This price is 6 cents up from the previous week and up four cents from April 13. The company said the main drivers of these across-the-board price increases are tighter supplies and refinery maintenance (planned and unplanned) in the middle of the U.S. and on the West Coast.

AAA noted these price increases are occurring nationwide rather than on a regional basis, with only two states, West Virginia and Ohio, paying less for a gallon of gas than they did a week ago. Six states, including Oregon, Minnesota, Washington, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa, saw prices jump by 20 cents since last week and 13 states have seen prices increase by at least 10 cents.

The top 10 states with the highest prices on Tuesday, according to AAA’s report, included Hawaii, at $4.35; California and Alaska, at $4.04 per gallon; Illinois, at $3.99; Oregon, at $3.92; Washington, at $3.91; Minnesota, at $3.84; Indiana, at $3.79; North Dakota, at $3.78; and Michigan, at $3.78.

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The company said used cars overall depreciated -0.1% on the month. Domestic cars increased 0.2%; import cars dropped -0.2%; domestic trucks were up 0.1%; and import trucks were down -0.2%, according to the company.

Black Book noted that vehicles in its Entry-Level Cars category saw the biggest gains, up 1.5% in value. Vehicles in the category include the Chevrolet Aveo, the Honda Fit, the Kia Rio, the Nissan Versa, and the Toyota Yaris. The average segment value at the April was $7,792.

Minivans saw the largest gain in the truck segments during April, up 2.7% for the month. These vehicles include the Dodge Caravan, Ford Transit Connect, and the Chevrolet Uplander. The average segment value at the end of April was $9,927.

The Full-Size Crossovers and Luxury SUV categories depreciated the most in Black Book’s truck segments, both falling-0.7% during April. Crossovers in this category include the GMC Acadia, the Buick Enclave, the Ford Flex, and the Chevrolet Traverse. SUVs include the Cadillac Escalade, Toyota Land Cruiser, Lincoln Navigator, and the BMW X5.

The Prestige Luxury Car category saw the most depreciation, according to Black Book, with the overall category falling 1.1% in value. Vehicles in this segment include the BMW 7 Series, the Audi A8, the Lexus GS430, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the Jaguar XJ. The average segment value at the end of April was $32,938.

The chart below shows a breakdown of value changes of used vehicles:

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“North America has set off a supply shock that is sending ripples throughout the world,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven, who launched the report at the Platts Crude Oil Summit in London. “The good news is that this is helping to ease a market that was relatively tight for several years. The technology that unlocked the bonanza in places like North Dakota can and will be applied elsewhere, potentially leading to a broad reassessment of reserves. But as companies rethink their strategies, and as emerging economies become the leading players in the refining and demand sectors, not everyone will be a winner.”

The IEA’s MTOMR forecasts that North American supply will grow by 3.9 million barrels per day between 2012 and 2018, which is nearly two-thirds of the total growth forecast for non-OPEC countries. Global oil refining capacity is set to increase by 9.5 million barrels per day during this period, mainly in China and the Middle East, according to IEA.

In terms of global production, the MTOMR says oil from OPEC countries will be negatively affected by security issues in North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will lead in terms of growth, IEA stated, but reduced aggregate increases in global oil capacity from OPEC nations will increase the market share of oil from North American sources.

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These results allow each vehicle to qualify for the IIHS’ new Top Safety Pick+ honor. IIHS added that each of the other 11 SUVs tested in the new small overlap front crash test earned a “poor” or a “marginal” rating.

IIHS said vehicles tested that received a Top Safety Pick level of recognition include the BMW X1 and Buck Encore (new to the U.S. market for 2013, IIHS noted) and the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, the Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan, and the 2014 Jeep Patriot. IIHS also tested the Nissan Rogue and Jeep Wrangler 2-door.

The video below details the most recent round of IIHS' testing of 2013-MY small SUVs.

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General Motors detailed some of the methods it’s using to reduce weight in its 2014 Cadillac CTS and in its ATS model, including greater use of aluminum. The automaker is also using structural adhesive to make the vehicle’s body structure more rigid and reduce noise.

The four doors on the 2014 CTS will be constructed of aluminum, which reduces vehicle weight by 55 lbs., according to GM. The automaker also used aluminum to reduce weight in the 2014 CTS by 13.1 lbs. by replacing the steel bumpers on the current generation CTS with aluminum ones on the 2014 model; by 14 lbs. by making front strut towers of cast aluminum (compared with steel used in the current-generation CTS); by 7.2 lbs. from the instrument panel structure (replacing magnesium); and by 36.5 lbs. by using extruded and cast aluminum for the powertrain cradle. The CTS has a base curb weight of 3,600 lbs.

For the ATS, Cadillac uses aluminum in the powertrain and gave the vehicle an aluminum hood, suspension cradle, and engine cylinder heads. The ATS has a curb weight of 3,315 lbs.

Also on the all-new 2014 CTS, the automaker said it used 387 ft. of structural adhesive, which helps make the vehicle 40-percent stiffer than the previous model (along with the use of high-strength steels). This adhesive also reduces vibration in the vehicle.

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The engines use Volvo Engine Architecture (VEA) technology. The new VEA engines are set to be introduced in production models between 2013 and 2015. The company plans to build 20,000 of the new engines in 2013 and increase production to 2,000 units per week by the end of the year.

The first new VEA engines will go into the Volvo S60, V60 (the automaker announced this model is headed to the U.S. earlier this year), XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 in autumn 2013, according to the automaker.

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The American Business Awards honor the achievements of organizations and business people worldwide. The Tech Innovation of the Year category recognizes notable innovations in technology and new products that have revolutionized the marketplace. Winners will be announced at a banquet in San Francisco, California on Monday, September 16.

ARI was chosen as a finalist for its integrated telematics solution that offers a normalized database and integration with multiple telematics vendors and devices. This allows fleet managers to access all of the information their fleet may generate from a single platform, which allows for a more complete and holistic view of business operations. ARI’s ability to integrate with any supplier – as well as multiple suppliers – simplifies both the collection of telematics vehicle data allowing for more comprehensive reporting capabilities and the compilation of billing data allowing for streamlined invoice processing. This innovative solution creates efficiencies and helps ARI’s clients run their fleets more cost-effectively.

“ARI is actively engaged with over 60 companies that provide telematics and mobility solutions, allowing our technology advisors to work with clients to recommend the best solution, or utilize their existing solutions to align with their business goals,” commented ARI’s Vice President of Product Development Tony Candeloro. “Because this unique solution allows clients to further leverage their telematics data, it increases the return on their investment.”

In 2012, ARI won a bronze medal in the same category for its implementation of in-memory technology to deliver real-time analytics on high volumes of data. “The ongoing recognition ARI has received for innovation and advanced technology reflects our commitment to research and development that produces valuable tools for our customers,” said Candeloro.

More than 3,200 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging in April and May. More than 150 members organized into nine specialized judging committees will determine the Stevie Award winners during the final judging period, which is scheduled to take place May 13 – 24. Details about The American Business Awards and the complete list of 2013 finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba.

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• Extending Corporate Safety Culture to Personal Use of Company-Provided Vehicles
• How to Turn Fleet Safety Policy into a Strategic Document for Your Corporation, sponsored by Supervision
• Direct Manager Involvement: The Weak Link in Corporate Safety Programs, sponsored by Smartdrive
• Leveraging Internal Partnerships for a Successful Fleet Safety Program

You can view the full schedule here. For more information about the 2013 Fleet Safety Conference, visit the event’s website at www.fleetsafetyconference.com.

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CAR and Hertz will be co-branded at CAR’s full-service rental locations countrywide. Hertz’s car rental locations and operations in China will be contributed to CAR.

Hertz will continue to manage its outbound sales team in China, the company said. Its equipment rental business in the country is unaffected.

The partnership fulfills Hertz's objective to boost its presence in the rapidly expanding car rental market in China. 

Additionally, Hertz and CAR will be exclusive car rental partners for inbound and outbound business, servicing international corporate and leisure customers. In 2012, China's international travel expenditures exceeded $100 billion – the leader worldwide. The nation’s domestic rental business is expected to grow more than 15% annually through 2016.

"As the leading global car rental brand, it's a perfect fit for Hertz to partner with the largest and most recognized car rental company in China,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. “China Auto Rental has the largest domestic rental footprint, with 700 locations in 66 cities, and a 50,000-vehicle fleet which is more than four times the size of its nearest competitor. Also, CAR is growing rapidly, having doubled its revenues in 2012 to $250 million, 2.5 times larger than any other domestic company.”

CAR's 200% annual growth rate from 2009-2012 is six times higher than the market over the same period, and the company’s 50%-plus annual forecasted growth rate through 2016 is more than three times higher than the overall market projection, according to Hertz.

Under the agreement, which is subject to normal closing conditions, CAR will be granted a license for an initial five-year term to operate on behalf of Hertz in China. CAR will develop a network of full-service Hertz premium locations in key cities to complement CAR's expanding location footprint.

Taken together, the Hertz/CAR services will encompass self-drive and chauffeur-driven rentals, as well as short, medium and long-term vehicle rentals and leases. Hertz will provide CAR with an array of services, including reservation capabilities and fleet management efficiencies.

"Hertz has extensive industry experience, advanced technology, strong brand influence and abundant customer resources,” said Charles Lu, chairman and CEO of China Auto Rental. “We are very pleased to enter into a comprehensive and in-depth strategic cooperation with Hertz. I believe this alliance will further intensify CAR's shareholder strength and reinforce CAR's leading position in China's car rental industry.”

China Auto Rental Holdings Inc. (CAR), established in September 2007, is headquartered in Beijing. 

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The release from Liberia’s Executive Mansion explained that due to the cost of maintaining government-assigned vehicles, ministers, deputies, and assistant ministers will have to sign cost-sharing contracts with the government for management and maintenance of the vehicles.

After four years, they will own the vehicles. Sirleaf noted in the release that most of the officials with the assigned vehicles earn the equivalent of $3,000 US and below, which she noted is insufficient to sustain them.

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According to HHI, the company has aleady received orders worth $60 million for 500 construction equipment units from eight projects in Brazil. These projects include the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the state of Pará and a railway project in Brazil’s northeast.

To mark the opening of the plant, HHT held a completion ceremony for the project in Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Sergio Cabral, Rio de Janeiro state governor; Mr. Luis Carlos Ferreira Bastos, mayor of Itatiaia; and Mr. Choe Byeong-ku, president & COO of Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Construction Equipment Division.

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Frost & Sullivan said compression ignition technology would facilitate the use of natural gas vehicles for long haul applications, which would compensate for the higher up-front cost of these types of vehicles. This assumes the lower cost of natural gas fuel exists.

In general, Frost & Sullivan said Europe is set to become a strong regional market for medium- to heavy-duty natural gas (NG) commercial vehicle. Factors driving growth in the natural gas vehicle market include energy price volatility, tighter emission standards, and the recent availability of shale gas in the United States, according to the company.

Technologies that will put the least amount of pressure on existing natural gas infrastructure in Europe include compressed natural gas (CNG) and biomethane.

“OEMs need to develop duty-cycle focused product platforms and collaborate with fuel suppliers and governments to create a favorable environment for the adoption of NG vehicles by fleet owners,” said Frost & Sullivan Automotive & Transportation Consulting Analyst Saideep Sudhakar. “Suppliers need to focus on vertical integration to ensure sustainable growth and development of the market.”

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The ANGVA Forum 2013 features a number of keynote speakers and specialized roundtables designed to address safer and sustainable NGV infrastructure development in the UAE, Qatar, and the wider Gulf region.

At the Forum, Fazal Ali Khan, CNG Development Manager of EMGAS, will provide insights on the municipal waste flare gas program for NGVs in Dubai. Also, Waddah Ghanem, ENOC’s Chief EHSQ Compliance Officer, will highlight the aspects of safe and sustainable NGV infrastructure development in the UAE, in addition to discussions led by experts from different organizations.

