The Fleet Lead

What happens when commercial electric vehicles move past the pioneer phase? Paul Gioupis, founder and CEO of Zeem Solutions, has a front-row seat. Managing the ZEV fleet management company, Gioupis sees the massive data behind Zeem's over 350,000 charging sessions.
In this episode, FleetOwner's Josh Fisher talks with Gioupis at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, discussing how the Tesla Semi is shattering range expectations and how the total cost of ownership (TCO) narrative is changing.

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of June 11
U.S. imposes duties on Mexican, Chinese trailer imports
Amazon’s LTL arm opens for business
World Cup congestion is underway
Strong spot rates are here to stay
Diesel fell 14 cents

It’s no surprise that America’s economic dominance since the late 19th century coincided with the start of its trucking industry.
What may be surprising is that much of the automotive and trucking industries started not in Detroit, but it’s neighbor to the south, Cleveland. This is where Alexander Winton built the first semi-tractor to haul his company’s automobiles to early customers, and also where White Motor Co. got its start.
For America 250, Cleveland’s Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum is hosting an exhibit called "Keep on Truckin" (a phrase coined by artist R. Crumb, who lived in Cleveland for a time) that showcases several early truck models.
Fleet Maintenance's John Hitch visited the museum to discuss trucking’s past and evolution with the museum’s curator of transportation history, Aaron Warkentin.
Timestamps:
01:45 — Origins of the semi-truck
04:30 — Early truck technology
07:10 — Old timey headlights
08:10 — Horsepower vs horses
10:00 — Motorless truck maintenance
11:35 — Truck design evolution
14:15 — The Crawford Museum's founding
22:50 — White Motor Company

Volvo Trucks North America unveiled its new EPA 2027-compliant D13 engine at this year's Advanced Clean Transportation Expo.
The Fleet Lead brought on Duane Tegels, VTNA's product marketing manager, to talk about its updated electrical architecture, aftertreatment, and engine block designs. The new engine hits aggressive NOx reductions while maintaining fuel economy and boosting engine braking performance.
Timestamps:
0:57 – New electrical architecture
4:36 – Tips for maintaining the new engines
6:30 – Increased engine braking power
7:56 – Procurement advice
9:34 – VTNA's vocational plan
11:04 – Checking out the new engine

To celebrate America's 250th anniversary, the crews from FleetOwner and FleetMaintenance team up for an epic look at the trucking industry’s deep historical roots and its tech-driven future. From the first horse-drawn wagons that moved goods through the Thirteen Colonies to the 1897 invention of the semi-truck to today's shift toward alternative powertrains, we're breaking down how freight moves America.
Plus, we dive into the Right to Repair Act, the multi-year freight recession, and the surprising history of how Henry Ford accidentally invented Kingsford charcoal.
Timestamps:
0:57 – Colonial trade routes and the physical evolution of freight
3:08 – The 1897 invention of the semi-truck
5:57 – 13 diagnostic trouble codes
11:00 – NASCAR roots, North Carolina culture
13:46 – Eisenhower's interstate vision
18:05 – Regulatory shifts, alternative fuels
25:19 – The Federal Excise Tax (FET) debate
30:44 – The multi-year freight recession
35:21 – The Right to Repair Act
44:06 – Holiday plans and how Henry Ford invented Kingsford charcoal  

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of June 4:
FedEx Freight completed its LTL spinoff
Ohio is planning the expiration of 5,000 non-domiciled CDLs
Congress considering more truck parking funding
Attempts to repeal the Federal Excise Tax
Diesel fell 17 cents

The National Tank Truck Carriers' new chairman is doing much more than continuing the association's long-held tradition of bald chairmen. Bulk Transporter's Jason McDaniel hosts Jeremy Mairs, president/CEO of Cox Transport and NTTC's chairman, to talk about his experience growing up in the industry and working under California regulations. What does Mairs have on the agenda for NTTC in the next couple years?
Timestamps:
0:33 — Qualifications for tank truck association leadership?
1:16 — Jeremy met his wife at an NTTC event
2:33 — Experience as a driver
6:01 — Cox Petroleum's footprint
7:41 — How did your upbringing influence your trucking view?
10:09 — Jeremy's priorities as chairman
12:00 — FMCSA's Derek Bars
15:15 — Where NTTC can make the most progress
18:08 — What is it like operating in California?
23:54 — The Iran fuel shock
25:33 — Jeremy's industry outlook
27:30 — Why stay engaged with NTTC?

Here are the headlines from this week in trucking as of May 28.
A House committee passed a surface transportation bill
Motive is updating its dash cam tech offerings
EV charging companies Voltera, Revel are merging
In fuel this week, diesel fell 7 cents

There is a fundamental shift happening in how fleets hire, pay, and retain drivers. The trucking workforce is rapidly aging, and the critical population of 45- to 65-year-old drivers is shrinking. What happens when the demographic cliff hits your fleet?
In this episode of The Fleet Lead, FleetOwner’s Josh Fisher sits down with Leah Shaver, president and CEO of the National Transportation Institute, a leading organization that tracks industry drivers’ wages, benefits, and retirement trends. Leah shares her experiences with driver demographics, how carriers approach age differences, driver retention, and more.
Tune in to discover:
The Root Causes: Why traditional retention strategies are failing the next generation.
Creative Solutions: How carriers are moving past the “earn your stripes” mentality with flexible scheduling and modern incentives.
The Legal & Cultural Hurdles: Navigating marijuana regulations and the generational communication rift.
Episode Chapters & Timestamps
1:04 – Understanding the Driver Demographic Cliff
2:06 – The Compounding Factors Restricting Driver Supply
5:46 – Moving Past the “Earn Your Stripes” Mentality
8:49 – Creative Scheduling and Modern Incentives
10:11 – Bridging the Generational Communication Rift
21:17 – Navigating the Industry’s Marijuana Hurdles
27:20 – What Modern Drivers Actually Prefer
34:00 – Immediate Action Items: What Fleets Can Do Today

The Model Year 2027 prebuy has changed considerably over the last few years. What hasn't changed, though, is that fleets can still expect a several-thousand-dollar premium on the next series of compliant trucks.
Don Davis, executive vice president of national accounts for Fleet Advantage, shares his perspective on the coming prebuy, equipment procurement, and overall truck lifecycle management.
Timestamps:
1:30 – Is there still a prebuy?
3:34 – Are fleets starting to feel constrained equipment availability?
5:19 – How the prebuy changed   
8:32 – The NOX rule's cost increases
9:53 – What should fleets do?