Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/557483
VIEWPOINT Editor John Kmitta | jkmitta@epgmediallc.com EPG Media & Specialty Information, 10405 6th Ave. N., Ste 210 Plymouth, MN 55441 Web site: www.landscapeirrigation.com Group Publisher David Voll EDITORIAL STAFF Associate Publisher, Editor John Kmitta (763) 383-4405; jkmitta@epgmediallc.com Products Editor Steve Noe (763) 383-4407; fax (763) 383-4499; snoe@epgmediallc.com PRODUCTION TEAM Art Director Brian Snook Production Manager Karen Kalinyak DIRECT MAIL LIST SALES MeritDirect, Jim Scova, (914) 368-1012; e-mail jscova@MeritDirect.com REPRINT SERVICE Robin Cooper, e-mail rcooper@epgmediallc.com CIRCULATION For subscription inquiries and customer service questions, please call (845) 856-2229, or fax (847) 763-9569 customerservice@epgmediallc.com business hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST Publisher's Notice: We assume no responsibility for the validity of advertising claims in connec- tion with items appearing in this special edition. Commercial product names are used for the convenience of the reader. Mention of a com- mercial product does not imply endorsement by EPG Media & Specialty Information, or prefer- ence over similar products not mentioned. ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES: EAST Chris Pelikan Senior Account Manager Phone: (954) 964-8676 cpelikan@epgmediallc.com MIDWEST Peggy Tupper Senior Account Manager Phone: (763) 383-4429 ptupper@epgmediallc.com WEST Leslie Palmer Senior Account Manager Phone: (248) 731-7596 lpalmer@epgmediallc.com Driving Factors 6 September 2015 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com The main focus of this issue of Landscape and Irrigation is our annual GIE+EXPO and HNA show preview (beginning on page 12). The show is the premier industry event to learn from and network with other industry professionals, but it is also a prime opportunity to see and test drive some of the latest equipment to make your job easier. And there is probably no more essential piece of equipment to your job than the vehicle that gets you to your job site. So this issue also includes our annual work truck overview (beginning on page 28). With this issue in mind, we wanted to get a feel for trends with regard to how our readers approach the vehicles in their fleet. Between April and early June, 2015, we conducted a survey of Landscape and Irrigation subscribers to get a feel for the vehicles you drive and the decisions that drive your business. The results are as follows: How many fleet vehicles do you own? 5 or less ........................................... 39.0% 6-10 ................................................. 26.8% 11-19 ............................................... 18.3% 20 or more ...................................... 15.9% Do you typically buy or lease your fleet vehicles? Buy .................................................. 86.6% Lease ................................................ 3.7% Both ................................................ 9.7% Is your company intending to purchase/ lease fleet vehicles in the next? 12 months ....................................... 50% 24 months ....................................... 28% 36 months ....................................... 22% How many fleet vehicles are you considering in your next leasing cycle? None ............................................... 68.3% 5 or less ........................................... 31.7% 6-10 ................................................. 0.0% 11-19 ............................................... 0.0% 20 or more ...................................... 0.0% How many fleet vehicles are you considering in your next purchasing cycle? None ............................................... 14.6% 5 or less ........................................... 79.3% 6-10 ................................................. 4.9% 11-19 ............................................... 0% 20 or more ...................................... 1.2% How many people at your company are involved in the decision making process on leasing or buying fleet vehicles? 1....................................................... 35.4% 2....................................................... 40.2% 3....................................................... 20.7% 4....................................................... 0.0% 5 or more ........................................ 3.7% Do you use fuel additives for your fleet vehicles? Yes ................................................... 29.3% No ................................................... 70.7% Do you utilize trailers in your landscape business? Yes ................................................... 92.7% No ................................................... 7.3% We also asked respondents which metric they track the most, and almost 25 percent said that operating expenses were the number one thing they track, maintenance history was a close second at 18.3 percent, followed by age of truck (15.9 percent), productivity (13.4 percent) and fuel costs (8.5 percent). We also received responses for insurance, safety, and mileage as being key metrics. Overall, the range of results most likely reflects the range in size of the companies that responded, but I did find interesting the percentage of companies planning to buy within the next year, the overall number of vehicles they intend to purchase, and the tendency to buy rather than lease. Thanks to all of you who participated in this survey, your feedback is always beneficial to the market. I hope these shared results provide some added insight to the industry as a whole. LI