles, with 60.5% hybrids, and 11.6% full EVs, exceeding the company’s 2025 sustainability goals. Murphy’s efforts also improved Hilti’s fleet fuel efficiency by 12%.

With this data in hand, Taylor cemented the success of this initiative by designing driver engagement strategies that inspired a culture of excitement and unity among employees around the transition to hybrid and electric vehicles. 

Safety and Technology

On the heels of his electrification success, Murphy turned his focus to safety. 

“I joined four years ago from a background of finance and moved to the fleet world. I had no idea what fleet was. A fleet management company (was) totally foreign to me, but with great partners like Wheels, they helped bring me to where I am now, and helping to show me what the industry looks like,” said Murphy. 

Murphy has designed and implemented a comprehensive fleet safety program emphasizing proactive risk management and driver engagement. 

Central to his plan was telematics technology. Using modern technology to analyze real-time driving data like driving behavior, vehicle performance, and safety incidents allowed Taylor the insight needed to identify problem areas and focus on event-based driver training. 

Most notably, Taylor was able to overcome one of the biggest barriers to electrification and safety implementation: driver skepticism. 

Encouraging drivers to share their stories firsthand on social media made drivers feel included in the EV adoption efforts. This inclusion evolved into vocal support of the new EVs, helping Hilti further cement its position as a leader in fleet electrification within the industry. 

Build Your Network

Though he is a newcomer to the world of fleet, Murphy understands the importance of teamwork and network building in this industry. 

Looking out amongst his peers, he had this to say:

“You're probably one, maybe two people within your organization that helps manage the vehicles. But you need to reach out, find other people that are in the same spot that you are, create those contacts, and keep managing them." 

Murphy referenced his relationship with Ted Chan, a fleet manager at Schindler Elevator, as a mentor and friend. "He's my one-person sounding board. ... He helps me see that he's going through the same things that I'm doing.”

Murphy looks forward to continuing his work in fleet, making the industry safer and more sustainable. 

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