EMGAS is also planning to promote the use of CNG by setting up a CNG refueling facility for potential fleet owners, including the RTA, Dubai Municipality, DP World, and other public-sector departments and private companies.

EMGAS said leaders from government and private-sector entities are attending the event, including UAE Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Interior, Dubai Municipality, Ministry of Civil Defence, RTA, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Aviation, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Sharjah Electric & Water Authority (SEWA), Dubai Taxi Corporation, Dubai Health Authority, ADNOC Distribution, Emirates Group, Emirates Driving Institute, Mowasalat, Dubai Aluminium, Dubai Ambulance, GASCO, DUSUP and PTT PLC among others.

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Hertz UK has launched a new service for accredited members of the Van Excellence scheme which is backed by the Freight Transportation Association (FTA). Hertz stated it will offer a range of benefits, including preferential rates on car and van hire, telematics, and Hertz On Demand vehicle pooling technology.

The company added that Van Excellence members will get free membership to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards and can earn Nectar Points with every rental, and discounted leisure rates worldwide for employees.

Across the UK, Hertz operates a 5,000-strong van fleet, with vehicles of up to 3.5 tonnes, across a network which includes 20 Van Supersites.

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Emkay was nominated as a finalist against several thousand companies across the US. The final placements of gold, silver or bronze for the awards will be announced in June.

“It is a great achievement to not only be named as a finalist in the American Business Awards, but to be named as a finalist for multiple categories is something we are truly proud of,” stated Chris Tepas, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Emkay. “This is a true testament to the strength of our service model, and we are honored to be recognized in this way.”

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“In the last few years, the number of registered cars in operational leasing increased compared to that of cars acquired through financial leasing as well as a percentage from the number of registered cars,” noted Olimpia Dumitrescu, commercial director LeasePlan Romania. “The potential of the operational leasing market is estimated at 8,000-10,000 new units per year. Currently, more 1,000 companies are using operational leasing and fleet management services, most of them being multinationals.”

There are some challenges faced by Romanian fleets, particularly, the poor quality of services provided by workshops and undeveloped network of suppliers, e.g., tires.

By Mike Antich

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According to the companies, they selected Geely’s Emgrand EC7 model as the base vehicle that will receive the electric drive system and plan to co-brand the EC7-EV with a “Detroit Electric – Technology” badge. Both companies plan to sell the vehicles to businesses and public-sector organizations first, and are looking at an initial sales forecast of 3,000 units during the first 12 months of sales. They expect sales to grow to 30,000 units within three years.

Geely and Detroit Electric said they have formed a joint development and engineering team to develop the electric motor, vehicle management system, advanced thermo-managed battery pack, battery management system, and a twin-speed high-torque gearbox.

For the vehicle itself, the companies said the EC7-EV will offer medium- and long-range driving options. The range is 165km per charge for the medium option and 258km for long range. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100kph in under 8 seconds and has a top speed of more than 200kph.

The companies said the first all-electric EVs will go on sale under Geely's Emgrand brand in 2014.

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The recall covers vehicles manufactured from Feb. 15, 2012, through June 15, 2012.

In these vehicles, the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly may become disengaged from one another. As a result, the driver could lose the ability to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Subaru dealers will replace the steering column assembly with a new one, free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin around May 15. Owners can reach Subaru at 1-800-782-2783.

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The largest of the three recalls involves 295,345 2005-2010 model-year Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles and 2006-2010 Jeep Commander vehicles because of a potential electrical system problem.

An electrical failure might result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position, raising the risk of the vehicle rolling away.

This recall covers Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured Feb. 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010, as well as Jeep Commander vehicles manufactured Jan. 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010.

To remedy the problem, Chrysler dealers will reflash the final drive controller, which governs the transfer case, with new software. There will be no charge for this service.

This recall is expected to begin in June.

In a separate action, Chrysler is also recalling 5,440 2008-2012 model-year Jeep Wrangler right-hand drive vehicles because they have airbag clockspring assemblies that could experience broken airbag circuits, NHTSA said. As a result, the airbag may not deploy properly during a crash. These vehicles were manufactured Feb. 1, 2007, through Oct. 10, 2011.

Dealers will replace the clockspring and add a steering wheel dust shield, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin this month.

The third recall covers 498 2013 model-year RAM 1500 trucks that might have a faulty windshield defrosting system. The trucks were all manufactured June 25, 2012, through Dec. 12 2012.

In these trucks, the coolant bypass valve might get stuck in a position that doesn’t allow coolant to flow into the heater core. This condition isn’t in compliance with federal safety standards.

Chrysler dealers will replace any faulty coolant valves and provide an updated calibration. There will be no charge for this service.

Vehicle owners affected by these recalls can reach Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.

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The 0.08 BAC threshold has been in place for a decade. But an NTSB study concluded that if all 50 states lowered the threshold from .08 BAC to .05 BAC, 500-800 lives could be saved each year. The board also called for more administrative seizures of driver’s licenses from DUI offenders and for accelerating development of vehicle technology that can automatically detect whether a driver is too drunk to drive.

Each year, nearly 10,000 people die in alcohol-related traffic accidents.

The proposal has drawn strong criticism from the restaurant and beverage industries. 

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As part of NexTraq’s driver safety solution, the Online Driver Education Courses consist of a wide range of self-paced, online courses that concentrate on a variety of driving behaviors, including aggressive and distracted driving. These driver education courses provide safety managers and business owners with a way to constructively engage and coach their drivers to be safer behind the wheel.

By addressing these driving behaviors proactively, fleet owners and fleet safety managers can reduce driving incidents while demonstrating the value of driver and fleet safety. Rick Hernandez, Managing Director of I DRIVE SAFELY, says, “Ultimately, by promoting responsible driving among their drivers and fleet, businesses can reduce insurance costs as well as cut down on potential collision and legal expenses.”

Mike Scarbrough, CEO of NexTraq, says, “With the amount of driving incidents occurring today, businesses now, more than ever, need to take a preventative approach to driver safety. NexTraq’s Online Driver Education Courses are an outlet for businesses to help encourage responsible driving and ensure that their fleets are operating at the safest level possible.”

To learn more about NexTraq’s complete driver safety solution—NexTraq DriveGuard, the Driver Safety Scorecard Report and the new Online Driver Education Courses—visit, www.nextraq.com or call 800.358.6178.

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General Motors provided more details on its upcoming 2015 Chevrolet City Express cargo van, which the automaker is sourcing from Nissan. The vehicle will come in two trim levels, LS and LT, according to GM. It will feature a 2.0L DOHC four-cylinder engine matched with a continuously variable transmission. The engine can produce 131 hp and 139 lb. ft. of torque, according to GM. The Chevrolet City Express also provides 122.7 cu. ft. of cargo space. The 2015 Chevrolet City Express will also qualify for the automaker’s Business Choice program, according to GM.

Select features on the LS include four-wheel antilock brakes; 15-inch steel wheels with 185/60R15 tires; 40/60 split rear cargo doors (with a 180-degree max opening); and Electronic stability Control. Others include a gray cloth interior with vinyl bolster wear patches; a fold down passenger seat with a seat back tray table; a center console with storage for file folders, a laptop, and more; an upper dashboard-mounted storage bin; 20 integrated interior reinforced cargo mounting points; six exterior roof rack mounting points; and six standard air bags.

GM said the LT model comes with these additional features: power heated outside mirrors; power door locks with an auto locking feature; remote keyless entry; and cruise control with steering wheel mounted controls.

The automaker plans to provide a number of packages and said the vehicle will be ready for upfit. It features weld nuts for attaching bins, D-Rings affixed to the floor that allow users to secure cargo, and standard dual sliding doors that allow access to the cargo area from either side of the vehicle. It also offers a range of window configuration options, a standard full-size spare tire, two different wheels with three different looks, spotter side mirrors, and two packages, Technology and Appearance.

The Technology package features a navigation radio system, steering wheel audio controls, USB input, a rear view camera, XM Radio, and Bluetooth. The Appearance package features body color bumpers, mirrors, door handles, and a chrome grill with black accents.

For more information, visit www.gmfleet.com.

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AFLA is offering a webinar for its members on the ins and outs of electronic titling. The webinar will be moderated by Mac Yandell, Director of Internal Operations, AmeriFleet Transportation, headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. The webinar is free to attend for AFLA members. During the webinar, Yandell will discuss the following:

• Overview of electronic titling
• Evolution of titling from paper to electronic
• Benefits of electronic titling
• Drawbacks of electronic titling
• Impact electronic titling have on fleets

Register Now

During the past 13 years, Yandell has held many positions in the company. She started in the customer services group managing the relationship with one of the fleet company partners and acting as the conduit for information between the customer and the operations team. From there she became the manager of the title and registration team. Soon after, with the added responsibility of the order entry, call center, auditing and invoicing teams, she became the Director of Internal Operations. Looking to expand the service offering to new markets, Mac started the AmeriTag division of AmeriFleet.

Currently Mac is in a consultative sales role helping to establish new customers managing the integration of new customers with our operations team ensuring internal and external expectations are met.

If you’re not an AFLA member yet, you can click here to join today or contact Elise Jaeger, AFLA Membership Coordinator, for more information.

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General Motors and Nissan have signed an agreement where Nissan will build a small cargo vehicle that GM will sell in the U.S and Canada. GM plans to procure the vehicle from Nissan and distribute it through the company’s Chevrolet network of dealers. The vehicle will be based on the Nissan NV200 and will go on sale in the fall of 2014. The automakers said the vehicle will be called the Chevrolet City Express.

"Our fleet customers have asked us for an entry in the commercial small van segment, so this addition to the Chevrolet portfolio will strengthen our position with fleets and our commercial customers," said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president of GM Fleet and Commercial Sales.

"Working with partners to expand markets for our innovative products enhances Nissan’s growth and manufacturing efficiency by leveraging our capacity to meet growing demand in this space," said Joe Castelli, Nissan vice president, commercial vehicles and fleet added.

Nissan added it currently sells a version of the vehicle as the NV200 in a number of markets around the world, including the U.S. and Canada.

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When your drivers over-postpone a trip to the fuel pump, they're putting their own safety at risk. What's more, an empty gas tank is risky for the vehicle. Here's a AAA video that explains why. You may want to pass along this advice to your drivers as a friendly reminder. 

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In terms of vehicles, Ford had its Fusion sharing a leading spot in the mid-size car segment and the automaker’s F-250 and F-350 lead Strategic Vision’s heavy-duty truck segment. GM had its Buick Enclave, the Chevrolet Volt, Traverse, Corvette Coupe/Convertible, Avalanche, and its GMC Yukon on Strategic Vision’s 2013 list.

Chrysler’s Dodge Dart took the top total quality award for the small car segment, and the 200 Convertible and Dodge Durango took the lead in the convertible and mid-size traditional utility categories, respectively.

The top automaker in the list was Volkswagen, and its Audi luxury brand tied with Lexus for the best individual brand. 

“There's no questioning domestic car makers want to lead. For the first time in over a decade our comprehensive and complete study of Quality resulted in more domestic winners than imports,” said Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision. “Don't misunderstand, imports like Hyundai are a force to be reckoned with and Toyota has regrouped with Total Quality winners Lexus LS, Tacoma and FJ Cruiser. However, domestics are running in the tight race also, and it's now forcing all manufacturers to build the most superior, innovative and holistically Quality vehicles possible to gain the hearts and minds of the customer.”

Strategic Vision calculated the index by using data from 17,568 buyers who purchased 2013-MY evhicles between Sept. and Nov. 2012.

The table below shows the full list of winners and each vehicle's respective score. The chart shows the number one-ranked vehicle in each segment.

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Wheels’ Toll Management program made the shortlist in the Transportation segment of the New Product or Service of the Year award category, meaning the company will ultimately win a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie in that group.

