"Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please." - Mark Twain

While I prefer to think that most drivers will do the right thing (assuming they know what that is), it's clear by talking to fleet managers around the country that there exists little trust that drivers are accurately reporting personal miles of company vehicles. Whether the discrepancy is due to lack of understanding of the difference between commute, personal and business miles - or willful distortion, it is potentially a very expensive aspect of dealing with the Modern Mobile Worker. With the IRS announcing that personal use of company vehicles will be a priority area for audits, the lack of accurate IRS-compliant mileage logs could become a large and costly risk.

READ MORE to learn what this means for your organization and how you can ensure that you are aligned with IRS regulations, company goals and objectives, and best practices.

These are exciting and historical times for the global auto industry. The automotive researchers and analysts at Morgan Stanley have come to the realization that the prosecution of their craft along traditional lines will fade to irrelevance, ultimately ending in extinction. They are writing all about technology because they believe that “the industry simply has no future unless it adapts to it.” They go on to claim that, “In the internet of things, the automobile is the ultimate ‘thing.’ Without embracing this change, we have no future as auto analysts.”

They truly believe what they are writing on the future of autos without human drivers, without individual/private ownership and with entirely new players competing for the growth in 10 trillion miles traveled annually.

READ MORE in Morgan Stanley’s eye-opening report.

We seldom miss a chance to talk with the bright and engaging Michele Cunningham, Senior Vice President, Strategic Development at Element Fleet Management, and enjoyed our interview with her at the recent AFLA Conference. We asked her to bring us up to date on the transition from PHH to Element Fleet Management.

Michele says, "We are taking the 'transition and then transform' approach because our customer success is the most critical factor. We are noting lots of exciting opportunities to extend products and services and take a best of the best approach in creating Element Fleet Management out of these composite companies and really bringing our customers something special."

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Automakers raised the fuel efficiency of their new models last year to record levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.�The Obama Administration has made it a priority to improve the efficiency of cars and light trucks as part of its plans to combat climate change and reduce the country's dependence on oil.

Vehicles averaged 24.1 mpg or a 0.5 mpg increase over the previous year, marking an improvement of nearly 5 mpg since 2004, according to data released Wednesday. Fuel economy for all vehicles has risen for eight of the past nine years while carbon dioxide emissions are at a record low.

"Today's announcement points to the greatness of American ingenuity and the strength of our auto industry," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement.�"Our report shows that today's vehicles are saving Americans money at the pump while emitting fewer greenhouse gasses.

READ MORE to get the details

Having owned the title of "best-selling truck" for 37 years, as well as the title of "best-selling vehicle" for the past 32 years, the F-150′s sales volume, as a model, is higher than most automakers' total volume.

Last year Ford sold 645,000 F-150s, and with 557,000 sold as of September 30th Ford should hit a similar number this year. But the current truck is about to be replaced by an all-new 2015 Ford F-150. And the 2015 redesign is easily the most substantial of any F-series remake in the model's 67-year history.

The new truck goes on sale at the start of 2015, with high hopes and a sales-winning streak it's expected to maintain.

READ MORE for a look at the innovative features.

Yes, gone are the days when you could take that company flight, knowing that you were burning through a work day by "working" in the loosest possible sense. Back in those pre-2006 days you'd spend your business flight with your tray table up, complimentary beverage in hand and good tunes on the earbuds, content in the fact that your boss considered you productive at that moment.

But now, with in-flight Wi-Fi being so commonplace, the cabin has become a mobile office. No matter how far workers fly, their emails can follow them through the cloud. And for U.S. businesses looking to clamp down on lost productivity due to travel, this is a very good thing.

For evidence, look no further than the following infographic, highlighting some crucial savings businesses enjoy when their employees can stay grounded at 40,000 feet.

One in three drivers of the Subaru WRX has a recent traffic violation, according to a study by Insurance.com, the car insurance comparison-shopping website, putting the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sport-compact atop its ranking of cars that get the most tickets.

"Cars don't get tickets, drivers do - but those drivers like the WRX," said Insurance.com Managing Editor Des Toups.� The top-20 list contains other sporty cars, such as the Scion FR-S and Mitsubishi 3000 GT, but also includes the hybrid Toyota Prius C, three sport-utility vehicles and the long-defunct Mercury Topaz.

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Gas-saving stop-start systems, which turn off the engine when the vehicle isn’t moving and restart it when the brake pedal is released, will be standard on more cars and trucks than ever before -- whether drivers like it or not.

Automotive industry analysts say the technology improves fuel economy an average of 3.5 percent -- and as much as 10-15 percent in cities and heavy stop-and-go traffic.

Detractors say the feature is annoying and makes them think their cars have stalled when the engine shuts off at a light or stop sign. Southfield-based forecasting firm IHS Automotive says 7 percent of vehicles sold today in the U.S. have stop-start, compared to 60-70 percent in Europe.

READ MORE about this technology

Large organizations have used GPS-based fleet management to reduce costs for at least a decade. On the other hand, smaller companies have traditionally stayed outside the market, either because of cost concerns or low awareness of the products and services. These days, that’s all changed thanks to technological advances that have made GPS fleet management more cost-effective.

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Automakers are coming out with a multitude of hands-free systems, which are supposed make it safer for drivers to stay in touch with the world outside of the car�and in command of the inside.

However, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety claims research shows hands-free systems like Apple's Siri, General Motors' MyLink and Ford's Sync that are designed to limit distracted�driving�may have the opposite effect.

"We already know that drivers can miss stop signs, pedestrians and other�cars�while using voice technologies because their minds are not fully focused on the road ahead," said Bob Darbelnet, chief executive officer of AAA.

READ MORE about the findings.