As I am sure everyone has seen in the last several months, the debate between perception and facts (and even alternative facts) have been all around us. Unfortunately, it seems fact’s stock has taken a hit and perception, as a mechanism for making decisions, has gone up. Let me share an example to get you thinking.

Many of us fleet folks have our preferences, in particular when it comes to police vehicles. There was a time where Chevrolet Tahoes were more expensive than other options, but when approached from the total cost of ownership, Tahoes were the better option.

Now let’s talk about perception. The average citizen out there has every right to ask about larger vehicles and the perception that they consume more gas, cost more, and so on. Without having the facts, you can hardly blame them, and you certainly cannot assume that they are familiar with total cost of ownership.

So, why is this important to us — perception versus facts? We the fleet managers operate in a very specialized environment. With every day that passes, it’s become quite clear to me that many folks do not understand fleet, auto parts, and I might even go as far as saying "the trades."

It is imperative that we communicate facts before misleading perceptions cloud the judgement of our community or leaders. You would be surprised what a simple conversation can do if you present simple facts. So be a fact checker or fact deliverer; we need more of those in our world.