“Today toll violations can account for as much as 75% of a fleet’s annual violations volume – that’s more than red light camera violations, parking tickets and speeding camera violations combined,” said Dan Frank, President of Wheels Services. “The Wheels Toll Management solution has proven very successful at helping our clients mitigate – and in some cases virtually eliminate – the financial impact that toll violations have on their fleets, while at the same time alleviating them of a very complex administrative task.”

The Wheels Toll Management program, which covers all major tolling regions in North America, ensures that vehicles managed by the company are equipped to receive the lowest possible toll rates while avoiding violations. The program provides up-to-date tolling equipment and full administrative support for drivers, as well as a reporting and analytics package that offers complete visibility to all toll-related data.

The Toll Management program also relieves drivers of the need to spend time and effort submitting toll receipts for reimbursement, and provides a complimentary support line for any questions related to equipment or tollway usage. If a driver does incur a toll violation, Wheels automatically contests it with the regulatory authority on the client’s behalf, resulting in the dismissal of most violations.

Wheels clients enrolled on the program have seen their hard-cost toll violation expenses decrease by up to 95% through widespread violation avoidance, as well as drastic reductions in the administrative time associated with managing transponders and processing toll violations.

The American Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards, featuring entrants from across the U.S. in all types of businesses – large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit. More than 3,200 nominations from organizations in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Finalists were chosen by more than 140 business professionals nationwide during preliminary judging.

Final judging will take place May 13 through May 24, and American Business Awards winners in the new product and technology segments will be announced during a September 16 gala in San Francisco.

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The new facility offers a number of benefits, according to GM, that will improve its vehicles and related technologies. The automaker offered a number of examples of how it plans to use the new facility. For example, using the center’s supercomputing capabilities to analyze crash test data will save $350,000 every time the company can use that data rather than perform a physical crash test.

Next, GM said an application will enable its Global Product Development teams to make tooling payments to suppliers during vehicle development cycles, thereby helping suppliers prioritize parts deliver timing and reduce engineering expenses.

The company also plans to build another $100 million facility in Milford, Mich. Construction of this facility will begin this summer, GM stated.

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The deal marks the company’s entry into the Northwest region and increases the total number of new ABRA center openings this year to 37. This is the largest acquisition in the company’s nearly 30-year history.

ABRA is rapidly becoming a collision repair heavyweight and is known throughout the industry as one of the top-performing operators in the country. The company has significantly accelerated its growth in recent months and now operates a total of 172 repair centers in 17 states.

“This is a game-changing acquisition for us,” said Duane Rouse, president and CEO of ABRA. “We have an extremely strong management team, a scalable integration platform, a fantastic brand, and extensive expertise and experience in the collision repair industry. Acquiring these repair centers is just one more step in ABRA’s ongoing growth strategy to better serve our customers and insurance partners.”

Scott Hensrude, Precision Collision’s owner and CEO, embraces the acquisition.

“This is a great cultural fit and a tremendous opportunity for our employees,” Hensrude added. “Aligning ourselves with such an established, well-respected company that shares the same values is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Greg Wright, president of Precision Collision, is also impressed with ABRA. He will join the company and assume a leadership role to help manage operations in the market as well as assist in the company’s growth in the region.

“ABRA shares our culture of ethics, integrity and teamwork," Wright said. "We’re excited to build a strong partnership to deliver top-notch service and quality to customers in Seattle and throughout Washington.”

Plans also include adding Precision Collision’s three longtime district managers to ABRA’s team of 2,500 dedicated employees nationwide. Eighteen of the repair centers are centrally located in the Seattle metro area, with five additional centers in the cities of Burlington, Mount Vernon, Wenatchee, Kennewick and Spokane.

The 23 centers will operate under the direction of an experienced General Manager and include a team of rigorously trained and highly skilled body shop technicians and expert repair professionals.

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Angela Gregorowicz reported that her position as sourcing manager at Roche has been eliminated. As sourcing manager at Roche, Gregorowicz negotiated service level agreements for corporate vehicles, along with food and beverage for Dining Services.

Earlier, Gregorowicz was supervisor, Fleet Services for Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc. from 2002 to 2010. Gregorowicz is currently looking for a new position in fleet management.

Her personal e-mail address is: adgregorowicz@optoline.net.

By Mike Antich

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In addition to naming their top concerns, the survey asked fleet managers to name the single most important area of focus for maximizing fleet productivity. A total of 29 percent of respondents said specifying the right truck for the job was most important. Next, 22 percent said specifying the right truck was the most important service their fleet management company could provide.

Fleets also cited tracking downtime and reducing total cost of ownership; with 18 percent of respondents each saying this was the primary area that could improve productivity.

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Los Angeles-based Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleet magazine and Green Fleet magazine, and Brussels-based Nexus Communication, publisher of Fleet Europe magazine, have entered into a strategic partnership to better inform, train, educate, and facilitate networking among global commercial fleet managers worldwide.

As part of this strategic partnership, Bobit and Nexus have announced they are organizing an all-new annual Global Fleet Management Conference.

The Global Fleet Management Conference will debut Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, where it will be co-located with Bobit Business Media’s annual Green Fleet Conference & Expo. In 2014, the Global Fleet Management Conference will be held in Europe.

The new, Phoenix-based conference is designed to create an environment for multi-national fleet customers and global fleet suppliers to network, exchange best practices, and expand their skill sets for today’s era of global fleet operations.

“We expect the Global Fleet Management Conference and the upcoming Global Fleet Management Directory to be just the beginning of many exciting projects we’ll be pursuing with Nexus over the next several years,” said Mike Antich, editor and associate publisher of Automotive Fleet, chair of the Green Fleet Conference & Expo, and co-chair of the Global Fleet Management Conference with Ed Bobit, CEO of Bobit Business Media.

“Co-locating the inaugural conference with Bobit’s Green Fleet Conference, now in its sixth year, is particularly advantageous for the international fleet managers, since sustainability is such an important part of today’s fleet mission for multinational fleets,” Antich said.

Topics will include:

• How fleet professionals can position themselves to expand fleet responsibilities beyond the U.S. market.
• Learning the right way to structure a global RFP and global fleet supplier agreement.
• In-depth presentations on creating consolidated and standardized reporting between fleet regions.
• Best practices in car policy harmonization.
• Expert advice in supplier management to achieve global fleet objectives.
• Special presentations on emerging fleet markets, such as China, Brazil, and India.

A conference website and online registration will be available soon.

Bobit Business Media began in 1961 with the launch of Automotive Fleet and has become the world’s largest business to business fleet media company spanning every aspect of the fleet and leasing industries.  Belgium-based Nexus Communication is the publisher of Fleet Europe, Smart Mobility Management, and Global Fleet.

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Ford Motor Co. brought a dump truck version of F-650 medium-duty truck to the 2013 ATD show in Orlando. This vehicle came equipped with a dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) system, and Ford’s Todd Kaufman, marketing manager for the company, explained what makes both the gasoline and CNG variants of this vehicle stand out in the medium-duty segment and how this particular project came to be. The F-650 gasoline chassis cab can be configured in GVWRs that range from 20,500 all the way up to 30,000 lbs. – with a GCWR up to 33,000 lbs.

Kaufman explained that Ford partnered with DTE Energy, an electric and natural gas utility company, on this project. He said DTE has ordered a number of these vehicles and will likely order more.

The F-650 at ATD was equipped with a dump body provided by Truck Tech Engineers Inc. and a dedicated CNG fuel system. National Fleet Services handled the CNG conversion process. The CNG upfit cost between $16,000 and $17,000, according to Kaufman. The gasoline engine for the F-650 comes with a gaseous prep package that has hardened valves and valve seats, making the vehicle compatible with compressed natural gas or propane fueling system. The prep package made the F-650 at the show a fit for the dedicated CNG system and for DTE Energy. The vehicle is equipped with 3 15-gallon tanks, providing a total of 45 gasoline gallon equivalents.

Although CNG is a great option, Kaufman noted the gasoline engine-equipped F-650 offers a number of benefits to fleets. He explained Ford has been offering a gasoline engine option for its F-650 since the 2012 model-year and that this engine is a segment exclusive. The engine is a gasoline 6.8L V-10 that provides 362 hp and 457 lb. ft. of torque. One of the benefits of this engine in this vehicle is due to the overall drivetrain configuration.

“You can start with very heavy loads even though you’re running with a gasoline powertrain and it gets great fuel economy because it’s has a six-speed double overdrive automatic transmission,” Kaufman explained.

Noting the pressure that many municipalities are under today, Kaufman said the gasoline engine option costs less than the equivalent diesel model, making it more affordable. The gasoline option is $9,441 MSRP less than the equivalent diesel model. The F-650 also comes standard with a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

“Some folks will say, ‘Well, my diesel gets better fuel economy,”’ explained Kaufman. “This truck is within 9 or 10 percent of the fuel economy of an equivalent diesel. The maintenance costs for a gasoline engine is half that of diesel. So they save money on maintenance costs, the initial purchase price is half, and it has all the capabilities of a diesel equivalent.”

Kaufman noted that this is a new, efficient engine that Ford has experience building, making this technology proven but advanced.

“We’re very confident in this engine and transmission,” Kaufman said. “We’ve been building hundreds of thousands of this engine since 2005. It’s an ultra-efficient, highly modern gasoline engine. It’s here for the long run.”

By Greg Basich and Greg Arroyo

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At a Glance

Ways fleets can save on fuel include:

• Match the right vehicle to the right route.
• Monitor and reduce idling.
• Shift to lower gear when feasible.
• Use alternative fuels where it makes sense.

As long as fuel prices continue to rise, fleet managers will look for ways to reduce fuel spend. At the most fundamental level, reducing fuel spend comes down to two strategies: improving the fuel economy of existing vehicles and acquiring newer, more fuel-efficient models. Whether fleets must work with what they have or whether they have the budget to invest in new models, when fleets drill down into these two categories, they’ll find several smart ways to save.

Give Existing Vehicles an MPG Boost

From modifying engine performance to making smarter choices about what vehicles perform which jobs, fleets have several options to improve the fuel economy of their existing units.

Match the right vehicle to the right route. One of the simplest ways to increase fuel economy and reduce fuel consumption is by matching the right vehicle to the right route. With no software requirements or vehicle modifications, making an informed choice on what vehicles offer the best fuel efficiency per route can be a cost-effective way to spend less on fuel.

FedEx Express, a unit of FedEx Corp., has seen a major impact on overall fuel efficiency by matching the right vehicle to each route, an initiative that has pushed the company toward its goal of reaching a 30-percent increase in fuel efficiency for its global fleet by 2020.

With proper vehicle choice — such as alt-fuel vehicles for shorter routes and lighter vehicles for longer routes — fleets can save big on fuel. In fact, FedEx Express expects to save approximately 20-million gallons of fuel this year alone by pairing the proper vehicles to routes that allow them to maximize fuel efficiency.

Keep an eye on idling and shift smarter. RailCrew Xpress, a railroad crew transportation service, looked to lower engine idling and smarter shifting as a means of reducing fuel spend. To do so, the company employs software that modifies an engine’s computer to lower engine idle speed and shift threshold.

“Using a higher gear sooner lowers the overall rpm — and the fewer times the engine turns over, the fewer gallons that go through it,” said Dan Gammill, director of fleet operations for RailCrew Xpress. “Likewise, lowering engine-idle speed improves fuel economy, too. We believe the software modifications can provide up to a 30-percent reduction in engine idle speed, so we are burning less fuel at the stop lights and when we are waiting for crews.”

RailCrew Xpress piloted this strategy in two regions, Texas and Mississippi.

The Texas pilot was conducted over 20 weeks, with programming installed on 180 vans and tested in varying driving environments — some that see a lot of city miles and short-distance, gas-guzzling trips, and others that make long-distance, more fuel-efficient trips on the highway. In aggregate, the company saw a 5-percent improvement in fuel economy as a result of the software pilot. A similar 15-week pilot in Mississippi resulted in a 10.8-percent improvement in overall fuel economy, according to Gammill.

