Category: Columns

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Listen / Read / Safe Fleet / Watch

The “Safe” in SafeFleet – Jared’s Story

Jared Pridmore and his wife, Amanda are the proud owners of Precision Auto Glass in Conway, Arkansas. Their Safe Fleet story begins when they bought a new van for their growing company. Amanda, always vigilant about safety, researched the importance of having a partition behind the van’s seats. Jared, after 20 years of driving a van without a partition, felt he didn’t need one. “We are going to order this partition, install it, and THEN you can drive the van,” Amanda declared. “Of course, I...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / CVBNetwork / FordPros / Read / Sponsors / Work Truck Solutions

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: HOW FAR WE’VE COME

Let me take you back to a time before cell phones. If you remember phones that were attached to a wall and had a cord, you probably know what I’m talking about. Or how about the era before the Internet was a “thing”? Some of you may be thinking, “What? Hasn’t the Internet always been part of our lives?” While it may be shocking, the answer is no. You may even remember when some dealers scoffed at having a website, thinking it just wasn’t a...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Business Summit / Commercial Vehicle Pro / Comvoy / CVBNetwork / Read / Work Truck Solutions

QUEST FOR SILVER LININGS & POTS OF GOLD

According to Contrive Datum Insights, the commercial vehicle market is expected to reach around $1,712.44 billion by 2030 and grow at a CAGR Of 8.7% during the forecast period 2023—2030. That’s great news for manufacturers, and it also bodes well for the companies that supply them. However, with news cycles dominated by stories such as the UAW strike[1]  and possible worldwide Lithium shortages, it’s understandable that many commercial vehicle professionals might suffer a bout of frustration now and again. Maybe even an occasional lapse into...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / Dealership Success / FordPros / Read / Work Truck Solutions

DEALERSHIP SUCCESS: SURVIVING & THRIVING IN THE TECH JUNGLE

It’s not just handwriting on the wall, there’s miles of graffiti, gallons of virtual ink, a tsunami of information engulfing the commercial industry; and it’s all about tech. Everywhere we turn, the unrelenting tide of emerging technology is crashing onto the shores of our business world. Am I being a bit overly drama-poetic? Probably, but I don’t think it’s possible to overstate the evolutionary impact that technology is having on the way commercial vehicle professionals do business. In fact, I would argue that technology is...

AltFuel / Commercial Vehicle Pro / News / Uncategorized

Propane Council Calls Attention to Energy Resiliency for National Propane Day

WASHINGTON (October 4, 2023) – The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is celebrating the second annual National Propane Day on October 7, 2023. National Propane Day is an opportunity to celebrate all the ways propane keeps America running and to highlight all the benefits propane offers, including for fleet owners and transportation directors. “Fleet owners need a reliable and resilient energy source they can count on to meet their demanding duty cycles—whether they’re transporting students safely to and from school, ensuring goods are delivered on time, or...

AltFuel / Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / CVBNetwork / EV / Listen / Read / Toolbox

The Blended Future of AltFuels In Commercial Transportation

Amid the clamor surrounding the rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs), there lies an unspoken reality—the commercial transportation industry is just not on a path of singular dependence on EVs. The complex balance between environmental responsibility and commercial transportation cannot be satisfied solely by vehicle electrification, it also depends on the diverse potential of alternative fuels. Conversations within the commercial vehicle industry make it increasingly clear that renewable fuels, hydrogen, and propane, the silent stalwarts of the alternative energy industry, will not be relegated to the...

AltFuel / Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / Comvoy / CVBNetwork / FordPros / Read

Commercial EVs: What You Need to Know

First published at COMVOY.COM Electric vehicles (EVs) have been around for quite a while. In fact, the dawn of EVs is simultaneous with that of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, with both electric and ICE vehicles showing up in the late 1800s and both modes being commercially produced in the early 1900s. Commercial applications began as early as 1897 when New York City built its fleet of electric taxi cabs,  and UPS had an EV delivery fleet by 1935. Fast forward to the 21st Century, and EVs...

Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read

Note from the Editor: Opportunities Abound

As we all know, opportunities come in many shapes and sizes. Looking back over the last couple of years, there were many opportunities to talk to your customers, although many of those conversations weren’t quite what you – or your customers – likely wanted. Much of the time, the discussion centered around work trucks and vans you simply didn’t have / couldn’t get (at least not quickly) for them. Rather, you had to talk about the options for ordering, and the time that would take,...

AltFuel / Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / FordPros / Read

ALTFUEL: Can Your Company Help Solve the Charging Infrastructure Puzzle With V2G?

As the global transition towards electric vehicles (EVs) gains momentum, the need for efficient and accessible charging solutions emerges as a critical challenge. The development of a robust and flexible charging infrastructure is of special concern for widespread adoption within the commercial EV arena, and is going to require the employment of more innovative thinking than what we have seen thus far. One intriguing idea suggests that company EV fleets could play a pivotal role in addressing this challenge, by leveraging Vehicle-to-Grid uni-directional smart charging...

Coach Ken / Columns / Commercial Vehicle Pro / Read

Coach Ken: Almost There! Facing Failure

So, you have been making sales calls with little success. As a result of all the negative news, you have decided to wait around the dealership until more inventory is available and the market picks up. I’m here to tell you that is the worst strategy possible in this or any economic environment. Let’s take a quick look at history: He tried 1,000s of materials to create the invention he knew would change the world. A reporter asked him, “Are you ready to give up?”...