It’s a Wrap – IPWEA Australasian Fleet Conference 2020
By Rob Wilson – Director IPWEA FLEET
Given the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, it may be that the IPWEA Australasian Fleet Conference 2020, run over the 16th to 18th March in Brisbane, was one of the last such events run anywhere for some time.
The 2020 conference delivered a forward-looking program addressing the current environment fleet managers operate in and looking towards the challenges and opportunities of the future. The opening keynote address by Dennis Walsh from Transport and Main Roads Queensland delivered an outstanding overview of where we are currently with technology such as electric vehicles, connected vehicles and automation. This led into a fascinating panel discussion which included Dennis, Eminent Engineer, Simon Ginn and IPWEA Fleet Council member Peter Armour from Central Coast Council. An important take away was that advanced technology is already available and being widely used. Importantly, will see wider application of advanced transport technologies in step with government support, reducing unit costs and community acceptance.
The conference continued on Tuesday and addressed a diverse array of topics such as; robotics in fleet, tools and resources to help manage WHS risk, diagnostic equipment developments, Fleet Management Information Systems, asset valuations, mobility as a service and staff training to ensure necessary capabilities are available to manage and maintain new and evolving technologies. Our international speaker Scott Conlon from Mercury Associates joined the conference remotely and received great engagement from participants as they followed up on key issues affecting USA fleet managers and the similarities to Australia.
The conference wrapped up on Wednesday with a great stocktake on EVs including how to implement them, tools and resources available to help transition to an EV fleet and an understanding of the broader issues relating to EVs such as power distribution and charging. Llew Jury from Advancer conducted a great workshop on team performance and motivation. The formal presentations concluded with Dr Jeff Potter from NTC providing and update on the HVNL review. The conference finished off with the opportunity to drive a number of EVs being introduced into fleets today.
Thanks to everyone who was part of the event including our sponsors, exhibitors, presenters, and of course delegates. IPWEA remain committed to supporting our community meet the everyday and not-so-everyday challenges of fleet management and will continue to deliver quality resources, tools and training in these challenging times.