With an annual fuel spend of $12.5 million — if rolled out platform wide — the software alone would save the company somewhere between $625,000 and $1.35 million. “Our vans average approximately 60,000 miles per year, so our high usage yielded a pretty quick payback on the project,” Gammill said. “For our purposes, it looks like a very cost-effective, low-impact way to get additional fuel economy out of the same piece of equipment.”

Speed up speed restriction. Software can also help fleets restrict speed, helping drivers lighten their lead feet — and lay off wasting fuel.

“I’m a strong proponent of speed restriction,” Gammill said. “Study after study says you lose 5 percent in fuel economy for every 5 mph over 55 mph — and that deterioration could be even greater for us, considering the large passenger vans we drive. If you’re looking to cut fuel costs, one of the easiest places to look is applying speed restriction to your fleet.”

Switch to alternative fuels. Beyond software, modifying vehicles to operate on alternative fuels can reduce fuel spend in two ways: through a lower price per gallon equivalent and lower maintenance costs.

Stanley Steemer, a provider of residential and commercial cleaning services, has looked to alternative fuels as a means of saving money and helping to green its carbon footprint. Currently, the company is testing operating vehicles and equipment on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), aka propane autogas, fuels.

“Stanley Steemer is a unique business; not only do we burn fuel getting to a job, we also burn fuel while performing our cleaning service,” said Sean Vrenna, director of research and development for Stanley Steemer International, Inc. “By implementing lower-cost alternative fuels in both instances, we are hoping to see a significant savings in fuel cost.”
So far, the company has seen “very positive results” using the alt-fuels, according to Vrenna.

Initial fuel-cost savings on Stanley Steemer’s alternative-fuel vehicles is around 40 percent. “To date, we are pleased with how this pilot is going,” Vrenna said. “There are some significant costs in converting vehicles and equipment to run on alternative fuels. However, we feel our ROI time frame is viable. An added bonus we are seeing when using clean-burning fuels is a longer maintenance interval, thus providing additional savings.”

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Buy with an Eye for Fuel Efficiency

The alternative to finding ways to make existing units more fuel efficient is buying new ones. But, that can mean different things — from simply downsizing to vehicles with smaller engines to taking advantage of the latest in vehicle technology. Both approaches can yield major fuel savings.

Rely on rightsized engines. While drivers in some vocations need power to get the job done, downsizing to vehicles with smaller engines can be a big fuel saver. FedEx Express currently has more than 10,000 vans with rightsized engines in service, comprising more than 35 percent of its U.S. pick-up and delivery fleet. Each van is about 70 to 100 percent more fuel-efficient than the original truck it replaces, according to the company.

Red Bull North America, Inc. employed a similar strategy. In 2011, the company instituted a 23-mpg threshold for all employee vehicles. It has now cycled out all older vehicles that did not meet this criterion. In 2013, Red Bull raised that threshold to 26 mpg combined. The new mileage threshold alone has increased its average mpg by about 5 percent.

To achieve this goal, the company replaced its larger V-6 and V-8 pickups with smaller four-cylinder SUVs. Where it used to see 14-16 mpg on the larger pickups, the fleet now sees 24-26 mpg on the smaller models. As a result of this change, the company is estimating a 10-percent per vehicle savings so far in 2013 versus 2012.

“It is easy to put thresholds in place, but, if the vehicles that qualify do not allow your employees to do their job in an efficient manner, reducing fuel spend can have negative effects on employee productivity and morale,” said David McCauley, fleet manager for Red Bull North America, Inc. “We were able to do this with very little impact on how our employees complete their daily duties. Our changes were successful because we picked vehicles that met the threshold, but also were functional enough to allow our employees to do their jobs properly.”

While replacing vehicles can mean additional costs, McCauley said in Red Bull’s case it saw an unexpected benefit. “We had assumed that terminating 110 pickups over a three-month period would cost us around $20,000-$30,000 in loss on sales, especially because 68 of them were less than 18 months old,” he said. “Instead, it happened at the right time and we actually netted more than $175,000.”

Go hydraulic. In addition to engine size, engine type can also help fleets reduce fuel spend. Hydraulic hybrid vehicle systems use a computer-controlled system to eliminate unnecessary engine operation, which, in turn, saves fuel and reduces engine wear and tear by up to 50 percent. FedEx Ground is currently testing hybrid hydraulic parcel delivery vehicles on local delivery routes across the U.S.

Lighten the load. While engine size and type can make a big impact on fuel economy, so can the weight of the vehicle. Composite-body vehicles can make vehicles hundreds of pounds lighter than their traditional counterparts; the lighter the vehicle, the more fuel efficient.

Since 2011, FedEx Express has incorporated almost 200 composite-body vehicles into its global fleet and plans to add 200 more by the end of its 2013 fiscal year. The lower-weight design, along with the fuel-efficient engine in the model used, allows for a 35-percent reduction in fuel usage over most conventional walk-in vans.

Set Your Strategy

Regardless of whether a fleet seeks to improve the fuel economy of existing vehicles or to purchase new models, McCauley said the first step is to know what your goal is — and never lose sight of drivers’ needs. “Set yourself a goal and then build a strategy around that goal,” he said. “Remember that, while your goal is reducing fuel spend, you do not want to lose the money you gain by having employee productivity suffer.”

Keep An Eye on Fuel Prices

Want to keep an eye on fuel costs? Fueleconomy.gov offers the following resources to help keep fuel costs down:

Local Prices: www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/index.shtml

State and Metro Area Prices: http://fuelgaugereport.aaa.com/?redirectto
=http://fuelgaugereportopisnet.com/index.asp

National and Regional Prices: www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/

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The “last mile” to achieving corporate sustainability objectives is modifying driver behavior. Basic eco-driving practices include:

• Knowing the proper way to accelerate and brake.
• Using synchronized traffic lights to a driver’s advantage.
• Driving at the optimum highway speed.
• Understanding when to use air conditioning.

Companies have adopted a variety of strategies to achieve green fleet initiatives, such as adopting anti-idling policies, switching to smaller displacement engines, buying alt-fuel and hybrid vehicles, and downsizing to smaller vehicle segments.

However, there’s a limit to how much a fleet manager can modify a fleet selector to decrease emissions and maximize fuel efficiency, especially if the majority of the vehicles are gasoline- or diesel-powered. A fleet manager can only downsize so far before beginning to impact the fleet mission. The bottom line is that you can’t change the fundamental requirements of your business. You need to move employees and cargo in a cost-efficient manner. This necessitates a minimum equipment requirement to do so.

If you are constrained by equipment limitations, the “last mile” to achieving corporate sustainability objectives is modifying driver behavior. This is possibly the greatest opportunity available to fleet managers to green their fleets.

Most company drivers average 20,000 miles per year and driver behavior is a major influence in fuel consumption. To be a truly green fleet, you need to change drivers’ mindsets to make them “greener” drivers. This must be a top priority. The way employees drive their vehicles can either increase or decrease fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. If the driving behavior of employees is changed, there will be a direct impact on the amount of fuel consumed and emissions produced.

Even small increases in mpg can result in substantial savings when extrapolated across the entire fleet. Fleet managers, who have implemented eco-driving training programs, report a 5- to 30-percent reduction in annual fuel consumption by changing driver behavior. 

Major fleets, such as Wal-Mart, Xerox, Schindler, Veolia Transportation, and UPS have implemented eco-driving programs designed to modify driver behavior. For instance, FedEx is investigating the integration of five eco-driving practices into its online fleet management system reporting. 

The five eco-driving practices, which FedEx successfully tested in Japan, include:

• Minimize idling.
• Accelerate gently.
• Maintain a steady speed.
• Ease off the accelerator early before braking.
• Use A/C judiciously. 

In fact, tests conducted by Isuzu show that a single truck, averaging 35,000 miles per year, can reduce fuel consumption by more than 1,200 gallons by simply using eco-driving techniques. At $4.09 per gallon for diesel (as of press time), that would translate into annual savings of $4,908. For a 50-truck fleet, it would be $245,400 per year. 

The challenge is to make eco-driving the permanent mindset of all drivers. Unless there is an enforcement program with incentives, the danger is that drivers will drift back to old behaviors. It has been proven that by using more “carrot than stick,” these efficiencies can be maintained over the longer-term. To maintain driver motivation, you need to have an ongoing eco-driving training program for new hires and periodic refresher courses for current drivers, offering tangible incentives for employees who perform well.

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Eco-Driving 101

In essence, the concept of eco-driving is changing driver behavior. Eco-driving refers to specific driving behaviors that can improve fuel economy, reduce operating expenses, decrease GHG emissions, and promote safe driving. In fact, eco-driving practices, by default, make employees safer drivers by discouraging aggressive driving and speeding. Many fleets correctly view eco-driving and safe driving as being intertwined. Besides decreasing fuel consumption, eco-driving also helps lower other operating costs by extending the life of wear items, such as tires and brakes. 

Basic eco-driving practices include knowing the proper way to accelerate and brake, using synchronized traffic lights to a driver’s advantage, driving at the optimum highway speed, and understanding when to use air conditioning. For example, aggressive driving (such as speeding, rapid acceleration, and braking) can lower fuel economy by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent on city streets.

Minimizing unnecessary idling and maintaining proper tire pressure are other eco-driving practices. A typical fleet sedan consumes half a gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling. Every gallon of gasoline burned produces 19.5 lbs. of CO2 and every gallon of diesel creates 22.1 lbs. of CO2. When idling, drivers achieve 0 mpg. Likewise, by monitoring and maintaining manufacturer-recommended tire inflation, fuel economy can be improved by up to 3.3 percent. 

Eco-driving isn’t rocket science, but it works and represents an effective way to reduce fuel consumption, lower emissions, decrease operating costs, and reduce accidents. To learn more about eco-driving, visit www.ecodrivingusa.com.

Fleets serious about achieving sustainability objectives need to make the modification of driver behavior a primary focus. It’s not a one-time effort; it is an ongoing, never-ending process.

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At a Glance

Some educational paths that may help lead to or prepare for a career in fleet management include:

• English composition.
• Accounting.
• Finance.
• Risk management.
• Law.
• Civics/government.
• Systems/computers.

It generally isn’t found in any university course catalogues. Texts on the subject are few and far between. The industry is, realistically, niche, and it isn’t likely that a young professional knows anyone holding the title. But, somehow, in some way, a youth gets exposed to fleet management, is intrigued, and decides to pursue a career as a fleet manager.

How does he or she go about this? What kinds of skills do fleet managers need and where can they get them? It isn’t as difficult or arcane as one might think; fleet managers need specific skills and knowledge that can be obtained in any number of ways. Here are some ideas for the nascent fleet manager candidate:

How Did You Get Into Fleet?

You’ll get a broad array of answers if you ask a fleet manager, “how did you get into the business?” These replies can include, “I saw the job posted, applied, and got it,” “I was in purchasing, and when the fleet manager left, I pursued the opportunity to replace her,” and “I’ve been in the fleet department for a few years, and got promoted when the fleet manager retired.”

These, and other similar responses, state that it was simply coincidental that the fleet manager got the job. But, one answer you’ll seldom, if ever, get is, “I’ve wanted to be a fleet manager since I was a kid, studied it in school, and looked for an opening after graduation.”

Fleet management isn’t a college major; although a few schools, such as Ferris State University, offer a minor in fleet management, and others, such as Ranken Technical College, offer college credits for NAFA’s certified automotive fleet manager (CAFM) program.

The profession can be exciting, rewarding, never boring, and a springboard to more senior responsibilities in a corporate setting. Young professionals should be encouraged to learn about it and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. But, how can this be done? What would a recent college graduate, for example, need to do to qualify for the job?

The Academic Basics

Unlike law, medicine, or accounting, fleet management isn’t a very specific discipline. Fleet managers have a number of responsibilities, not all of them vehicle related, and the profession requires a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience; a “fleet management” major or academic track isn’t practical.

