THE CAR AND TRUCK FLEET AND LEASING MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
Fleet mainstays such as pickups and vans are expected to perform well at wholesale this year. Higher-end vehicles, such as those found in executive fleets are expected to struggle.
A global market research firm says worldwide revenue from autonomous truck and bus technology hit $84 million, and will likely reach $35 billion by 2023.
In the years following the recession, U.S. economic growth has been "so modest that no sector has been overheated,” said William Strauss, senior economist and economic adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Automakers should be able to increase global sales of fully autonomous vehicles to 33 million by 2040 from 51,000 in 2021 — the first year of significant volume, according to a forecast from IHS Markit.
Over the past several decades, the purchasing managers of yesteryear reinvented themselves into procurement professionals whose function is now viewed as a strategic asset that provides a competitive advantage to a corporation. Can fleet management, likewise, elevate its perceived value to a corporation, especially in the eyes of its senior management? I say yes, and the timing is right to do so.
The stability of fuel pricing has been the No. 1 factor contributing to keeping operating costs flat in calendar-year 2017. Since fuel makes up the largest portion of fleet operating costs, it has helped keep a lid on overall fleet spend.
After more than 50 years in the industry, George Argueta is retiring. He predicts a decline in the size of sales fleets and of fleet departments’ influence.
Conventional wisdom in the fleet market is often wrong. If we roll back the calendar, the conventional wisdom about fuel prices was that there would be ebbs and flows in price per gallon rates, but the overall price trajectory would trend upward. The flaw with conventional wisdom is that it only works when no new variables are inserted into future projections. A case in point is the shale oil revolution, which now has experts predicting oil prices will remain flat for the foreseeable future.
Replacement demand for tires in Brazil is anticipated to grow at a faster rate during 2016-2021 than OEM tire demand. Some of the major players operating in Brazil's tire market are Pirelli, Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, Continental and Rinaldi.
The stability of gasoline and diesel prices over the past 36 months has been the No. 1 factor contributing to keeping fleet operating costs flat. Vehicle acquisition and used-vehicle prices are strongly influenced by low fuel prices.