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Meet the Media: Josh Fisher, Executive Editor of FleetOwner

I’m the executive editor of FleetOwner magazine and FleetOwner.com. We are part of the Endeavor Business Media Commercial Vehicle Group covering trucking and fleet industries. My main coverage and writing focuses are the transportation technology world, and government and regulations related to the trucking and freight industries, along with other website and magazine duties.

Can you tell us what types of stories, trends or issues are on your radar now?

A lot of my focus last year and this year has been on the autonomous trucking race, which is heating up this year as self-driving trucking companies are getting closer to offering automated long-haul products to fleets. After spending much of 2021 focused on the will-they-or-won’t-they issues of Biden’s infrastructure plan, we’re watching how that will be implemented across the U.S. — and how transportation companies will start seeing the benefits of repaired highways and bridges.

Describe the craziest or most fun story you have written.

While working in local news in the Northeast, I covered a few big hurricanes and major blizzards that ravaged the area. Covering Hurricane Sandy in 2012 was an adventure that included a lot of adrenaline and little sleep in the “early days” of using social media for good. I always love providing a valuable service to readers. Big events like that are a great opportunity for teamwork, which have led to some of the most gratifying moments in my career.

What story or stories are you most proud of?

My favorite stories are where I capture the voice of my sources and show an issue from their sides. Covering transportation technology this decade has been a lot of fun because things that seemed like science fiction 20 years ago—self-driving vehicles, artificial intelligence, fuel cells, electric vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, asset tracking—are becoming part of everyday life.

What elements or characteristics do you look for in a story?

New technology is always exciting—but what makes it a good story is finding out how it makes people and companies more productive. My main goal with any new technology—or even old technology—is to find out how it benefits a person, a place, or an entire industry. I believe those are the stories that readers can relate to—or want to connect to.

How long have you been in journalism and how did you get started?

I had my first staff byline at a small Connecticut newspaper in 2001. I started off covering education and other local issues. After more than 15 years in local news in the New York City area, I grew from working in newspapers to running websites and working in live streaming news and sports, and more before I joined FleetOwner in 2017.

Finish this sentence: If I am not reporting, I am …

…trying to stay as far away from a screen as possible, which is often a fruitless effort. I love to go hiking with my dog or take road trips with my wife. One of my hobbies is cooking. So, I am often looking for different recipes or trying various ways to create something tasty to keep my wife—a journalist who works very long hours—happy.

What advice do you have for PR people that want to pitch you?

Timing is always important. Few people want to get an email or phone call on a Friday afternoon or over the weekend. But being flexible and knowledgeable is always helpful. 

Any pet peeves with PR people?

The old opening email line of “I really enjoyed XXX story you wrote” where it’s obvious the PR person just scrolled a website until they found a story to cite is getting tiresome. I’ve gotten over PR people constantly misspelling my very easy-to-spell name.

Tell us a little about yourself (family, interests, hobbies, background, etc.)

For about four years, my wife Liz and I have lived in Toledo, Ohio. She is an extremely talented political journalist with the HuffPost. We have a corgi named Ruby. I love watching and attending big sporting events. I am a big Cincinnati sports fan (Go Bengals!). I also love tennis, college basketball, and baseball. Nothing beats being at a game in person, which I try to do as often as possible. 

You can follow Josh and FleetOwner on Twitter at: @TrucksAtWork @fleetowner

Check out some of Josh’s recent articles:

• C.H. Robinson, Waymo to develop long-haul AV shipping solution
• What fuel source will dominate trucking in 2030?
• As excitement of self-driving trucks grows, fleets will soon have products to choose from

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