The CEO of Stratim believes the development of autonomous vehicle can provide trucking technicians with additional opportunities.
The CEO of Stratim believes the development of autonomous vehicle can provide trucking technicians with additional opportunities.
The CEO of Stratim believes the development of autonomous vehicle can provide trucking technicians with additional opportunities.
The CEO of Stratim believes the development of autonomous vehicle can provide trucking technicians with additional opportunities.
The CEO of Stratim believes the development of autonomous vehicle can provide trucking technicians with additional opportunities.

KAR looks toward future of fleet management with purchase of Stratim

Feb. 8, 2018
"The winners in mobility could really take a page from the freight world." - Sean Behr, Stratim founder and president

KAR Auction Services said it has acquired Stratim, a start-up based in San Francisco that alerts and plans when and where vehicles need to be fueled or have maintenance performed.

“Stratim’s first-of-its kind mobility management solution is already supporting the fleets of some of our commercial customers, and this is a natural extension of those relationships,” said Jim Hallett, chairman and CEO of KAR.

“Stratim enables automotive companies to succeed in the new age of use-based transportation,” said Sean Behr, Stratim founder and president. The company monitors more than 10,000 cars and vans from 50 clients including BMW, Ford, and General Motors.

In a recent interview, Behr told Fleet Owner he views the potential development of autonomous vehicles could provide trucking industry technicians new opportunities.

After the KAR deal was announced he said: that "total vehicle management is a key touchstone of freight and trucking. As use-based transportation and autonomous vehicles grow, the owners of the these consumer fleets will need to think about the same total vehicle management. The winners in mobility could really take a page from the freight world."

During January, Goodyear launched an advanced tire maintenance pilot program with Stratim. As part of the program, Goodyear's artificial intelligence technology will assist Stratim customers to manage tire maintenance and repair needs.

Chris Helsel, Goodyear's chief technology officer, said shared mobility is ramping up the number of miles fleet vehicles are running.

"Those increased miles mean increased demand for tire maintenance and repair, especially when you consider customer expectations for comfort and safety from a mobility service," Helsel said. 

He added: "As shared mobility and autonomous vehicles get more trial and adoption, Goodyear will continue to innovate with the industry."

About the Author

Neil Abt

Neil Abt, editorial director at Fleet Owner, is a veteran journalist with over 20 years of reporting experience, including 15 years spent covering the trucking industry. A graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., he began his career covering sports for The Washington Post newspaper, followed by a position in the newsroom of America Online (AOL) and then both reporting and leadership roles at Transport Topics. Abt is based out of Portland, Oregon.

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