Fleet FYIs: A Podcast by Utilimarc

Today we’re chatting about, what I think, is a rather interesting topic. And I’m surprised that the conversation surrounding this particular thing isn’t more common – or as some might say, “mainstream”. As you could probably tell from the title of this episode, we’re talking about microgrids. What they are, what the history surrounding them is, as well as why we will likely see more of them poppin...

Happy new year and welcome back to the official start of the third season of the Fleet FYIs podcast.  When it comes to vehicle range, operating in what are considered to be suboptimal weather conditions has an inevitable and rather significant effect. Now this includes both extreme cold winter conditions as well as scorching hot summer temperatures – for those of you that live in warmer climates,...

It is nearly the end of 2021, we’re all ready to move on to the new year and experience everything that comes with it. And so, in the spirit of the new year, I figured we’d do a short little recap of all of the amazing things that we’ve been able to do and be a part of here at Utilimarc in 2021. ----- Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog Gretchen Rees...

Sustainability and climate change have become pressing issues for all types of businesses and organizations. There is more pressure than ever before for organizations to make their practices sustainable and to report the results publicly. The initial step for making businesses greener is often reducing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted through related activities. Greenhouse gases are responsi...

We are back again with twelve days of Fleet FYIs, and today, we’re moving into a Utilimarc-favourite topic.  What is that you may ask? It’s right-sizing.  And more specifically, what the benefits are when it comes to undertaking a rightsizing initiative for fleets today. Fleets are actively aiming to reduce costs. Ask any fleet manager today, and the odds are they’ll agree. This could be for a var...

If you own an electric vehicle or you’re considering buying one, you’ve likely heard stories of people whose battery charge ran out in the middle of the day. An EV isn’t like a gas-powered car, where you can just stop at a fueling station and fill your tank in under five minutes. Batteries can take hours to charge.  If you run out whilst you’re on your trip, that could potentially create a sticky...

I’m sure that at this point, we’ve all heard of the 12 days of Christmas, right? Well, I figured that we’d do our own spin – thus we have the twelve days of Fleet FYIs leading up to the holidays next week.  Let’s begin with the first up on the list. What exactly is the difference between the natural gasses CNG, LNG and LPG? Natural gas is the fastest growing fossil fuel of the past decade and is b...

If you remember, not too long ago, I recorded an episode about low emissions zones – specifically those in London (over in the UK), Norway and even the few that are starting to pop up here in the states. The so-named Green Zones operate in Santa Monica ahead of the, I believe, 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles – and right now, I think it only affects last mile delivery – ensuring that these vehicles th...

To give you a bit of a general overview - business intelligence seems to be one of those buzzwords that companies throw around when talking strategy and future-proofing solutions, but many find it hard to define – at least in a way that makes sense to the masses. Is it a system? A service? A strategic approach? Yes. To all of the above. But it’s actually more than that too. Business intelligence (...

Today I wanted to dig into a topic that I’ve been noticing many people ask in many forums, comment sections and new launch announcements worldwide – and that is, will electric vehicles really have that much of an impact on the environment?  We’ve all been told that a zero tailpipe emissions vehicle may be the solution to climate action mandates and policies – but what if it’s not as simple as that...

As with any business organization, cost reduction and efficiency are key objectives in year-to-year strategy. Fleet managers are actively aiming to keep costs at a minimum, especially with how quickly they can add up when dealing with high-value assets. In order to know where costs can be cut, it is essential to fully understand each vehicles’ total cost of ownership (TCO). TCO is the sum of all c...

We all know how intrigued I am by the electrification of fleets. Although I’ve stated multiple times on this show that I think moving forward, electric will not be the only solution – it will have to be a balance – it’s still a topic that’s front and center of mind more often than not. Fleet electrification is well underway within many different sectors across the globe – from municipal fleets to...

We’ve all heard of the term telematics data right?  It seems to be one of those things that as you enter the fleet industry – or actually, I should probably say the automotive industry at this point – it’s engrained in you from day one. But what actually is it aside from the collection of data points from a vehicle? Why is it useful? Why is it still worth the hefty investment in the technology to...

