Mobility Solutions for Fleets
Chris Brown, executive editor of Business Fleet, Auto Rental News, and Fleet Forward, offers his perspective on fleets, auto rental, and the new mobility ecosystem. Along with related publications and online newsletters, Chris produces the International Car Rental Show and the Fleet Forward Conference. Chris is relied on as an industry resource in matters by major media outlets such as the Washington Post, New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and National Public Radio.
Forget autonomous trucking, for now, delivery drones and package-carrying robots will be a reality much sooner. To what extent will they take away traditional delivery driving jobs?
Yes, an all-electric pickup can tow 1.25 million pounds, but to deliver one with verifiable specs, at scale, and at a reasonable price point is a different equation entirely.
In Josh Switkes’ view, it's way too premature to write truck platooning off as a dead end technology. And HDT Senior Editor Jack Roberts agrees with that point.
From a geeky industry insider standpoint, the fact that Lyft is renting fleet to consumers on a daily rate is a big deal. But questions abound regarding the business model and profitability.
As we enter a new era that puts an increasing importance of the value of data and our ability to interpret it, some in fleet are asking if we’re losing sight of some basic skills to do the job.
A massive new market for fleet management will be created that doesn’t exist yet. Are you ready?
With an increasing emphasis on emissions reductions mandates, will fleet operators get caught between clean technologies on their way out and an electric future that hasn’t yet arrived?
A new group of fleet owners has emerged to supply peer-to-peer platforms. They’re getting together, learning fast, and hungry for resources. They’re not going away.
“Disengagement reports” reveal how many times a human driver had to take control of a driverless car in testing in California. A few well-publicized autonomous players lagged far behind.
An industry is forming, and it needs help with fleet. In the meantime, the fleet industry should know that these new businesses are navigating extraordinary circumstances, which is forcing them to be better fleet operators pretty darn quick.
