Wendy Leavitt

Director, editorial & market development
Fleet Owner

 

Wendy Leavitt joined Fleet Owner in 1998 after serving as editor-in-chief of Trucking Technology magazine for four years.

She began her career in the trucking industry at Kenworth Truck Company in Kirkland, WA where she spent 16 years—the first five years as safety and compliance manager in the engineering department and more than a decade as the company’s manager of advertising and public relations. She has also worked as a book editor, guided authors through the self-publishing process and operated her own marketing and public relations business.

Wendy has a Masters Degree in English and Art History from Western Washington University, where, as a graduate student, she also taught writing.  

Articles by Wendy Leavitt
Carriers remain cautious about buying equipment 5

Carriers will continue to be very conservative when it comes to replacing equipment over the next twelve months, according to the Transport Capital Partners’ (TCP) Fourth Quarter 2012 Business Expectations Survey released yesterday. Sixty-percent of smaller carriers (under $25 million in revenue) and 45% of larger carriers indicated they were going to replace under 10% of their tractors in 2013.

New guide to GPS fleet management systems 5

Fleet operators who would appreciate some support when it comes to identifying the best GPS fleet management solutions for their particular operation have a new resource available. C.J. Driscoll & Associates just released its 2013 Fleet Operator’s Guide to GPS Fleet Management Systems, which was developed to do just that. 

Digital billboards dangerously distracting to drivers says new study 27
Should digital billboards be banned? New study concludes that they are dangerously distracting.
Confidence index down in equipment leasing & finance industry 27

Confidence in the equipment finance market declined from November to December according to the most recent report from the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.  December’s rating was 48.5, a decrease from the November Index of 49. The change reflects industry participants’ concerns regarding the impact of fiscal issues on capital expenditures, according to the Foundation, despite an overall sense of optimism in the equipment finance industry. 

Cloud-based mobile messaging service launches
Infinite Convergence Solutions builds upon its existing message platform
Schneider vs. Sandy

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Schneider National recently shared some of the successful measures the company took to help protect its employees, its customers’ freight and its own assets before and during the megastorm --- steps which may be of use to others when the next big one blows through. 

Of square pegs and round holes

On April 13, 1970, three men left Earth at 13:13 hours headed to the moon on America’s third lunar landing mission. Commander James A. Lovell Jr. headed the small team, which also included John L. Swigert Jr. and Fred W. Haise Jr.

Behind the scenes

Throughout much of the second half of this year, the automotive industry has watched light-duty vehicle sales climb slowly but smoothly, driven by pent-up demand, better access to financing, and, most recently, a possible flicker of improvement in small business confidence. By the end of October, forecasters like LMC Automotive and PricewaterhouseCoopers were predicting that U.S. light vehicle sales would hit 14.4 million or even 14.5 million units, respectively.

Natural gas industry spawning new conferences, associations

The growth of North America’s natural gas industry is creating a surge in another industry as well—meetings and conferences. For fleets that want to learn more about natural gas vehicles, more and more resources are becoming available. Here is a listing of some of the organizations, conferences and events where you can find information about natural gas:

Telematics: Weaving the future 2

Following the development of telematics today is like watching a robotic machine weave an enormous carpet of many colors and complicated, interlocking designs. Skeins and skeins of yarn (or data streams) wound onto countless shuttles (telematics devices) fly back and forth across the software loom forming intricate, interwoven patterns of blended shades and tones—nuanced information, surprising insights, subtle distinctions, and endless possibilities.

Fuel Defend brings fuel anti-siphon device to U.S. market 1

U.K.-based FuelDefend Global Limited is bringing its top-of-the-line, fuel anti-siphon device to the U.S. truck market. Dubbed “NeckIt!,” the device features fuel-fill holes that are just ¼-inch in diameter in a short, all-metal device that attaches securely inside neck of the fuel tank.

Location-based weather alerts system available soon from XRS

Drivers and will soon be able to get severe weather alerts based upon their exact GPS position, according to XRS Corp., which is preparing to roll out the new application in Q1 of 2013. The company has been working with an unnamed partner to bring the alert service to customers, according to Jim Cikanek, manager, mobility for XRS.

Next-generation Paccar engines available for 2013

Kenworth Truck Companyand Peterbilt Motors Company, divisions of Paccar Corp., recently announced the availability of the next generation of Paccar engines, developed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2013 emissions requirements. The Paccar MX-13, Paccar PX-9 and Paccar PX-7 engines are designed to maximize fuel efficiency and reliability while providing a low total cost of ownership.

Making the right choice

It is fair to say that natural gas has become the darling of the alternative fuel world, at least for now. The price differential between natural gas and diesel or gasoline is compelling, as is the fuel’s “green” emissions profile and the fact the U.S. is producing a lot of it right now.

Communications help trucking weather the storm 17

Wireless communications are indispensible to the trucking community, even on “routine” days and emergencies only serve to magnify the importance of staying in touch.  Communications and fleet management solution providers began reaching out to customers as Sandy approached the East Coast and have stayed in touch as disaster preparedness shifts to disaster recovery.

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