Spring 2025 Learnings: Insights Gained Across North America 

The first half of 2025 offered invaluable opportunities for Wheels to deepen our understanding of evolving fleet trends, challenges, and client priorities. By engaging with industry professionals from Long Beach to Toronto to Orlando, our team absorbed critical insights that are already shaping how we support fleets in a complex and fast-moving landscape. If you weren’t able to join us this spring, here’s a recap of what we learned. 

NPTC Annual Conference

May 11-13 | Orlando, FL

At NPTC, we gained clarity on how private fleets are redefining operational excellence. Roundtable discussions revealed a strong emphasis on flexibility in equipment choices and route optimization, with attendees highlighting peer-to-peer knowledge sharing as a top learning method. We also observed a growing recognition that cross-department collaboration is essential in making fleet decisions.

NAFA I&E

April 28-30 | Long Beach, CA

At NAFA I&E 2025, we helped move the industry forward by sharing knowledge, sparking conversations around innovation, and equipping fleet leaders with tools and insights to navigate core processes like upfitting, transport, and telematics. A highlight of the event was the debut of the new Pool CheckOut feature in the Wheels Mobile Assistant (WMA)—an award-winning solution, built to streamline day-to-day fleet operations through mobile convenience. The event reaffirmed that fleet professionals are looking for smart, accessible tools and clear education to help navigate complexity and drive efficiency across their operations.

ACT Expo

April 28-30 | Anaheim, CA

ACT Expo offered a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities of sustainable transportation. We learned that fleet leaders are increasingly pragmatic about clean energy—adopting multi-fuel strategies not out of ideology, but practicality. Concerns about infrastructure readiness, cost volatility, and shifting regulations were common. This reinforced the importance of adaptive planning and the need for custom solutions over one-size-fits-all recommendations.

NTEA Work Truck Week

March 4–7 | Indianapolis, IN

NTEA Work Truck Week underscored the increasing complexity of vocational fleet operations. Conversations revealed an evolution toward data-informed upfitting, where decisions are influenced by telematics, driver behavior, and real-world performance. Suppliers and upfitters acknowledged the importance of greater visibility and accountability in the delivery of their products, recognizing that performance transparency is essential to building trust and long-term partnerships. This highlighted the importance of strategic partnerships, transparent collaboration, and performance validation over marketing claims

Geotab Connect

February 25-27 | Orlando, FL

From panel discussions and networking sessions at GeoTab Connect, it became evident that turning data into actionable decisions is still a frontier for many fleets. Attendees expressed strong interest in refining how they interpret telematics insights, especially to improve driver safety and reduce costs. The event also reinforced how crucial it is to create collaborative environments—whether through breakout sessions or casual gatherings—where real challenges and solutions can be freely exchanged.

AFLA Canada Summit

February 19-20 | Mississauga, ON

At AFLA Canada, we gained a deeper understanding of the regulatory and operational nuances specific to the Canadian market. There was rich dialogue around lifecycle management, compliance pressures, and the role of emerging technologies. Canadian fleets, we found, are eager to align innovation with measurable performance outcomes and require localized support to do so effectively.

Continuing the Conversation

Our journey through these events has been an ongoing education in what fleets need today—and where they’re headed tomorrow. Thank you for continuing to challenge, inspire, and partner with us. We look forward to applying these insights and seeing many of you at upcoming events throughout the rest of the year.