In this last year where many events have been virtual – now that the world seems to be opening back up, we’re finding that any in-person event is being smushed into the latter couple months of this year. This year at Fleet Forward, I think you could tell that most people were happy to be back at an in-person event rather than virtual. It was amazing to see so many people connecting and re-connecti...

Manufacturers have recognized the value of data in today’s world. For better fleet management, profitable decisions and pinpointing waste reduction opportunities, managers rely on accurate insights collected directly from their vehicles. Before OEMs launched their own telematics options, there was a lost opportunity for both manufacturers and customers who needed more profound insights. For OEMs t...

I’m headed to California next week for the Fleet Forward Conference, which is kind of fitting considering our guest for this show is located in Silicon Valley. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly this sustainability movement for vehicles – both fleets and consumers – means going forward, you’re not alone. There’s a lot of conflicting messaging out there that can make electric vehicles sound fanta...

For as long as I’ve been in the fleet industry, I’ve been twiddling around with this question. Can fleets really be sustainable without EVs? With a major lack of electric vehicle options to replace medium- and heavy-duty ICE trucks, EVs are unfortunately not a viable option for many utility fleets around the world…yet.  As manufacturers continue to prioritize the electrification of non-commercial...

To mark the spookiest, scariest day of the year, we’re bringing you the first ever Fleet FYIs Spooktacular special – Fleet HORROR STORIES. A huge thank you to everyone that submitted ideas for this show - hopefully you enjoy our fun, light-hearted take on the spooky side of the fleet industry. Happy Halloween! ---- Show notes for today's episode can be found at: https://www.utilimarc.com/blog...

Have you ever wondered what the big ruckus is surrounding greenhouse gases and carbon emissions? Or perhaps, why fleets should be wary of how much they put out in their day to day operations? Greenhouse gases - such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and certain synthetic chemicals - trap some of the Earth's outgoing energy, which in turn retains heat in the Earth's atmosphere. T...

In today’s episode of Fleet FYIs shorts – we’re tackling a pretty common “tool”, I guess you could call it, for fleets. We’re talking about fuel cards. More specifically, the history behind fuel cards, why they’re used for fleets and how they first began to become a popular tool. A fuel card or fleet card is used as a payment card typically for all types of fuels at gas stations or filling station...

I just got back from London, a city that – if you’re a frequent listener of our show – you’ll know is a city that is quickly electrifying. Trains, busses, subways and vehicles alike. And it got me thinking – in order to power all of these electric assets, you of course need batteries. A term that’s been floating around a lot lately in the industry is “lithium-ion batteries”.  If you’ve heard of el...

There’s a ton of questions circulating in the industry that many people just like you want answers to. I mean, that’s true anywhere – it’s not just fleet.  The thing with the fleet industry though, is that we’re in the middle of a massive evolutionary movement for the technology that many of us use to complete our jobs on a daily/weekly basis. Yes, we’re electrifying – no surprise here. But along...

I wanted to dedicate an entire episode to EVs – in part, because we’ve been speaking about them pretty frequently here on this show, but also because there’s a lot surrounding this technology that sometimes is breezed over when it comes to new launches and sometimes controversial implementation policies and adoption mandates. It’s complicated – I know. Especially because not every vehicle class or...

Day Three - The Final Day of The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky is in the books! Join Gretchen and Michael at the conference by following along with their 'daily recaps' of each day during the three-day expo. Day three saw a mass of new vehicles, plenty of new and familiar faces, equipment demos and plenty of education on some of the most popular and innovative equipment in the ind...

Day Two of The Utility Expo in Louisville, Kentucky is in the books! Join Gretchen and Michael at the conference by following along with their 'daily recaps' of each day during the three-day expo. Day two saw a mass of new vehicles, plenty of new and familiar faces, equipment demos and plenty of education on some of the most popular and innovative equipment in the industry. --------- Sho...