That said, however, there are course offerings at most colleges that can help students interested in fleet management to prepare for a career:

• English composition: Written communication skills are a critical element of success in fleet management. Fleet managers communicate across a broad spectrum within, and outside of, the company. From drivers, to managers, to senior executives; from suppliers, to auditors, even law enforcement, the job requires the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and persuasively.
• Accounting: How fleet costs are allocated — both expenses and capital expenditures — is also important. Understanding the impact of fleet vehicle costs on the company’s financial statements helps to clarify for management what is happening in the fleet department.
• Finance: Learning the basics behind the lease vs. buy decision, how money flows in a corporate environment, interest rates, and taxes are all part of the job.
• Risk management: One of the two overall missions of the fleet manager is safety. Fleet managers need to know how to understand and mitigate risk, and recognize risk factors both before hiring as well as during fleet service.
• Law: Certainly, a law degree isn’t necessary; however, basic law courses can help fleet managers understand the impact of local, state, and federal legislation on a fleet operation. Also, human resource and labor laws often come into play, vis-a-vis establishing and enforcing policy.
• Civics/government: Understanding how government works — how it makes decisions, how funds are acquired and allocated, and how it differs from the private sector is important not only for government fleet management, but for commercial fleet managers as well.
• Systems/computers: It isn’t necessary to be a programmer; however, learning the basics of IT systems is crucial, as fleet managers depend upon automated reporting and processes to do the job. Knowing how to use basic office programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is almost a given in any business environment.

Keep in mind these skills can be acquired at the academic level; there are only a few fleet management-specific courses offered at a few universities. They are, however, important in the overall conduct of the job. A good case can be made that fleet managers interact on a regular basis with a more eclectic range of company disciplines than just about any other (save for human resources/benefits). Understanding the basics of each of these disciplines, and being able to communicate clearly and concisely with each one, is a must for any successful fleet manager.

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Job-Specific Skills

Law schools teach their students the basics of the law: torts, precedents, and contracts. Graduates, however, aren’t ready to practice law. Before they can, they need to learn about “lawyering,” i.e., learning how to be a lawyer.

Many professions are very much the same, and fleet management is no different. The academic skills covered above provide a good foundation for success in fleet management; however, one could easily say that the same is true for just about any non-technical job. So, where does the young graduate next go to begin to obtain the job-specific skills and knowledge a fleet manager will need? And, more important, what are those job-specific skills and knowledge?

A good starting point would be vehicle technology. Fleet managers don’t necessarily need to be able to overhaul brakes, replace a cylinder head, or do a wheel alignment, but they do need to understand the overall processes of doing so.

For example, knowing what exactly a brake overhaul accomplishes requires a general understanding of the automotive hydraulic brake system. The same is true for all of the major systems in a vehicle — fuel, exhaust, suspension, wheels, tires, etc. As the saying goes, the conductor doesn’t need to know how to play the instruments to lead the orchestra.

Getting a good introduction to vehicle technology is relatively easy, but may be met with some resistance. That is, asking a recent graduate of a top tier university, with a degree in finance, for example, to sign up for a local community college’s adult education class about auto mechanics might seem almost laughable. What is laughable, though, is believing the graduate can manage a fleet without precisely the kind of overview such a course can provide.

The Auto Business

Another area good fleet managers must understand is the automobile business. In the formative years of the fleet profession, it was common for the fleet manager to come out of the car business, usually having worked at some point in a dealership. This kind of experience is often lacking today, and any student or graduate interested in a career in fleet management should know at the very least the basics:

• Pricing: How vehicles are priced is critical to negotiating fleet lease contracts, or purchase deals if the fleet is owned. Learning the basic terminology — Monroney label, dealer invoice, factory invoice, holdback, floor plan, advertising, fleet incentives, etc. — are all components of how auto manufacturers price vehicles to the fleet marketplace.
• Distribution: Vehicles are one of the last large ticket items that are still sold through networks of dedicated dealers. Years ago, the same held true for electronics (televisions, large appliances), but now these can be purchased at “warehouse” stores, which sell all different brands from a single location. The overall distribution and manufacturing process, from order, to production, to shipment, to delivery should be a part of any fleet manager’s knowledge base.
• Remarketing: The single largest expense any fleet will incur is depreciation. There are a number of resale channels through which cars and trucks are remarketed, including retail, wholesale, auction, “whole-tail,” and to employees. Knowing which of these markets are best at any particular time or for any particular vehicle is one of the major keys to successful fleet management.
• Maintenance/repair: This is not from the technical side, but from a business perspective. How national accounts are used in a maintenance management program, billing, pricing, when to send drivers to the dealer are all important in managing this second largest variable expense.

There are a number of large, fleet-minded dealers across the country that might be willing to provide an introduction into pricing, distribution, even used vehicles. Some of the information is available online, with a simple search. Attending a local auction when a fleet sale is in progress can show how lessors and manufacturers represent and sell their out-of-service vehicles. Lessor and fleet service company websites can provide an overview of the business aspects of maintaining and repairing fleet vehicles.

Gaining Experience

There are some skills that can only be obtained via hands-on experience. Relating the above information and training to the actual management of a fleet of company vehicles is a natural next step in a career.

As with many other careers, whether it is law, the trades, teaching, or in business, gaining such experience is best done via some type of apprenticeship. Taking an entry-level position in a large fleet, though such positions are less available today than they were in the past, is a good start. Clerical and administrative jobs in a fleet department will expose the graduate to the day-to-day activities that the previously mentioned education and training has prepared them for.

Learning how to communicate with drivers, the process of placing orders and tracking inventory, license/title/tax, and other daily tasks will help immensely.

Another route to a career in fleet is through the “other side of the desk,” or with fleet management companies, those companies that service and manage fleets. These would include lessors, maintenance providers, accident management companies, fleet fuel card providers, safety training suppliers, and other similar players in the industry.

Many of them have internships, and most all have entry-level positions that can introduce new hires to the industry.

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Developed as part of a new strategic partnership agreement between Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleet, and Nexus Communication, publisher of Fleet Europe, the all-new annual Global Fleet Management Conference is designed to create an environment for multinational fleet managers and global fleet suppliers to network, exchange best practices, and expand their skill sets for today’s era of global fleet operations.

Attendees will be exposed to cutting-edge management ideas from global fleet managers and thought leaders, and have the chance to forge new or tighter bonds with their fellow international fleet manager counterparts.

The Global Fleet Management Conference will debut Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2013, in Phoenix, where it will be co-located with Bobit Business Media’s annual Green Fleet Conference. In 2014, the Global Fleet Management Conference will be held in Europe.

Since sustainability has become a mission-critical concern for many multinational corporations, co-locating the Global Fleet Management Conference with the Green Fleet Conference was a natural fit, according to Mike Antich, editor and associate publisher of Automotive Fleet, chair of the Green Fleet Conference, and co-chair of the Global Fleet Management Conference with Ed Bobit, CEO of Bobit Business Media.

“Co-locating the inaugural Global Fleet Management Conference with Bobit’s Green Fleet Conference, now in its sixth year, is particularly advantageous for fleet managers, since sustainability is such an important part of today’s fleet mission for multinational fleets,” Antich said.

The Global Fleet Management Conference serves the Fleet Europe and Automotive Fleet partnership’s goal to better inform, train, educate, and facilitate networking among global fleet managers worldwide.

Among Fleet Europe and Automotive Fleet’s first steps in their partnership has been to expand their web presence to reach a global audience. Fleet Europe has launched its global fleet platform www.globalfleet.com, and Automotive Fleet has launched its global fleet management website at www.automotive-fleet.com/channel/global-fleet.aspx. In addition, the companies will collaborate on an electronic and print Global Fleet Management Directory and Fact Book, which will be published later this year.

“The trend towards globalization in fleet management has really taken off and more and more fleet executives are in the process of analyzing the possibilities to optimize fleet management globally,” said Caroline Thonnon, partner Nexus Communication, business development and global fleet leader. “Our mission is to help them find useful information and expertise. Sharing knowledge is crucial. The slogan, ‘Think globally, act locally,’ is more pertinent than ever. We believe this unique partnership with Automotive Fleet will give true added value for the international community, since we share the same values and objectives.”

Bobit and Nexus partnership will allow the companies to exchange knowledge and information in order to better serve international fleet executives in procurement; fleet management; finance; sustainability; environment, health & safety (EHS); and HR.

“The collaboration between our two media houses, each a leader on their respective markets for many years, is a significant step for the entire sector. This will allow us together to add even more value to the information and education linked to the process of fleet management globalization,” said Thierry Degives, managing partner Nexus Communication.

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Typically, no work day is a duplicate of another, especially in fleet. Each day changes and has unique challenges, and fleet managers definitely stay busy. Automotive Fleet reached out to a fleet asset manager and charted his “typical” day.

Tony Orta, fleet asset manager for Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), who has more than 30 years of fleet experience, manages a department that oversees vehicle replacement, acquisition planning and execution, utilization and redeployment, remarketing, and maintenance operations quality assurance for environmental compliance and quality of work. He is also involved in influencing fleet policies and procedures, and actively supports SoCalGas’ national involvement in promoting the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as a transportation fuel.

The 5,356-unit fleet mostly consists of light- and medium-duty vehicles (around 3,900 units), as well as automobiles, heavy-duty trucks, and equipment. The fleet operates 1,187 alternative-fuel vehicles, with 22 percent of the over-the-road fleet operating on natural gas (around 965 units).

Following is an overview of a typical day.

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Pre-Flight Check (Home Office) Morning review of day’s schedule

● Check e-mails for any overnight or early morning communiques requiring
immediate or early action or response. With colleagues on the East Coast, there are typically several e-mails waiting for Orta each morning, in addition to any carryover from the previous day.

People

● Arrive at office and meet with employees and department staff.

● Quick chat with employees in break room, get first cup of coffee, and power-up office computer.

Priorities

● Review previous day’s close of business (COB) list of priorities.

● Review e-mails for any new communiques and his own “quick hit” action items as well as items from staff members.

Key Project & Metrics Review

● Get key project updates from direct reports and review status reports.

● Review annual acquisition plan update with direct reports.

● Review key budget and operational metrics.

Supplier Management

● Quick review of automotive industry magazines and mark articles of interest for later reading. The magazines include Automotive Fleet, Green Fleet, Business Fleet, Government Fleet, Fleet Solutions, Automotive News, and AutoWeek.

● Quick review of online automotive industry information.

● Review and schedule meetings with key or developmental suppliers.

● Assess supplier portfolio balance with direct reports and supply management consultant to determine ongoing development strategy.

Meeting Preparation

● Gather data and develop documents or presentations as needed.

● Determine who on staff should represent department with internal clients or outside business contacts. There are currently 11 employees in Orta’s department, four of which are direct reports. Additionally, he interacts with various other personnel within the organization to influence and support the shaping of fleet strategies.

Ad-Hoc Activities

● Fleet costs and acquisition updates data requests.

● Fleet-related company initiative updates.

● Participate in meetings (as requested or needed) in internal/external fleet-related presentations/participation, including safety, fleet acquisitions, and alternative-fuel vehicles.

● Conference panelist and moderator.

● Participate as member of professional organizations.

● Assist with any “brush fires” requiring immediate response.

● Work with senior management.

Close of business

● Update “Pending Priorities” and “Action Required” lists for following day reference.

Advice from the Field

Everyone has an overwhelming day from time to time; one where nothing seems to go right, all you hear are complaints and problems, and there seems no end in sight.

“Fleet managers must continuously remind themselves that, in a service organization, demands are generally of an urgent nature from the internal clients’ perspective,” according to Tony Orta, fleet asset manager for SoCalGas Company. “It is important that clients are treated with respect, regardless of the demands, so that a level of mutual trust can be established. It is equally important that a fleet manager demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of their clients’ business. This understanding is valuable and allows a fleet manager to set the proper expectations with the client.”

