By AJ Irving
Earlier this year (2024), Fleet Mobility Today founder Daniel Bland (pictured above right) was interviewed in Brazil from the studio of Tom Reaoch (pictured above left) a key business connector for those wanting to do business in the country.
Daniel was interviewed on Tom’s Talk to Brazil live-audio program, a leading business podcast that connects with business experts throughout the world. Below are brief snippets from their discussion.
Tom: I'm Tom Reaoch, an American known as the King of Networking, connecting people from my studio in Brazil. Today's guest, joining us from São Paulo, is Daniel Bland, a business insight specialist in corporate communication in the Americas and founder of Fleet Mobility Today.
Daniel, as an analyst and writer providing in-depth business news, could you tell us about Fleet Mobility Today as a communication channel for corporate fleet and mobility management.
Daniel: Hello, Tom. It's great to be here again on Talk to Brazil. Fleet Mobility Today is, as you said, a communication channel that publishes fleet and mobility insights in the Americas. We focus on the B2B market, mainly in larger countries like the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile.
We support this with written material, video, and soon, audio content. Our goal is to reach fleet managers who operate 100 to 5,000 cars and the suppliers of these cars, like automakers and leasing companies, as well as other companies related to fleet and mobility.
Tom: What are the types of content you provide through Fleet Mobility Today?
Daniel: Right now, we are focusing more on video content, including our Snapshots, Expert Talks, and Charla con Amigos.
Snapshots provide a profile of a specific country, covering aspects like the economy, fleet profile, energy matrix, and pricing of energy. Expert Talks are interviews with professionals like vehicle procurement experts or fleet managers. Charla con Amigos is similar but in Spanish and done out of Mexico with my colleague Jaime Bringas.
Tom: Is there a commonality in fleet management across different countries in Latin America compared to North America?
Daniel: Yes, fleets in Latin America tend to focus more on benefit cars compared to North America, where cars are more accessible, and people can buy their own. In Latin America, benefit cars are seen as an addition to the salary.
As for the fleet management and leasing models, they differ. While Mexico follows a more flexible open-end leasing model like what is common in the United States. The rest of Latin America tends to follow the European model of fixed terms and with the leasing company assuming the residual risk.
Tom: How do manufacturers of automobiles approach fleet markets?
Daniel: Manufacturers focus on fleets as much as they do on regular consumers, some more than others. However, cost efficiency is more of a focus. For example, Hertz in the United States (during the start of the EV fever) initially acquired many electric vehicles (EV) but decided to sell off many of them due to concerns about resale values.
Fleet managers must consider the purchase price, but also the cost of maintenance as well as the resale value (or maintaining residual value) when dealing with corporate fleets.
Tom: Has the job of a fleet manager become more complex over the years?
Daniel: Yes, they are more like mobility managers nowadays, considering not just vehicle purchase and maintenance but also new options like ridesharing and being prepared for the transition to EVs. In Latin America, this complexity is even more pronounced as the region lags slightly behind in electrification.
Tom: Are automobile manufacturers investing in research and development in Brazil?
Daniel: In Brazil, many companies are investing heavily in research and development, focusing on EVs and likely autonomous vehicles in the near future. R&D is crucial for the future of mobility and among the most recent announcements have been made by Stellantis and Toyota.
Tom: What are your expectations for Fleet Mobility Today, and what can our listeners expect?
Daniel: Besides our current video content and articles, we send out a Newsletter twice a month with about 4,900 subscribers. We also have educational courses, including an English course for fleet and mobility professionals to help them compete in the global market.
And Tom, we might also start a radio program quite similar to what you're doing here. Soon, we are planning corporate events aimed at bringing people together, but I’ll have more info on that in the coming months.
Tom: Great Daniel, keep us informed. How can our listeners find you?
Daniel: You can find me on LinkedIn under Fleet Mobility Today or my name, Daniel Bland. Our website is FleetMobilityToday.com.
Tom: Thank you, Daniel, for joining us and sharing your insights.
Daniel: Thank you for having me, Tom. It's great to be here.
Tom: For our listeners, you can find more about Daniel Bland on LinkedIn and at FleetMobilityToday.com. Talk to Brazil is brought to us by FocusMI Market Intelligence. Find out more about them at FocusMI.com.
Remember, when you talk to Tom, you talk to the world. Goodbye and thanks for listening.
