Tag: fleet industry

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Addressing These THREE Risks May Help Maintain the Life of Your Fleet!

Risk management is key to getting the most out of your fleet.  Let’s explore three risks that affect the performance of your fleet.

  1. Theft.
    It’s quite possible to put significant time and money into protecting your cargo and overlooking the potential greatest loss to your business…the vehicle itself!  Auto theft remains a tremendous problem in the United States.  An analysis of data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) by the National Insurance Crime Bureau  (NICB) shows almost two vehicles being stolen every minute in 2022.It’s critical to ensure that vital auto parts are protected as well.  From 2019 to 2021 catalytic converter theft  jumped over 1,200 percent!Research and invest in the best safeguards to protect your fleet.
  2. Distracted driving.
    Distracted driving accounts for over 3,000 deaths on the road each year! Driving can be impaired by alcohol, drugs, sleep aids, lack of sleep, texting, or anything else that diverts the driver’s attention from the road.Do you see signs of aggression when any of your drivers are behind the wheel?  Be careful to vet your drivers thoroughly and implement an ongoing training program.  Addressing these issues through appropriate monitoring and training will save not only your property, but the lives of those entrusted with it.
  1. Improper vehicle maintenance.
    The safety of your drivers is largely dependent on the safety of your fleet vehicles. Every breakdown affects the bottom line.  Improper vehicle maintenance can result in accidents and may result in fines and lawsuits.  Invest in fleet management programs to keep track of maintenance needs and reporting requirements.

Technology is one of the best tools available to mitigate risks to your fleet.  Technology has transformed fleet management.  Strengthen your overall business operations with fleet management programs and services designed to keep your fleet compliant and on the road.

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Women are Making their Mark in Fleet Management

Women In Fleet Management (WIFM) gets much of the credit for the achievements of women in the fleet management industry.  Through the development resources it offers and networking and mentoring opportunities, WIFM members have seen a world of change in the last two or three decades.   Sue Miller remembers her first days in fleet management this way: “It was definitely the good old boys club.  A lot of cigars, martini lunches, and that type of thing.”  Miller went on to direct a 3,500-vehicle fleet for McDonald’s and currently serves as senior fleet account manager of a telematics company, Geotab.  She served as one of the founders of WIFM, whose mission is “To provide a resource for women fleet leaders that encourages personal and career fulfillment through mentoring, fleet expertise sharing, fleet and business community involvement and networking.” (Explore WIFM and the many resources it provides here.)

WIFM will be one of the many representatives in this year’s WBENC Conference (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council), scheduled for March 20-23, 2023, in Nashville, TN.  This conference offers a premier opportunity for women to network with other business owners, receive tools and resources to develop as business-owners, and pitch their businesses to professional and government representatives.  (To find out more about the WBENC and to register for the conference, click here.)

The fight for equality of opportunities and pay among women entrepreneurs is not over.  Bernadette Milito, co-chair of this year’s WBENC Conference, puts it very directly, “The answers are simple.  It’s the work that’s hard.”  Milito sees the conference as a unique opportunity to connect business owners and corporate executives.  She is also dedicated to sharing her vast expertise in all aspects of the hard work it has taken for her to become CEO of CSS Building Services.

For decades women have been fighting for equal job opportunities, and it looks like that incredibly hard work is paying off.  The WBENC Conference will be an exciting celebration of the achievements of women business owners while providing resources for continued success for years to come!

The WBENC conference will be held March 20-23, 2023, at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville.  Onsite registration will remain available throughout the conference.