Spring is peak time for natural disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes, which can quickly affect your fuel supply and cripple your work. A little preparation now can go a long way when that day comes.

There are two parts to keeping your fleet productive in crisis situations. It starts by having a reliable fuel program partner who understands emergencies. Once you have a reliable partner, work with them to ensure that your needs are met by planning in advance for worst case scenarios – scenarios we all hope will never happen.

Just as it has been since 1970, April 22 will mark Earth Day—the annual celebration to honor the achievements of the environmental movement and to raise awareness of the need to protect the Earth’s resources for future generations.

More than 1 billion people in over 192 countries are expected to join together this year to help preserve and protect our home through various green initiatives, including cleaning up communities, talking to local leaders about specific environmental concerns and celebrating the people who make the environment a better place to live, work and play. 

There is little doubt that the fuel, fleet management and trucking industries have been historically dominated and continue to be dominated by men. There is also little doubt, that women are increasingly changing the workplace dynamics of those industries. Although women may not be shattering the glass ceiling (yet), women are certainly putting a significant number of cracks in it.

If you need convincing, just take a look at these numbers regarding small business ownership across multiple industries, and it is apparent that the glass ceiling is indeed becoming weaker.

Distracted as defined by Merriam-Webster is “having one’s thoughts or attention drawn away.” If there was such a thing as the Merriam-Webster Fleet Edition Dictionary, distracted could easily be defined as “having your drivers’ thoughts or attention drawn away, which could result in millions of dollars of losses from vehicle damage, litigation, injury and/or death.”

Make no mistake about it; distracted as it relates to driving is a dangerous activity — one so dangerous that in 2014 alone distracted driving accidents were responsible for 3,179 deaths on American roadways. But what exactly is distracted driving?

It seems that when there is a proposed rule or regulation affecting the trucking industry, there is a great amount of buzz and often two sides vehemently opposed. 

The proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Transportation regarding mandatory speed limiters on heavy trucks is no exception. In one corner you have the industry’s largest trade group, American Trucking Associations (ATA) in favor of the rule which mandates that heavy trucks—weighing more than 26,000 pounds—be fitted with electronic devices that would limit top speeds to no higher than 65 mph. They argue that reducing and regulating truck speed via the device would decrease the number of collisions on U.S. roads.

With the cost of fuel generally believed to be a fleet’s largest operating expense, procurement of a trusted fuel partner that effectively meets your needs is serious business. Unfortunately, it can be just as confusing as it is serious, with what may seem like a myriad number of factors and details to consider. For example:

• Number and type of vehicles in your fleet
• Number of drivers and their job purpose—service techs, sales, delivery, etc.
• Route distances drivers travel per week/month/year
• Fuel budget and how fuel bills are paid
• Methods currently in place to track fuel usage and their effectiveness
• Controls currently in place and their effectiveness

The last three months for the energy sector were nothing short of impressive. Rebounding from a 36.59% decline in 2014 and a 25.14% fall in 2015, the sector was up 2.37% the first three months of 2016, had a 24.06% surge in Q2, a 1.44% loss in Q3 and a 14.67% gain in Q4.

Crude oil is still close to half the price it was in June 2014 and overall, all energy commodities with the exception of ethanol, posted double-digit gains in Q4 and finished 2016 on a strong note—up 42.57% from December 31, 2015.

We hear stories about vehicle thefts and “smash and grabs” all too often. A driver leaves their vehicle idling to warm the interior or to quickly run into a convenience store, gas station, etc., they return and — BOOM —their vehicle is gone.

They may also make the mistake of leaving something in plain sight in their vehicle. When they return, a window is smashed and their computer bag is gone.

What is often said of the IT industry—the only thing constant is change—can also be said of fleet management. From industry challenges to government regulations, driver recruitment and retention, to advances in technology and safety, the fleet management industry is always on the move and constantly evolving. 

To stay ahead of the curve, being informed on what is happening and what to watch for down the road can help you grow your business, control your budget and keep your drivers engaged, loyal and productive.

Way back in June of 1978, a movie starring Kris Kristofferson, Ernest Borgnine and Ali McGraw was released. It was called Convoy, and its plot centered on truckers forming a mile-long convoy in support of a fellow trucker’s vendetta with a conniving sheriff named Lyle “Cottonmouth” Wallace.

Fast-forward to the present, and trucks continue to travel in convoys across U.S. roadways, not in a mile-long formation in support of a vendetta, but to improve vehicle fuel efficiency by drafting behind another big rig and cruising along in its draft wake.