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The 2nd day of the 2018 AfMA Fleet Conference & Exhibition once again brought delegates together to consider some of the biggest issues affecting the fleet and automotive industries.

After a delicious breakfast and sponsor address from Sahil Basin of Tekbox, guests were treated to a discussion on the future of autonomous vehicles from GoAuto Founder John Mellor. In his talk, Mellor explored in depth the variety of autonomous solutions being formed by manufacturers and larger organisations like Google and Apple.

Mellor also had some praise for Tesla efforts to lead the way in terms of autonomous vehicles, but indicated that there was still much improvement required to improve overall driver confidence in autonomy.

“You really have to take your team off to Tesla though for their achievements to this point in time – but our overall view of a Tesla on autopilot was similar to that of a learner driver – reactive rather than proactive” he said.

John also contemplated how the technology could improve congestion in busy capital cities, simply by the improved technology that would see cars drive in closer physical proximity to one another.

“Using driverless technology will close up the operating space around cars which could reduce congestion by up to 10 per cent – or basically the difference between a free-flowing road network rather than a congested one.”

The morning plenary was also a great opportunity for delegates to hear from three speakers on the topics of electric, autonomous and connected vehicles. The common theme was vividly clear – the market is changing and it up to individuals, organisations, and governments to take action within a constantly evolving market. We would like to thank Susan Harris, Anthony King and Behyad Jafari for sharing their insights and findings with us.

In a similar fashion to Day 1, the middle part of the day was a chance for delegates to attend a number of breakout sessions on a variety of topics. Key talking points before lunch included considering what a zero-emissions transition would like, how autonomous shuttles are improving mobility, how to win hearts and minds to consider road safety and a look at four financing and fleet management organisations in our rapid-fire speed dating sessions out in the foyer.

The afternoon closed with a highly topical discussion on the future of Chain of Responsibility that considered how the new legislative changes will affect fleet managers and the industry as a whole.

Speaker Greg Fill’s suggestions involved adopting a risk management approach to meet your responsibilities which can be achieved by using a Safety Management System (SMS). In its essence, a SMS provides an efficient and reliable way to increase safety by enabling organisations to take responsibility for safety, work practices and the environment while identifying, eliminating and reducing hazards and risks.

In his closing remarks AfMA Executive Director Mace Hartley thanked those gathered for their ongoing support of AfMA and of the fleet industry in general.

“It’s quite humbling to get great feedback from so many people, and it’s nice to hear that many have said that this year was the best conference yet,” he said.

“I realise when you go home from here, you’ve got a long list of things to achieve. Many of you in your industries are being asked to do more with less, so I wish you and your organisation well.”

AfMA would officially thank all our delegates, members, sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers for joining us at the 2018 Fleet Conference and Exhibition. In particular, we would like to thank our Event Partners Toyota Motor Corporation Australia and Toyota Fleet Management.

We look forward to connecting the industry together at our next Conference & Exhibition in 2019, alongside our other events throughout 2018.

For more info on how to become an AfMA Member, please contact us at [email protected]