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In the latest episode of The Fleet podcast, Steve Jastrow, Senior Vice President of Strategic Advisory and Analytics at Element Fleet Management, explains how fleet management technology and advanced analytics are helping organizations turn industry disruption into opportunity. From AI-driven telematics and camera systems that uncover risky driver behaviours to data insights that optimize costs and safety, technology is reshaping every aspect of fleet operations. Steve emphasizes a disciplined focus on fundamentals such as maintenance, safety, and vehicle replacement, while adopting electrification through a gradual, data-informed approach. Ultimately, he sees the fusion of technology, analytics, and human insight as the key to building safer, smarter, and more efficient fleets for the future.
AI and telematics are revolutionizing fleet analytics, offering deeper insight into driver behaviour, vehicle performance, and safety risks.
Leasing and data-driven decision-making improve financial flexibility, helping fleets adapt to volatile markets and changing regulations.
EV adoption works best through gradual implementation, supported by strong change management and infrastructure planning.
Fleet management technology is creating measurable impact, reducing accidents, optimizing routes, and cutting fleet miles by up to 10%.
AI and telematics are revolutionizing fleet analytics, offering deeper insight into driver behaviour, vehicle performance, and safety risks.
Leasing and data-driven decision-making improve financial flexibility, helping fleets adapt to volatile markets and changing regulations.
EV adoption works best through gradual implementation, supported by strong change management and infrastructure planning.
Fleet management technology is creating measurable impact, reducing accidents, optimizing routes, and cutting fleet miles by up to 10%.
In today’s fleet landscape, chaos needs to be embraced as an opportunity. At least, that’s how Steve Jastrow, Senior Vice President of Strategic Advisory and Analytics at Element Fleet Management, sees it.
Steve joined The Fleet podcast with host Chris Brandt to talk about the seismic shifts transforming fleet operations and how fleet leaders can stay ahead when the only constant is change.
“We’re seeing disruption everywhere,” says Steve. “From electric vehicles to regulatory rollbacks to tariffs and AI. It’s a lot for anyone to keep up with, but that’s where the opportunity lies. It’s the chaos that gives us new ways to help clients perform better.”
When markets are volatile, Steve’s advice is clear: don’t get distracted.
“Keep your eye on the prize,” he says. “There are always external factors you can’t control such as tariffs, supply chains, and politics but your core focus should stay on optimizing what you can control: maintenance, depreciation, safety.”
Fleet teams that stayed disciplined through the pandemic learned this lesson well. When supply chains tightened, those that delayed replacements ended up with aging vehicles, higher repair costs, and lower fuel efficiency.
“Now that vehicle availability has improved, it’s critical not to fall behind again,” Steve explains. “Stick to your replacement strategy. Aged fleets cost more in the long run.”
One of the most powerful ways the latest fleet management technology is reshaping fleet management is through AI-powered telematics and camera systems.
Historically, fleet analytics focused on the vehicle through factors like maintenance costs, fuel economy, and resale value. But as Steve notes, “The driver accounts for about 50% of a vehicle’s performance.”
With camera data, fleets can now see beyond accidents to the behaviours that cause them such as rapid acceleration, harsh braking, near misses. Element’s partnership with Samsara brings this visibility to life.
“Traditionally, if a driver came back without damage, we assumed they were a good driver,” Steve explains. “But what if they had five near misses that day? AI and video analytics help us identify those moments and coach them before an accident happens.”
This proactive approach can reduce costs, improve insurance outcomes, and, most importantly, save lives. “Safety isn’t just a slogan on a wall,” Steve says. “It has to be part of your culture, driven from the top down.”
Element’s work with AI goes far beyond cameras. Steve describes how Xcelerate Intelligence, Element’s fleet analytics platform, is evolving to make fleet data more accessible than ever.
“Imagine typing a question, ‘What’s the fuel economy of my mid-size sedans this year?’ and getting an instant, data-driven answer,” he says. “That’s what we’re building now.”
By combining conversational AI with deep benchmarking, Element is helping fleets compare performance against similar organizations and identify where the biggest improvement opportunities lie.
“It’s not just about being better than average,” Steve explains. “We’re defining what ‘best in class’ looks like. What behaviours and strategies separate the top performers from everyone else.”
Steve also touched on how leasing can create flexibility and protect cash flow in uncertain times.
“I used to be a finance guy,” Steve says. “And I always ask people, would you prepay your electricity bill five years in advance? Of course not. So why do that with your fleet?”
He believes leasing allows companies to stay nimble and better manage risk. “Leasing frees up capital, provides tax advantages, and gives you the ability to modernize your fleet faster,” he says. “It’s almost always a better solution than ownership.”
Few topics generate as much debate as fleet electrification. While many see it as the future, Steve cautions that it’s more complex than most people think.
“There’s almost always a case for EVs but moving from internal combustion engine (ICE) to EV is harder than it looks,” he explains. “It’s not just about the vehicle. It’s about infrastructure, driver behaviour, and change management.”
He recommends a gradual, test-and-learn approach. “Start small, learn, and scale. Bring your drivers into the process. If they understand why you’re making the shift, adoption is much higher.”
And while infrastructure remains a challenge, particularly for employees without home charging access, Steve believes this is the right time to start refining EV strategies. “With regulations in flux, this is a great moment to prepare,” he says. “Even if you’re not deploying at scale yet, laying the groundwork now puts you ahead for what’s coming.”
As fleets continue to digitize, the opportunities for improvement are expanding rapidly.
“Telematics and camera data are just the start,” Steve says. “We’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible. Route optimization alone can remove 10% of the kilometres a fleet drives. That’s a huge savings in cost and emissions.”
Looking ahead, he’s most excited about what this technology means for people. “Every insight we gain helps us make drivers safer, fleets more efficient, and clients more confident in their decisions,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about.”
For Steve, the chaos of change isn’t something to fear, it’s something to harness.
“The world is in front of us,” he says with a grin. “There’s so much to discover, and we’re just getting started.”
Want to learn more about how Element is helping fleets navigate change? Visit elementfleet.com to explore tools, insights, and strategies for smarter fleet management.