What We Heard (and Learned) at Fleet Forward 2025
Our team recently spent a few days in San Diego for the Fleet Forward Conference, surrounded by fleet leaders, technology providers, and innovators who are shaping the future of this industry.
Fleet Forward has always been a place where optimism meets reality—and this year, the reality check is clear. From the changing pace of EV adoption to ongoing service challenges, the conversations were honest, practical, and in many ways, refreshing.
The EV Conversation Has Shifted
If the past few years have been marked by rapid acceleration toward electric vehicles, 2025 brought a pause —a collective moment to catch our breath and reassess.
Many sessions focused on the current slowdown in EV production and adoption. Bright Drop halted production in Canada, followed closely by Rivian’s layoffs, which naturally became a topic of conversation.
For many fleets, this moment feels like a pivot. The enthusiasm for electrification hasn’t disappeared; it’s just become more grounded. Fleets still want to move toward sustainability, but they’re being realistic about costs, infrastructure, and timing.
As one attendee put it, “This isn’t the end of EVs, it’s the start of doing things smarter.”
At the same time, AI took center stage in several sessions. Telematics and technology providers are discovering innovative ways to leverage AI for predictive maintenance, data analytics, and driver safety. The tone was less about hype and more about helping fleets make better, faster decisions with the tools already available.
The Service Gap Is Still the Industry’s Biggest Challenge
While technology took up much of the stage time, the most passionate discussions came from fleet managers discussing service, or the lack thereof.
Across panels and side conversations, a consistent theme emerged: inconsistent service levels, poor communication, and too much turnover.
We heard stories of account managers leaving without proper handoffs, new contacts without basic fleet experience, and customers left to re-teach their own business needs over and over again.
One fleet leader summed it up bluntly:
“If I have to teach your account manager how to do their job, something’s wrong.”
Another said they want to see their account team as “an extension of my team.”
That’s something we’ve always taken to heart. For us, it’s not just about answering the phone quickly or closing tickets; it’s about showing up, knowing our customers’ business inside and out, and following through every single time.
How We’re Helping Fleets Avoid the Same Frustrations
Many of the issues discussed at Fleet Forward are the same ones we’ve spent years working to solve.
Our License & Title (L&T) team, for instance, averages more than a decade of experience. That matters because experience is what enables new plates to be issued quickly, keeps renewals on track, and allows your fleet to operate without interruption. When others are struggling to keep up, our customers aren’t stuck waiting.
We also make a point to staff ahead of demand, not behind it. When volumes rise, we’re ready. With a robust resource network to handle on-the-ground DMV support, we can respond quickly when our customers need us most.
Transitions were another hot topic at the conference—how frequent staff turnover creates confusion and breaks continuity. Internally, we’ve worked hard to avoid that by implementing succession planning, shared team inboxes, and dedicated backups for every account. That way, our customers never feel like they’re starting over.
Our Takeaway: Relationships Still Matter Most
Fleet Forward reminded us that while tools and technologies will continue to evolve, relationships are still the foundation of great service.
Consistency, transparency, and care go a long way, and they’re what truly separate good partners from the rest.
When a customer tells us they see our team as an extension of theirs, that’s the highest compliment we can receive. It means we’re delivering the kind of partnership this industry deserves. The partnership is built on trust, follow-through, and close collaboration.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
If any of these challenges sound familiar—whether it’s improving communication or streamlining your License and title processes—we’d love to talk.
Contact us here. We’re here to help you move forward, together.
