New Tariff Threats & a Leadership Change at Wheels | AF News Recap

Uncertainty may be the word of the week for fleet, but these headlines also highlight how professionals and companies are preparing for what comes next.

First up, tariff concerns are back. President Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts to 50% beginning Jan. 1, 2027. That doesn’t mean automakers can simply move production overnight, and it doesn’t necessarily mean fleets need to change their plans today. But uncertainty itself can influence pricing, ordering, allocation, and vehicle availability.

Fleet managers considering certification have to weigh the investment of time and money against what they’ll actually gain from it. The value of credentials such as the CAFM can extend beyond the letters after someone’s name. Certification can expose professionals to disciplines they may not encounter within their own operations, strengthen credibility, and give them a broader foundation to draw from when making decisions. Experience still matters, but certification can complement it by filling in knowledge gaps.

There’s a leadership change at Wheels, too. Matthew Cole has been named president, bringing more than 30 years of automotive and technology experience from companies including Aptiv, Visteon, Johnson Controls, and Ford.

And this week’s Fleet Meets introduces Eric Kilgore of ACERTUS. Kilgore helps lead Vehicle Care Services across more than 30 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where creating consistency means balancing standardized processes with the realities of individual markets.

When asked to finish the sentence, “The future of fleet is ___,” Kilgore had a simple answer: connected.

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