Summit to Tap Wide Range of Expertise to Improve Industry’s Fleet Practices

TRSA’s April 17-18 Fleet Summit will tackle the challenge of increasingly professionalizing linen, uniform and facility services fleet-management techniques as the Baltimore event covers legal, technical and labor issues to be considered in boosting effectiveness in this function. The Summit coincides with the NAFA Institute and Expo (I&E), with package registration available to TRSA participants who wish to take advantage of the complete range of that program’s activities April 18-19 as well.

NAFA, the fleet-management association, will present TRSA Summit sessions on legislation/regulation (with Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s government relations VP) and fleet-management trends. NAFA, which represents and serves public works, public safety, private sector and outsourced fleet-management organizations, is partnering with TRSA to deliver fleet-related programming to TRSA members.

Also on the agenda: a panel discussion on the practical impacts on our industry of what NAFA will discuss in these sessions, featuring TRSA member fleet professionals Spencer Fisher (Miller’s Textile, Wapakoneta, OH), Robert Francis (Prudential Overall Supply, Irvine, CA) and Tim Stuewer (Alsco, Salt Lake City).

Topping NAFA’s advocacy priority list: the emerging regulatory burdens of vehicle electrification and the need for federal government to accelerate plans to support electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This includes:

• Creating realistic expectations of how quickly electrification can be adopted – it hinges on the availability of vehicles that fleets need and the development of adequate charging capacity.
• Greater public investment to facilitate charging on highways, in communities and at fleet depots. The existing National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, established by the recent bipartisan infrastructure law, is only a start.
• More concerted local mapping of utility capacity and fleet locations to expedite development of charging infrastructure.

NAFA also is working in legislative channels to prevent auto recycling thefts, namely catalytic converters, for which the average insurance claim is nearly $2700 (plus deductible), with State Farm paying out $50 million for more than 23,000 claims. One theft ring stole $22 million worth.

Improving access to vehicle data is another priority. Since 1990, automakers have been required to provide independent repair shops with the same information and training tools they would give a new car dealer to repair vehicles. Today, manufacturers are hanging onto their exclusive access to data generated by vehicle operational systems that is stored in Onstar and built-in telematics. NAFA is pushing for legislation that recognizes the owner/lessee of a vehicle as the owner and controller of all data generated, collected and stored by a vehicle.

The TRSA Summit at the Baltimore Convention Center (same site as I&E) begins at 1 p.m. April 17 with the three presentations. Summit registration includes the NAFA social events later that day (happy hour and evening reception) and access to the Institute and Expo general session and exhibits through 1:30 p.m. April 18. TRSA I&E package registrants get education sessions through 4:30 p.m. and a happy hour that day; on April 19, exhibits from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., education sessions from 1:30 to 4 p.m.; and a closing social event from 5 to 7 p.m.