Revolv's Don Kelley Sets Sights on Uptime and Zero-Emission Fleets

The transition toward electrified and sustainable fleet operations is proceeding rapidly. Revolv offers fully integrated and performance-driven solutions that cater to the primary concerns of fleet operators, which include maintaining uptime, managing costs, and driving zero-emission miles.

Don Kelley, who has over 20 years of experience in maintenance and management, has been appointed as the Vice President of Fleet Operations for Revolv. Kelley joined Revolv in September of 2023 and sat down with Work Truck to talk about his new role, the challenges of electrification, and how Revolv is here to help.

Falling into Fleet with a Passion for the Future

After graduating from the University of Memphis, Kelley started in the auto industry with General Motors. Not too long after that, he got a call from Ryder Transportation. Kelley agreed to meet with them and recalled his experience during his interview for a management trainee position.

“In the first five minutes of the interview, I told them that, in the spirit of full disclosure, they must have picked the wrong candidate because I can't even change the oil on my car, let alone do lease management. Yet here I am. All these later, I’ve spent my entire career in fleet management,” Kelley said.

Since his start in the industry, he has worked for such companies as Clark Power Services, Velocity Vehicle Group, SVT Fleet Solutions, and others.

But his current role at Revolv is one he relishes and he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

“This is the most exciting time in transportation since I’ve been involved for nearly 40 years. The shift from ICE vehicles and carbon-based fuels to zero-emission vehicles, the whole move toward sustainability is just massively exciting and extremely complex,” he said. “It’s been a seismic shift in the transportation landscape, not only for transportation companies but also for those that provide services to transportation companies. It’s an exciting time, and that's why I joined Revolv.”

Kelley shared it had become very clear to him that this electrification movement would happen.

“It was unavoidable. It was moving forward and created a whole exciting new landscape in transportation services, and I wanted to be part of it,” he said.

Kelley decided to explore the different opportunities and the EV sector.

“I was attracted to Revolv primarily because of the company's aspirations and impressive executive team, which Scott Davidson, the CEO, leads. As I looked at the leadership group at Revolv, it is a who's who of appointed experts from electrification to EV infrastructure. I just wanted to be part of it,” he said.

Challenges and Shifts in Fleet Electrification

Zero-emission fleets are here to stay. Revolv says 75% of large fleets are committed to decarbonization targets. However, transitioning to an electric fleet is a challenge. A fleet cannot switch to a completely new vehicle and supporting infrastructure overnight.

Revolv data also shows that 53% of fleets feel they lack the expertise to transition to sustainable options.

The hardest part? Where to start the transition.

“It is the most complex, convoluted, difficult transition for fleets to make because it's not as though any fleet consent, we put the brakes on, take a month off and focus on this and how are we going to accomplish transitioning to a zero-emission fleet? They must do it all while continuing to run,” Kelley said. “I equate it to the challenge of trying to solve a Rubik's cube the first time without a plan. You know the outcome you want, but it is very, very difficult to get there. Revolv provides the marketplace with the ‘plan for the EV Rubik's Cube’ solution. It's complicated, but it is manageable.”

Revolv offers performance-driven solutions and tailored programs to help fleets navigate the difficult transition from where they are today to who they would like to be.

Expertise Matters for the Future of Sustainable Fleets

So, what sets Revolv apart from other solution providers?

“It's the level of expertise and comprehensive solutions we provide from identifying the right OEM selection for your particular application,” Kelley added.

Picking the right vehicle to establish the infrastructure required for the transition isn’t simple, and Revolv is here to help.

“We help create a seamless transition from carbon-based fuels to zero-emission vehicles,” he added.

Revolv is all about performance-driven analytics, vehicle uptime, and compliance. Looking ahead to the future of the fleet industry, Kelley noted that it’s all about analytics.

“We have so much data and information coming to us today. Ten times what we had last year and ten times what we had the year before that,” Kelley said.

Today’s fleet managers have massive data coming at them, from vehicles to telematics.

“The industry is moving forward from traditional preventive maintenance to predictive analytics, where you can start focusing on having a customized, unique solution for every asset based on their unique operating conditions,” Kelley explained.

It’s all meaningful data that can drive analytics. But it can be a lot.

“At the end of the day, fleet managers have a massive overload of data coming at them. We try to funnel it down into meaningful data. It must be accurate, requiring a disciplined approach to capturing and recording data. Data isn’t good if you don’t have it when you need it,” Kelley added.

But, according to Kelley, the most important thing about data is that it must be actionable.