Orta noted that he lives by three “Cs” in maintenance repair:

Complaint, Cause, and Correction. “However, the three ‘Cs’ needed to be an effective fleet manager are Communicate, Communicate, Communicate,” he said.

When Orta feels overwhelmed, he said he keeps a daily journal of short notes and events to use as a reference for prioritizing and reprioritizing throughout the day.

“What is also helpful is to integrate at least 30 minutes, at the conclusion of each day, into your schedule to create a ‘to-do list’ for use at the start of the following day,” he suggested. “This allows you to go home with a clear mind and less stress knowing that tomorrow is another day and promotes the work-life balance that we all want to have.”  

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Sue Miller was promoted to director, fleet management services for McDonald’s Corp. The promotion was effective May 1. She manages 3,500 fleet vehicles in the U.S. for McDonald’s.

In 1998, Miller was named Professional Fleet Manager of the Year by Automotive Fleet magazine, whose award is sponsored by Wheels Inc. and the Automotive Fleet and Leasing Association (AFLA). In 2012, Miller was inducted into the Fleet Hall Of Fame. In addition, she was one of the founding members of the Women in Fleet Management group.

Miller joined McDonald’s in 1986. In 1998, she was awarded the McDonald’s President Award and is actively involved with McDonald’s Women’s Leadership Network and McDonald’s Green Team.

Prior to joining McDonald’s, Miller worked as the fleet manager for Keebler Corp. from 1983-1986 and earlier as fleet administrator for A.B. Dick Co. from 1980-1983. Miller started her fleet career working at ServiceMaster in 1979 to 1980.

By Mike Antich

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The NSC’s president and CEO Janet Froetscher said factors such as drivers not admitting cell phone use and a lack of consistency in crash reports make it difficult to determine a number that accurately reflects the number of fatal crashes that involve cell phone use.

Beyond the reasons above, NSC’s research found that in half of cases where a driver admitted cell phone use, the crash was not coded in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatal Analysis Reporting System. There are also an unknown number of cases where cell phone use in a fatal crash is not possible to determine, for example where a driver dies in a crash without any witnesses.

The NSC report also found major differences in cell phone use in fatal crash data as reported by states. In 2011, Tennessee reported 93 fatal crashes that involved cell phone use, but New York, which has a larger population, reported a single fatal crash where cell phone use was involved. Other examples include Texas reporting 40 but Louisiana reporting none.

NSC noted that in 2012, highway fatalities increased for the first time in seven years. NSC said that due to the risk involved with, and the prevalence of, cell phone use while driving (as reported by NHTSA and other research), the organization estimates as many as 25% of all crashes involve cell phone use.

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The all-electric 2013 Nissan Leaf earned a Top Safety Pick recognition level from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The vehicle earned ratings of “Good” in IIHS’ front, side, rollover, and rear crash tests.

Standard safety systems on the 2013-MY Leaf include the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage supplemental front airbags with seat belt sensors and occupant classification sensor, front seat-mounted side impact supplemental airbags, and roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental airbags for front and rear-seat outboard occupant head protection. Next, the vehicle comes with standard Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) and Traction Control System (TCS) on all Leaf models.

The vehicle also features three-point automatic locking retractable (ALR) and emergency locking retractable (ELR) seat belts (ELR-only on the driver’s seat) with pretensioners and load limiters. It comes with the child seat upper tether anchor, LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system and child safety rear door locks.

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Toyota’s Lexus brand announced retail pricing for its all-new 2014 IS Sedan, which is set to arrive at dealerships this summer. The IS250, which is powered by a 2.5L V-6 that delivers 204 hp and 185 lb.-ft. of torque, starts at an MSRP of $35,950 for RWD and $38,485 for AWD. The next model in the lineup, the IS350, features a 3.5L V-6 and starts at $39,465 for RWD and $41,700 for AWD. According to Lexus, this price is a 2.1% decrease from the price of the IS model it replaces.

Standard features on all of the IS models include HID headlamps; L-shaped LED daytime running lights; Drive Mode Select; paddle shifters; a dual zone climate control system; a Remote Touch Interface; a Display Audio system; a color 4.2 inch TFT multi-information display; and 10 airbags. The multimedia system features real-time traffic and weather information without requiring a subscription.

Lexus offers three packages for the IS models, including Premium, Luxury, and Sport. Each package is available across the IS model range, according to Lexus. The Premium Package, which costs $1,050 for RWD models, includes LED headlamps and heated and ventilated front seats.

The Luxury Package features a perforated leather-trimmed interior; linear wood trim; electrochromic exterior mirrors with reverse tilt; rain-sensing wipers; driver seat memory; a power tilt/telescopic steering wheel; center stack knee pads; and Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert. It also includes all the features in the Premium package. It costs $3,665 for RWD models.

The F SPORT Package is $3,115 for the IS 250 RWD and $3,620 for the IS 350 RWD, and comes with a number of performance-oriented features.

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Mercedes detailed fuel economy numbers for its 2013-MY diesel-fueled GLK250 BlueTEC 4MATIC SUV, which arrived in U.S. showrooms at the end of April. The automaker said the vehicle gets 24 city, 33 highway miles per gallon, which leads the segment in fuel economy, according to Mercedes.

Under the hood, the diesel engine is rated at 200 hp and 369 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine uses the AdBlue water-based urea solution to ensure the vehicle meets emissions standards in all 50 U.S. states.

New safety features on the GLK250 BlueTEC 4MATIC beyond what’s available for the other GLK models include Attention Assist, which is standard, and the optional Distronic Plus system with Pre-Safe Brake, Active Blind Spot Assist, and Active Lane Keeping Assist. Active Parking Assist is also available as an option.

The GLK250 BlueTEC 4MATIC is available starting at an MSRP of $38,590, excluding the $905 destination charge.

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EIA stated one reason for declining revenues is due to the larger number of more fuel-efficient vehicles on U.S. roads today than in years past.

Vermont is an example of a state that has enacted a new way of calculating excise taxes. The state adds a variable rate fee, based on the statewide average retail price of gasoline (diesel has a flat rate), to a flat rate excise tax.

In California, the gasoline sales tax is initially levied at the wholesale price level at a prepaid rate (which is based on the average of the selling price of gasoline sold at retail). This number is currently set at 7 cents per gallon for gasoline and 29 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. When the fuel reaches the actual retail fueling station level, the state- and district-level percentage tax rates are applied to the price of fuel sold at retail.

EIA noted Maryland offers another example of variable rates, having enacted them recently. Starting in July 2013, the state will base part of the gasoline tax on the U.S. Consumer Price Index, and it will base a second part of the tax on the average annual retail price for fuel multiplied by a percentage sales tax rate. That sales tax rate’s percentage is set to increase in the years to come, EIA stated.

A state with a different approach to gasoline taxes is Virginia, where legislation recently passed that would eliminate the current motor fuels excise tax, which is currently 17.5 cents per gallon. It would replace the revenue lost from that tax with a 3.5% wholesale tax on gasoline and a 6% tax on diesel fuel, starting July 1, 2013. EIA said that although there is a floor rate, fuel price volatility could create uncertainty for revenue using this method.

In general, according to the EIA, the average amount of tax states add to the price of gasoline is 23.5 cents per gallon, with a high end of 38.2 cents per gallon for California and a low of 8 cents per gallon for Alaska and Georgia.

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Last year, average monthly personal use charges were flat versus 2011, with fewer fleets allowing personal use of company-provided vehicles.

To find out who your personal use policies stack up against the industry standard, we need your input!

Take a moment to fill out the questionnaire here.

Your responses are valuable and will be treated with strict confidentiality. And keep your eyes peeled, results will be published in an upcoming issue of Automotive Fleet magazine.

Reponses required by Friday, June 1.

Related Content

Personal Use Charges Hit $116 in 2012

Average Monthly Personal Use Charges Increase to $118 in 2011

Average Monthly Personal Use Charges Increase to $108

Average Monthly Personal Use Charges Increase to $110

87% of Fleets Allow Personal Use

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“With today’s more mobile workforce, this app illustrates our commitment to providing end-to-end solutions,” said Dave Zuidema, PHH Arval senior vice president, Customer Experience. “Technology is an enabler of great processes and helps elevate the experience PHH wants our clients to have.”

Historically drivers would have to access a driver portal from a computer, often a challenge for people who spend their workday on the road. Through PHH InterActive for Drivers mobile, launched May 1, 2012, users can complete work-related tasks without having to make a special trip to the office.

PHH InterActive for Drivers mobile includes a proactive to-do list for common driver tasks, a GPS-enabled supplier locater, the ability to submit and view mileage reports, report lost or stolen service cards, retrieve pin numbers and view vehicle and service card information.

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

The American Business Awards will be presented at two awards events: the ABA's traditional banquet on Monday, June 17 – in Chicago for the first time, after 10 years in New York; and the new product and technology awards event on Monday, September 16 in San Francisco.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

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According to WEX, refinery issues in the upper Midwest have caused regional supply issues. Prices in most states are down as much as 45 cents per gallon, but Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio are showing prices about 5 cents above where they were a year ago. The company added that in the rest of the U.S., analysts are predicting prices will fall somewhat. Regional oil markets, such as the New York Harbor and Gulf Coast, are seeing gasoline prices 70 cents per gallon less than in the Chicago area.

Low demand and increased supply are major factors contributing to falling prices. According to WEX, traders have been disappointed with gasoline demand figures. Gasoline demand was measured at 8.415 million barrels per day, and four-week average demand is now 156,000 barrels per day less than during the same period last year. In terms of supply, U.S. crude oil stocks moved higher than 395 million barrels. The company added that inventories have never been higher since the U.S. Energy Information Administration started tracking the data.

Diesel fuel demand is also facing low domestic demand and will largely depend on the need for cargo from the U.S. from countries in the southern hemisphere.

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At a Glance

Downtime costs are important factors in running a fleet. Determining how much they are begins with knowing what the component costs are, and developing a formula by which they can be applied to events.

• Know your drivers’ employment costs, including salaries, benefits, even bonuses and commissions.
• Know the productivity costs.
• Track downtime in detail.

There are costs incurred when providing company vehicles. Some of them are variable — such as fuel, maintenance and repair, and tires — and change as use changes. Some are fixed costs — such as depreciation and insurance — related to simply having those vehicles.

The standard categories of fleet cost are “hard” costs, expending company funds when incurred. And, “soft” costs, those that don’t necessarily result in a direct expenditure, but are every bit as real as hard costs. When drivers aren’t driving, when they aren’t out doing the job because of a mechanical problem or an accident, they incur downtime costs, which can be both hard and soft, and add thousands of dollars to a fleet’s budget.

Defining the Problem

Much of the business literature and research about downtime surrounds systems; e.g., technology-related downtime due to breakdowns, backups, and other issues that company IT departments both suffer as well as cause. Most of the remaining information is dedicated to manufacturing — when the line is down, it costs the company money.

There is little formal research surrounding fleet drivers’ downtime; however, it isn’t difficult to define it, determine causes, quantify costs, and manage it.

Fleet drivers depend on vehicles to do their jobs. Some use them simply for transportation, for themselves and their customers, covering a geographic territory to which they’re assigned. Others use vehicles to provide service to customers, carrying tools, parts, and products.

Still other drivers are hired to deliver products or parts to customers. Whatever the mission, it cannot be accomplished without the use of a vehicle.

When vehicles are down — need mechanical repairs, are involved in an accident, or stolen — there is a period of time when drivers are also down, unable to perform their jobs.

Until a driver is back on the road, downtime causes the company to incur expense, both hard and soft, that otherwise would not occur:

● Hard costs involve actual expenditures related to the downtime.

● Soft costs are not the actual use of funds directly related to the problem, but costs incurred during the time the driver is lacking transportation.

