By Kristopher Bush, Vice President, Marketing, LeasePlan USA

A global LeasePlan Monitor survey looks into driver preference of company vehicles.

When looking at driver preference, 80 percent of all fleet drivers see the size of the vehicle as the most important selection criteria. Size appears to be a universal reason for choosing a vehicle, but what else is influencing driver decisions? And what does this mean for the future of fleet?

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By Randy Shadley, CAFM

This month’s column explores the importance of putting only qualified drivers behind the wheel of your company vehicles. Seems simple enough, right? Isn’t holding a driver’s license evidence enough that the driver has been deemed qualified by the government, and therefore the company can rely on that?

Unfortunately for unknowing fleet managers, there can be a huge disconnect between being licensed and being qualified to drive for company business.

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Every com­pany whose busi­ness depends upon large indus­trial vehi­cle fleets is wor­ried about vehi­cle acci­dents. Although the busi­ness cost of acci­dents is sub­stan­tial, it is the risk of law­suits and puni­tive dam­ages that keeps many fleet and risk man­agers up at nights. One need only drive down the inter­state and count the num­ber of bill­boards adver­tis­ing plain­tiffs’ attor­neys and truck­ing acci­dents to have that idea reinforced.

This com­pre­hen­sive white paper, pre­sented by Hous­ton legal firm Alaniz Schraeder Linker Far­ries Mayes, answers the question: ‘How does a com­pany bal­ance the need to imple­ment ade­quate lev­els of vehi­cle safety tech­nol­ogy to avoid a neg­li­gence find­ing while still try­ing to main­tain busi­ness and oper­a­tional efficiencies?’

Down­load the white paper to learn how you can build a Safety Tech­nol­ogy Inte­gra­tion Plan.

Getting a $50 ticket for missing a red light is unpleasant enough. But when it is received in the mail without warning, generated from an unmarked camera, it can cause resentment.

“If there were signs up, yes, I’d feel differently,” said Dan Rosenbaum after he received his camera-based ticket for an infraction in Brooklyn.

Mr. Rosenbaum’s reaction is common among drivers who question whether the cameras are deployed to prevent accidents or to generate revenue. The absence of a caution sign can raise suspicions.

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Wanted: Fleet manager. To succeed, you must be a person with microscopic attention to detail, well-honed diplomatic skills and a thorough knowledge of the law. You will also be responsible for the safety of every employee in your company who drives for work, whether in their own car or a company vehicle.

Put like that, the life of a fleet manager seems impossibly demanding. Bear in mind that the majority of people performing this role in a small-to-medium-size business do so alongside a raft of other duties, and it begins to look even more daunting.

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As Telsa Motors detailed a software update aimed at reducing battery concerns in its Model S, CEO Elon Musk announced an “auto steering” feature that should be ready in “about three months.”

“We can basically go between San Francisco and Seattle without the driver doing anything,” Musk said.

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Ford Motor Co. will soon take vehicle data into the cloud, thanks to a longtime partner.

The Dearborn automaker said it’s partnering with Microsoft Corp. to create a cloud-based infrastructure from which customers can wirelessly download updates for its new Sync 3 infotainment system, remotely lock or unlock their vehicles and check battery-charge levels of their electric plug-ins. Ford previously ditched Microsoft for Blackberry’s QNX software for the creation of the new Sync system.

The automaker’s cloud-connected services will use Microsoft’s Azure global cloud-based network to beam information into the vehicle.

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“If industry members attend only one event per year, the NAFA I&E should be it,” said NAFA’s Chief Executive Officer, Phillip E. Russo, CAE. “We are proud to offer an expansive expo hall, exclusive sessions, educational workshops organized by track, networking opportunities and our Law Enforcement Ride and Drive test track.”

NAFA, the world’s premier non-profit association for fleet professionals, expects thousands of industry professionals at its annual Institute and Expo (I&E) in Orlando, Fla., April 14-17. The four day event, designed by fleet managers, delivers new information, ideas and important updates on the latest in fleet management.

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Jeof Bean’s monthly column, The Fleet Customer Experience, delves into the best practices for service design. But companies that are new to CX may wonder how to put this strategy into practice. So Fleet Management Weekly is pleased to introduce a new monthly column, The Fleet CX Toolkit, written by UX Strategist Wendy Eichenbaum. The articles will provide the next steps to implement and improve CX within a company. Each article will discuss a critical customer data point and introduce a tool to gather and analyze that data.

Pain Point Interviews are a quick, inexpensive, and powerful way to find out what is upsetting your customers the most. Then you can prioritize your development schedule to address the most pressing needs first.

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Automotive interiors have come a long way in recent years. Even the most Spartan vehicles are likely to use materials and offer features that were found in only the most up-market models a decade ago. And that’s become a critical factor when motorists go to buy a new car, truck or crossover, says Moray Callum, the head of design at Ford Motor Co.

So, how to differentiate your product from the competition has become an increasingly critical challenge for a company like Ford. And the maker is turning to some interesting science to help it get a leg up. That includes the use of brain wave scanners that can tell when an interior design turns on a potential buyer or leaves them cold.

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