Critical Shifts:
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Addressing a Massive Safety Blind Spot: Commercial fleet safety has been heavily overlooked because federal safety standards for standard passenger cars do not legally apply to heavy work pickups or cargo vans. As a result, critical life-saving equipment like side airbags, advanced seat belts, and automated safety features are completely missing or optional on many models.
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The Reality Gap of Fast-Paced Routes: Delivery and fleet drivers frequently skip buckling up due to tight schedules and constant stops. While loud, persistent alarms are proven to increase seat belt usage by 30%, this emerged as the top failure point in the tests—with five out of six cargo vans failing to offer an effective reminder system.
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Outsized Threats on the Road: Commercial vehicles carry massive stakes; in 2023, crashes involving heavy or medium trucks and vans claimed 6,535 lives, making up 16% of all U.S. roadway deaths. Because their sheer size poses a severe danger to others, the IIHS is rushing to evaluate their pedestrian protection, headlights, and automatic emergency braking systems next.
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A New Testing Framework for Fleets: Rather than destroying trucks in physical crash tests, the IIHS evaluated driver protection using detailed manufacturer documentation to verify essential safety hardware, combined with track-testing to rigorously measure the volume, timing, and persistence of cab seat belt reminders.
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Mudd Advertising, the family-owned automotive marketing agency Jim Mudd Sr. and his wife, Cecelia, started in the basement of their home in 1981, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year — a milestone that finds the company simultaneously honoring its roots and investing heavily in what comes next.
What began as a husband-and-wife venture, run out of the basement of Jim and Cecelia Mudd’s home, has grown into a national automotive marketing partner serving thousands of dealers across all 50 states, backed by OEM-certified programs and a full-service creative and production studio based at the company’s Cedar Falls headquarters. Cecelia Mudd died in 2020, and Jim Mudd Sr. died in 2024, leaving behind a company now led by their son, Jim Mudd Jr., as CEO, with his brother, Rob Mudd, serving as the company’s chief futurist. Through four decades of industry change — from the rise of digital marketing to the current wave of AI-driven advertising — Mudd has stayed rooted in the same philosophy that opened its doors: “We Love It When You Succeed.”
As part of its anniversary milestone, Mudd Advertising recently released The Ad Man 2.0: Principles First. Technology Second. Results Now!, the long-awaited sequel to founder Jim Mudd Sr.’s original book, The Ad Man. Written by Jim Mudd Sr. alongside Clifton Lambreth and Rob Mudd, with contributions from Darryl Strawberry, Alan Mulally, and Ken Blanchard, the new book builds on the values that launched the agency in 1981 — integrity, hustle, community, and an unwavering belief in people — while offering leadership lessons for navigating a marketplace increasingly shaped by AI and automation.
More than a follow-up, The Ad Man 2.0 is framed as a tribute to the mentors, dealers, and industry leaders who shaped Mudd Advertising’s growth, and a roadmap for balancing data-driven decision-making with the human relationships that have always defined the company’s approach to client success.
Mudd Advertising will also mark its anniversary year by welcoming dealer partners back to Cedar Falls for the 2026 Mudd Summit on October 15. The annual event gives dealers direct access to the Mudd Advertising team and industry leaders, with a focus on strategies, platform tools, and creative approaches that help dealerships compete in a fast-changing retail environment. As in past years, the Summit will combine networking, education, and a firsthand look at where Mudd’s platform and creative capabilities are headed next.
