With the COVID-19 pandemic persisting across the United States, Americans are facing more adversity on long road trips than ever before. Regrettably, the safest “route” for anyone to take right now is the one that keeps us closest to home. But Americans are individuals with family, responsibilities and careers, and such commitments have helped many people stay motivated during these difficult times. Furthermore, many travelers took to the highway in Summer 2020 to find a much-needed respite with nature, largely because of the lengthy quarantine. Whatever the reason, road travel is sometimes very simply unavoidable.

We all have places to be, and we can't afford to let darkness stop us. Whether it's a commute from work to home during the winter when night-time falls earlier, or a trip to visit family when you want to avoid traffic, driving at night is sometimes unavoidable. It is also inherently more dangerous.

At this time of the year, it is important to pay closer attention to the people and things that fill our lives with joy and meaning. One of Caritas Vehicle Services’ esteemed clients, a bakery company from Racine, Wisconsin called Racine Danish Kringles (RDK), lives the spirit of the season not only with their delicious pastry, but also with their generous giving to several charitable organizations. This is their story.

The number of electric vehicles (EV's) on the road is continuing to rise from about 1 million at the end of 2018 to a projected 18.7 million by 2030. Concurrently, fleet management organizations are promoting the incorporation of EV's into their clients' fleets more than ever before. So what should you know about vehicles that run on electricity? 

As we prepare for the winter season, it is important to make certain that our vehicles are in good condition. Have the oil changed, refill the window-washing fluid, re-stock your first-aid kit, make sure there are jumper cables in the trunk, and, if you live in an area where it regularly reaches 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below...consider investing in winter tires!

Vehicles are recalled by auto manufacturers for various reasons, usually pertaining to the safety of the driver. When you receive a recall notice for your vehicle, it is recommended that you drive to the nearest dealership, or have your vehicle towed there if it is unsafe to drive. The dealership is then responsible for repair of the vehicle as well as any previous repairs that are related to the recalled part (if you smartly kept your receipts from previous repairs).

When operating a fleet of vehicles, the safety of your drivers is paramount to the success of your business. From company morale to return-on-investment to your public image, everything will be effected by the way you implement your safety strategy. So, we found a helpful whitepaper on Automotive-Fleet.com that has excellent advice on developing an all-encompassing safety "culture" at your organization. 

We live in a highly subjective world. Indeed, one might say the entire human experience is an emotional and subjective one. But facts are not. People may use facts incorrectly, or even come up with false data in order to prove a point, but real facts do not pretend to be anything that they're not. They don't even exist for humans to use or interpret; in essence, they simply exist to hold the universe together. 

As the cold of the winter thaws, so do our vehicle and its structural components. The Spring is the perfect time to provide your automobile with a little tender love and care so it may achieve peak performance before hitting the highway.

Caritas Vehicle Services and our partners at LeasePlan USA have come up with a standard Springtime Maintenance Checklist.

We are living in a century of farewells to many reliable, traditional methods of living. The U.S. Postal Service is slowly becoming defunct as e-mail, text messaging and social media take its place with unsurpassed speed & convenience. Cinemas are suffering because of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime (Blockbuster & friends are already long-gone). In a more relevant occurrence, the American "sedan" is losing popularity and U.S. automakers are abandoning its production. Coming to take its place? Well, we'll get to that.