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Grace Suizo


Grace Suizo

Grace Suizo has been covering the automotive fleet industry since 2007. She spent six years as an editor for five fleet publications and has written more than 100 articles geared toward both commercial and public sector fleets.

Suizo Article Equipment

Addressing Ergonomics in Utility Fleet Vehicles

| Grace Suizo |
It’s no secret that there are myriad items a utility fleet manager must consider when spec’ing vehicles for their fleet. Among those are the vehicles’ ergonomic features, which are intended to provide greater operator comfort and efficiency. According to Pete Gnatowski, director of sales, manufacturing and distribution for global automotive services organization Holman (www.holman.com), “When […]
Maintenance Suizo Dec 23 UFP

OEM vs. Aftermarket Parts: What’s Best for Your Operation?

| Grace Suizo |
When it comes to purchasing parts, how do fleet professionals decide whether to take the OEM route or explore aftermarket options? UFP recently spoke with Alan Cunningham, superintendent of fleet maintenance for Ameren Illinois, and James Kuha, transportation operations supervisor for Central Hudson Gas & Electric, to gain some insight on how they make these […]
technology suizo oct 2023

Tire Procurement Strategies for Utility Fleets

| Grace Suizo |
Con Edison, headquartered in New York, operates a fleet of approximately 8,100 active assets ranging from light- to heavy-duty vehicles, including digger derricks, flush trucks, bucket trucks, tankers, tow trucks, buses and trailers. The utility’s tire procurement decisions are made by an internal tire committee, whose members include engineers from the transportation department as well […]
smart-fleets Aug-23

Best Practices for Managing a Shared Vehicle Pool

| Grace Suizo |
How many vehicles does your organization use every day? What about weekly? Monthly? According to Mike Hicks, vice president of marketing for Agile Fleet (www.agilefleet.com), these can be challenging questions for prospective clients to answer. “For many organizations, it can be difficult to track what vehicles are owned, where they are, their condition and mileage, […]
Electric vehicle

Retooling Your Shops for EVs

| Grace Suizo |
Electric vehicles have been rolling out in more and more utilities as fleets continuously strive to green up their operations. But making the transition from combustion to electric involves more than just getting operators on board. Among other things, it also means making sure shops and technicians are well-equipped to properly service these units. According […]

Pitfalls to Avoid When Transitioning to a Fleet Management Information System

| Grace Suizo |
A fleet management information system (FMIS) is an essential back-office system designed to help fleet managers keep records and generate reports regarding the effective and efficient operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of their fleet assets. But pulling and integrating data from a wide range of sources into a single system can be a daunting task. […]

Top Trends in Utility Fleet Maintenance

| Grace Suizo |
Inflation is impacting all areas of the utility fleet industry, with a profound impact on maintenance and operating expenses, according to Amanda Kazemba, senior consulting analyst, business intelligence and analytics, for Holman (www.holman.com). “Overall, the cost to repair a vehicle is up approximately 20% as compared to 2020, and fleet operators should expect to see […]

Crafting a Telematics RFP

| Grace Suizo |
Due to the significant financial investment, fleet managers sometimes make the mistake of basing a telematics purchasing decision on cost alone, according to Steven Berube, senior business development manager for Geotab (www.geotab.com). “While choosing a low-cost provider may seem like an ideal choice at the time, fleet managers risk paying thousands in hidden costs associated […]

Navigating the Surge in Fuel Costs

| Grace Suizo |
High fuel prices have made it increasingly difficult for fleet operations to keep costs low – especially utility fleets, whose essential services require daily travel to job sites. According to Dan Remmert, senior manager of fleet services for Ameren Illinois, “Not only are fuel prices at record highs, but pretty much everything else it takes […]

Spec’ing All-Terrain Utility Vehicles for Fleet Applications

| Grace Suizo |
Industry experts share important factors to consider before ordering an ATUV. One of the most common mistakes utility fleet managers make when it comes to all-terrain utility vehicles (ATUVs) is purchasing machines that are either too heavy or too light for the work they most commonly perform, according to Tavis Renglich, sales representative for UTV […]