Figuring Out the Cost

Before any expense can be managed, it must be identified. Identifying downtime costs is not quite as simple as it sounds, however, smart fleet managers know how to go about it.

To illustrate how downtime costs are incurred, we can use a hypothetical series of assumptions, first about the driver.

The total compensation portion of driver cost is $65,000 per year in salary and benefits. The driver produces $2 million per year in revenue for the company (sales, product, and service revenue), from which the company enjoys a 5-percent net profit margin, or $100,000. This can be illustrated as follows:

✔ Salary: $50,000 per year

✔ Benefits: $15,000 per year

✔ Production: $2 million per year

✔ Net-profit margin: 5 percent.

The next step in quantifying downtime is to reduce the above annual costs to hourly and/or daily costs. Assuming 260 working days per year and an eight-hour working day, the calculations are as follows:

✔ Daily cost: $65,000/260 = $250 per day

✔ Hourly cost: $250/8 = $31.25 per hour

Further, any time the driver is unable to perform the job due to fleet downtime costs the company money as well:

✔ $100,000/260 = $384.61 per day

✔ $384.61/8 = $48.07 per hour

These are the employment costs (salary and benefits) the company incurs to employ the driver, and the productivity the company loses when the driver is down, unable to work. The former are direct, hard costs; the latter are opportunity, or soft, costs.

A loss of productivity doesn’t cause the company to actually expend funds; however, it does cause the company to forego the revenue that the driver produces when working. Combining these costs shows that each hour the driver is down, the cost of that time is $79.32.

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Downtime Costs by Event

The most common causes of downtime are related to either mechanical problems or accidents — in other words, specific events. There are other causes, but mechanical breakdowns and accidents are the most common “creators” of downtime.

Mechanical breakdowns are far less common today than 20 years ago. Vehicles are built better than they were in the 1980s and 1990s, and problems are diagnosed much quicker and more accurately than ever. But, unfortunately, they still do occur.

The hourly cost of downtime would simply be the number of hours from the time the vehicle breaks down until the driver is able to get back out on the road. However, event costs include the cost of the repair itself (if not under warranty), and any replacement rental vehicle which can be used.

Sometimes, especially in the case of a service vehicle, replacement rentals are not practical, lacking specialized upfits and the transfer of equipment and parts isn’t possible. In such cases, a pool vehicle may be used, and there is some cost to that as well.

Accidents create an entirely different set of costs, costs that can possibly be far greater. Here is a typical sequence of events when a driver is involved in an accident:

After the accident has occurred, and the driver has learned of any injuries to him or her or other parties, a call is made to the fleet department, or to the accident management provider. An accident report is taken (on the phone), and the vehicle is either driven (if safe and legal) or towed to a repair facility.

Concurrently, a rental vehicle is booked for the driver; it is usually delivered to the driver at the repair facility. At this point, once any materials or product is transferred, the driver is now able to return to the job. An estimate for repairs is provided by the shop, negotiated, and repairs begin.

Once repairs are completed, the driver is notified, returns to the shop to pick up the vehicle, and the rental vehicle returned to the provider.

In cases where a service-type vehicle is damaged, and there is no practical rental vehicle to provide, either the driver is given a pool vehicle, or, in a worst-case scenario, is not able to return to the job until repairs are complete.

It is clear that the event costs here can be far greater than with any mechanical problem. Downtime begins as soon as the driver leaves the vehicle; no doubt the trauma of the accident, gathering information from any third party, and calling in the accident report can take several hours, hours at the $79.32 rate assumed. Travel to the repair shop and waiting for the replacement rental can add additional hours.

In the unfortunate event a driver is injured, whatever time he or she must take to recover can further add hundreds of hours or more of downtime.

Finally, there is downtime when the driver has to return to the shop, approve the repairs, and return the rental vehicle to the rental provider. All of this can add up to hundreds of dollars in downtime costs.

The other costs of an accident, which include the cost of the rental vehicle, the possibility of both personal injury and physical damage liability, and the cost of the repair itself aren’t considered downtime costs, as once the driver is able to get back out on the road doing the job again downtime ceases.

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Other Causes of Downtime

Other than these serious events, there can be other causes of downtime, many of which are entirely preventable either by fleet managers or by drivers:

● Expired tags/registration.

● Registration renewal denied due to unpaid violations.

● Car towed/booted due to illegal parking.

● Emergency road service issues, i.e., lockout, out of fuel, dead battery, or flat tire.

Except for the occasional dead battery or flat tire, all of the above are preventable. In such cases, some fleets will consider charging the driver back for costs incurred, sometimes even for the downtime.

Some downtime is actually scheduled, predictable to the extent that the company requires the driver to do something related to, but not directly involved in, the job including sales meetings, conferences, presentations, and other company events. There is a cost to this (a driver attending a sales meeting isn’t calling on customers), however it is necessary and justifiable downtime.

Know the Component Costs

Downtime costs are important factors in running a fleet. Determining how much they are begins with knowing what the component costs are, and developing a formula by which they can be applied to events.

● Know your drivers’ employment costs, including salaries, benefits, even bonuses and commissions.

● Know the productivity costs. Although these are not hard costs, when drivers are not able to work due to a vehicle problem, they cannot produce revenue. This is an “opportunity” cost.

● Track downtime in detail. Fleet managers should not merely accept “repair time” as downtime. As in the accident example above, downtime occurs from the moment the accident does, and until the driver is able to get back on the road.

● That said, it isn’t practical to “time” every phone call. Use suppliers to obtain overall averages. For example, an accident management supplier can likely tell you how long the average accident reporting call takes, and how long it takes from the time a replacement rental is reserved until it is delivered.

The costs of downtime are an important factor in determining fleet productivity. When cars break down, or need repairs due to an accident, drivers must spend time dealing with it, and that is time away from customers. Fleet managers are smart to know what those costs are, and to have a means by which they can be tracked and managed.

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At Safelite AutoGlass, fleet drivers are literally in the driver’s seat when it comes to safety and fuel efficiency. All drivers were recently required to read and sign off on two new policies centered on distracted driving and telematics — separate programs that both contribute to the fleet’s overall efforts to reduce fuel consumption.

According to Fleet Manager Erin Gilchrist, the telematics initiative alone is expected to help save Safelite AutoGlass a projected 900,000 gallons of fuel in 2013.

“When you have drivers out there driving more safely and being more conscious about their behaviors behind the wheel, you’re going to see fuel reductions,” Gilchrist said.

Pushing for Better Performance

Implementing a telematics solution — the fleet’s major initiative for 2013 — has been a long time coming for Safelite AutoGlass, according to Gilchrist.

The fleet piloted 120 vehicles in three different areas around the country for more than 90 days, and then presented the results to senior management.

“That led to 100-percent deployment of telematics in our fleet, so we’re really excited. It’s something I’ve been evaluating for quite some time,” Gilchrist said. “Our goal was to be close to fully deployed by March 15, and we’ve met that goal.”

In three months and with more than 95 percent of the fleet deployed, Safelite AutoGlass reported consumption reductions of approximately 175,000 gallons.

“Even in the implementation phase we saw a reduction in fuel use,” Gilchrist noted.

The main areas focused on during the pilot were high-risk driver behaviors, fuel consumption, and maintenance.

“Most would consider those the ‘low-hanging fruit’ in terms of newly deployed telematics fleets. The biggest shift you gain in those first 12-18 months is driver behavior modification,” Gilchrist said.

By monitoring high-risk behaviors (e.g., excessive speeding, hard braking, hard cornering, rapid acceleration, and seat belt use), drivers receive a driver risk score. The score places drivers into a high-, medium-, or low-risk driving category based on events and points.

“It color codes the drivers into categories and defines how and why they received their points. So, it’s a tool for managers to coach drivers early and often, and that’s what drives the better behavior week to week,” Gilchrist explained.

In addition to risk, drivers are also scored on idling, which is combined with the risk score. “Idling is a choice, so it’s a behavior we’re addressing right alongside the other risk behaviors. It has an environmental impact and an impact on a vehicle’s life, so it’s a financial impact in many different ways,” Gilchrist said.

Drivers are provided weekly progress reports, as well as aggregated monthly reports. “We’re looking for improvements over 30-, 60-, and 90-day time periods, expecting that drivers would ‘move the needle’ with each session of coaching and counseling with their manager,” she said.
The company is also redefining its driving policy to ensure maximum vehicle utilization and appropriate vehicle assignments by job title.

“The key this year to taking a deep dive into this activity is that, with telematics, we now have the tools to identify and evaluate vehicle use better than we’ve been able to in the past,” Gilchrist said.

In addition, Safelite AutoGlass is also constantly analyzing total cost of ownership to identify vehicles in the fleet that can be shortcycled and replaced by more fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2012, the company replaced more than 120 Chevrolet Impalas with the smaller class-size Ford Fusion and 85 Chevrolet HHRs were replaced with the Ford Focus Hatchback.

Another key initiative is the short-term rental program for the repair fleet named “Flex Fleet” with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. This program will reduce the number of fixed assets in the fleet that do not have full utilization throughout the year. When field locations ramp up with seasonal repair associates, they can order a kit from Fleet (vacuum kit, magnetic graphics, fuel card, etc.) to support their rental vehicles. This program is ongoing and will cut costs while supporting the needs of the business. Safelite is in development with its upfitting partners on how to deploy this program in the installation profile of the fleet as well.

Safelite is also getting ready to develop a pilot for compressed natural gas. Gilchrist said she took the liberty of ordering her capacity trucks with the gaseous prep package from Ford, so those vehicles are ready for conversion.

Gilchrist is hoping the new telematics systems will also be able to provide better understanding of the swing in mpg results (e.g., one driver getting 58 mpg and another getting 30 mpg) with the Chevrolet Volts Safelite’s drivers piloted last year.

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Selling to Senior Management

Pilot programs have played a significant role in Gilchrist achieving full support from senior management. The key, she advised, is to show them results.

“Senior leaders take notice when you can give them experience and realized results and that only happens through piloting technology,” she said.

What’s been especially helpful in implementing telematics in the Safelite AutoGlass fleet has been driving home the cost savings from a productivity standpoint and reducing the fleet cost per mobile customers served.

“What tends to resound with managers out in the field is when we say, ‘if you can reduce your cost per mobile customer served by X, then that is direct profit to that glass unit.’ They need to understand the impact programs such as telematics can have on their bottom line — their overall success,” Gilchrist said.

As for getting driver acceptance, Gilchrist said marketing telematics as a safety program is what resonates with drivers. “It takes away that ‘Big Brother’ notion and lets them know we care about their safety and the public’s safety. We need to be responsible environmentally, but then from a safety standpoint, we need the public to feel safe with nearly 5,800 Safelite vehicles on the road. They need to be able to trust us. And, one thing they can trust is that we have a program that encourages our drivers to drive safely,” she said.

While safety and efficiency are key concerns, the overall driving force for everything Safelite does in fleet is the enhancement of its customers’ experience.

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At a Glance

To create a safety culture, fleet managers should:

• Start with the data.
• Assess the risks.
• Get the Board of Directors “on board.”
• Communicate the “rules of the road.”
• Use technology for measurement.

Drivers face ongoing pressure to deliver goods or services on schedule, while also dealing with roadway congestion and various distractions. According to Trimble, best known for its GPS technology, the majority of drivers admit to eating or using a cell phone when behind the wheel.

Data from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) state that about a quarter of drivers will read or take care of personal grooming while driving. All drivers are affected by the safety implications these distractions cause.

Studies consistently show that the top contributors to crashes are both external distractions and driving behavior, including driving too fast for the conditions, speeding around curves, and illegal maneuvers. While managers are limited in what they can do about external distractions, driving behavior is something they can truly influence.

Many fleet managers create programs that bring together various safety-related communications, incentives, and training to promote a safe driving culture. Various consulting groups work with managers to assess an organization’s crash history, identify improvement targets, and build a new personality for the business — creating a safe driving culture.

