Last month, judges for the 2023 Folio: Eddie and Ozzie Awards, which recognize excellence in publishing for both editorial (Eddies) and design (Ozzies), named two Fleet Maintenance features as the best in their respective categories.
These included:
Best Single Article > B2B > Travel / Transportation: "Finders Keepers"
Best Profile or Q&A > B2B: "Homebody"
Both were written by Fleet Maintenance Editor-in-Chief John Hitch, with a lot of assistance from the editorial staff and senior art director Erin Brown, who was crowned 2019 Designer of the Year by the Folio judges.
“Finders Keepers” (July 2022) covered the technician shortage and how to hire and retain commercial vehicle techs, while “Homebody” (August 2022), followed the story of Raj Basran, the owner of an Akron, Ohio commercial vehicle collision repair shop called Fleet Fast.
Hitch's March 2023 column, "A recovering workaholic's guide to self-maintenance," earned an honorable mention from the Eddies for Column/Blog > B2B>Travel/Transportation. The column lamented the costs of putting work over rest, which for Hitch culminated in a life-altering health scare.
"John is passionate about good writing, and he's passionate about serving his readers," said Kevin Jones, group editorial director for Endeavor Business Media's Commercial Vehicle Group (which includes Fleet Maintenance). "These stories reflect both. It's a well-deserved bonus to be recognized for a job well done."
Hitch, who is based in Cleveland, Ohio, was previously a senior editor at FleetOwner and technology editor at IndustryWeek, both EBM publications.
If you have a great story related to commercial vehicle maintenance to share, or want to suggest a topic to cover more in-depth, contact the Fleet Maintenance editorial team at [email protected].
Last year, Fleet Maintenance's May’s 2022 print feature, "The dawn of hydrogen trucks," won best single technology article in the B2B category, and Brown earned the first honorable mention in the B2B Overall Art Direction category. In 2021, the magazine's article, “Technician Training in the Digital Age,” earned an Eddie.
"The Fleet Maintenance team strives every day to deliver content that makes a difference by sharing industry insight to help improve efficiencies, productivity, and business in general," said CVG Vice President and Publisher Mike Uliss. "It is an honor when their content receives recognition from a well-established, respected, and recognized leader like Folio’s Eddie & Ozzie Awards program. Congratulations to Hitch and the entire editorial team for their multiple wins and honorable mention. It is well deserved."
Overall, EBM brands earned five total Eddie awards and six Ozzies. The company also received seven total honorable mentions.
For 2023, the awards received over 1,100 entries in nearly 170 editorial categories. These entries were then scored by editorial and design professionals, with the Eddies handling editorial content while the Ozzies ranked art and design.