Some areas to adjust that can help encourage safer driving culture are routing, scheduling, and dispatch.

Creating a Safe-Driving Culture

Investing in a safe driving corporate culture can pay off threefold: It helps drivers stay safe, reduces crash costs, and minimizes risk to an organization. Jeff Colburn, leader of UK Marsh Risk Consulting, said current health and safety legislation places much responsibility on the employer for employees involved in driving collisions while working.

“There’s a belief among some employers that they don’t need to worry about managing occupational road risk if their employees drive their own vehicles, or if a fleet management company handles its fleet,” Colburn said. “But, irrespective of whom the vehicle belongs to, management of occupational road risk remains the responsibility of the employer.”

Creating a safe driving culture involves communicating safety across the entire organization; this means that from board leadership down to each driver, the importance of driver safety is understood to be as much a mission-critical part of the organization’s DNA, as marketing and customer service.

Whether the fleet consists of five vehicles or more than 10,000, there are five key components to include in any campaign to create a safe driving culture:

1. Start with the Data. Look at the organization’s recent history of incidents and associated costs. Knowing where the fleet is starting from helps synch plans with the realities each organization faces. It also allows for the ability to measure real improvement. Try to assess the following areas over the past three years:

• What are the fleet’s collision, incident, and injury rates per million miles?
• What are the direct costs of repairs, fees, legal expenses, and premium increases?
• If possible, estimate any indirect costs of lost productivity or added management time related to the incidents.

2. Assess the Risks. Take data gathering one step further to find out how, where, and when incidents occurred:

• Is there a common part of a route that tends to be dangerous?
• Are particular vehicles more prone to incidents than others?
• What role do driver attitudes and behaviors play?

3. Get the Board “On Board.” Effective change requires the full support of an organization’s board and/or management team. They should know the data and provide the necessary leadership to guide the organization through a culture change.

4. Communicate the “Rules of the Road.” Identify the specific rules your drivers should follow, both on the road and when an incident occurs. Then communicate these rules through employee training, new-hire orientation, driver handbooks, and ongoing meetings until they become integrated with corporate messaging and culture. Be sure to include both driving rules and post-incident rules, for example:

• While driving: no texting, no eating, must slow down for turns, and maintain speed limit, etc.
• If a collision occurs: what to do to prevent further damage or injury, who to call, what forms to fill out, etc.

5. Use technology for measurement. Once the rules have been set, there needs to be a way to measure and enforce compliance. Find a driver safety technology solution that can give managers and drivers real-time visibility into the day-to-day and long-term effectiveness of your safety program.

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Driver Safety Technology: The Critical Component

While safety communications and training are necessary for spreading the safety message across an organization, an essential part of any effort to bring long-term corporate culture change should also include the latest driver safety technology.

Driver safety technology is new to the market, and is usually an extension of telematics solutions that use GPS data to provide managers with real-time information about drivers’ locations.

Driver safety telematics solutions are now also capable of helping organizations identify safety risks, monitor driving behavior, coach drivers, and measure the results — enabling both driver accountability and significant cost savings.

Mark Rosenker, former chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, endorses the use of driver safety technology.

“It’s a natural progression that telematics solutions would be extended to provide drivers and their managers with immediate feedback aimed at improving driving style,” Rosenker said. “Driver safety technology will reduce collisions, save fuel, and enable managers to know that drivers are behaving in a way that protects the organization’s or agency’s reputation.”

In driver safety solutions with an in-cab component, a small device on the dashboard alerts drivers when they’re too aggressive with their turns, braking, or acceleration. Solutions with on-demand reports give managers a full view of their drivers’ behaviors. When alerted to a safety incident, managers can quickly identify who was driving, what happened, when it happened, and where the incident occurred.

Since unsafe driving behaviors also affect fuel economy and vehicle wear-and-tear, using telematics to monitor safe driving can also result in a 10-20 percent fuel savings and reduced vehicle repair costs.

Creating a safe driving culture may require a serious commitment, but when coupled with driver safety technology it can deliver a return on investment and significant long-term savings. Together, the improvements in safety and operating efficiency from telematics technology can positively affect insurance costs, reduce vehicle operating and maintenance expenses, improve customer service and profitability, improve drivers’ quality of life, and elevate an organization’s image.

Plus, extending beyond any monetary value is the benefit of drivers arriving home safely at the end of each day.

About the Author

Joyce Tam is head of product management for Trimble Field Service Management and is an expert in driver safety, telematics, and next-generation solutions geared to the field service industry.

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Many questions put to a fleet manager require research, interpretation, assessment, and analysis to provide a proper response. The role of research in formulating replies is often overlooked. In fact, with more resources available than ever before, it’s often easiest to take shortcuts and fail to invest the necessary time in amassing information and validating the facts.

Assessing the Available Resources

In terms of resources, there are virtually limitless options; however, the biggest constraint is time. Limited time often forces researchers into restricting their research to a few, “easy-to-Google” options. The full range of sources available to fleet managers includes publications, such as FLEETSolutions, Automotive Fleet, Government Fleet, and Fleet Digest. These journals are all available through subscription to the hardcopy magazine or online.

Another excellent forum for conducting research in a short time is industry trade shows. Here, a fleet manager can access multiple vendors in one location and hear firsthand about the advantages and disadvantages of various products and options.

When conducting research, it is important not to overlook in-house resources and data. The internal fleet information management system (FIMS) can be a rich source of information relevant to the question that needs answering.

Finally, benchmarking with industry partners can provide access to a whole range of information that would not likely be available through an Internet search. Benchmarking can be a time-consuming exercise, but the benefits can be significant.

Reaching the Answer

Deliberate and detailed research is not something that many do every day, so here are some tips and techniques to keep in mind:

• Plan your time and research activities. Start with a research plan that allocates specific time limits and deadlines to the areas that need to be covered. When time is limited, this is a must.
• Remember, the Internet can never replace walking a trade show floor or attending vehicle previews. Reading what other people say can be valuable, but testing those opinions firsthand is an even better research technique.
• Question initial findings, especially from Internet research. The first Internet answer is not always the best, or even correct.
• Look deeper than historical statistics or the annual report from a fleet management company.
• Research the research. Look into sources to verify their relevance and credibility.
• Have industry partners provide or supplement the research when time is an issue. Develop a request for information (RFI) — understanding that RFI responses are sometimes no better than promotional materials — or hire a consultant, making sure he or she completely understands the fleet’s needs.

Following a Step-by-Step Process

Putting these tips and techniques into practice takes some expertise and discipline as shown in the following case, in which a company wants to introduce telematics in order to monitor fleet utilization and driver behavior. The fleet manager is asked to prepare a recommendation for senior management, who follows a five-step research process to find the right solution for the fleet.

The first step involves an Internet search into the uses of telematics, products available, costs, and implementation concerns. The NAFA Fleet Management Association has a research tool, FleetED, which can assist and save time during this step. FleetED (www.fleeted.org) is an online source for fleet management education, whether the goal is to find specific information or to perform background research to determine the right questions to ask. It is a tool for researching resources that pertain to fleet management. Grouping information by category types for ease of use, the site offers an online library of articles and websites; sample tools, such as RFPs and policies; and website resources. A personalized, “My FleetED,” is also available to assist in managing resources for a personalized FleetED experience.

The second step is conducting an internal survey to identify user requirements.

Step three involves benchmarking against others in the industry to find out how they’re using telematics to measure utilization. To accomplish this, the fleet manager could rely on social media tools, such as fleet sites on LinkedIn, and industry chat rooms to identify similar organizations.

In step four, the fleet manager puts out an RFI to get information from telematics solution providers.

Finally, in the fifth step, the fleet manager should try to attend a trade show or product demonstration to fully understand the range of options available. Now the fleet manager is prepared to develop a thorough recommendation for management.

Good research involves having a plan in place, respecting the time allocated, and using the full range of assets available. These assets should not start and finish with the Internet, but extend to tradeshows, internal data collection, industry benchmarking and other sources as warranted. There is no quick fix for good research, but it is time well spent, as good research will equate to good decisions.

About the Author

Lt. Col (ret.) Katherine Vigneau, CAFM, spent almost 27 years in the Canadian Army, working in transportation and logistics. She retired in 2010 to start KMVS Fleet+ Consulting, specializing in fleet management education and training. Vigneau is a former NAFA trustee and currently serves as NAFA’s professional development strategist.

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These vehicles may have a condition in which the GCM could malfunction, causing a gradual loss of battery charge and the illumination of the malfunction indicator light.

If the problem isn’t addressed, the engine may stall or the vehicle may not start. In addition, there may be an increased risk of smoke or fire in the trunk, NHTSA said.

GM dealers will test the GCM and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. Owners can reach GM at 1-800-521-7300. 

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The purpose of NCAP is to assist vehicle buyers in the selection process and to encourage auto manufacturers to make safety improvements. NHTSA has periodically updated the program, most recently in model-year 2011.

“In response to the rapid development of vehicle safety technologies, especially in the area of crash avoidance, the agency is once again requesting public comments in order to help identify the potential areas for improvement to the program that have the greatest potential for producing safety benefits,” NHTSA said.

The agency will use the comments it receives to propose near-term NCAP upgrades and to develop a preliminary five-year plan for the program.

For more information, click here.

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But, soon those in Mexico who want to drive a 100-percent pure electric car will be able to buy the Nissan LEAF. The company said it is working build up the country's electric vehicle charging infrastructure .

There now is a charging center in Aguascalientes that services the 50 Nissan LEAF taxis in the area. There are also two quick chargers, one in the heart of Mexico City and another in the city of Aguascalientes, both for public use.

Nissan officials say they hope to expand taxi programs, and public charging, like this to other cities and other countries in Latin America.

"Aguascalientes has been the benchmark on those (EV taxis), Mexico City as well. And there are a lot of other requests from other countries. Colombia has been pushing very hard requesting a lot of vehicles," said Jorge Vallejo, Nissan Mexicana's director of Government Affairs. "We are creating the first electric corridor in the entire Latin America region. It's going to run from Mexico City up to Cuernavaca where we (Nissan) have another manufacturing facility."

The Nissan LEAF will go on sale at dealerships in Mexico late this year.

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After recently introducing a Lamborghini to it fleet, the Dubai Police force has added the Chevrolet Camaro SS to its fleet, a first for a police organization in the Middle East, according to the automaker.

Powered by a 6.2L V8 engine, the Camaro SS boasts a power output of 426 hp. With a top speed of 250 km/h and acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, the Camaro is the perfect addition to Dubai Police force, according to GM.

Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, managing director of Al Ghandi Auto and John Stadwick, president and managing director of GM Middle East, handed the keys of the Camaro SS to Dubai Deputy Police Chief Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina in a ceremony at police headquarters. In return Stadwick received a special engraved plaque from the Dubai Police.

“We are delighted to be the first to respond to the Dubai Police’s request for assistance in adding high performance patrol cars to their fleet. We felt that the Camaro would be the right vehicle for their needs,” said Buti Saeed Al Ghandi. “We are confident that the Camaro’s ability to respond rapidly, by virtue of its high performance V8 engine, coupled with its practical suitability for Dubai’s roads and ease of servicing, will make it an ideal patrol car for years to come.”

The Chevrolet Camaro has been a huge success in the Middle East sports car market. It was named Best Muscle Car in four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012 by leading automotive publications. The Camaro ZL1 was awarded “Muscle Car of the Year 2012” by Evo Middle East magazine in February this year.

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Each Coca Cola Hellenic vehicle outfitted with Mobileye will be labeled with a Mobileye sticker. Each Mobileye system will be integrated with a fleet management system (FMS), which offers full driving behavioral reporting to fleet managers. Based on established research, Coca-Cola Hellenic hopes to reach direct savings of over 1.5 million euro in its whole European fleet annually and decrease its accidents rate significantly to meet one of the major goals of its health and safety policy, according to Mobileye.

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Georgia-based FleetCor has added the New Zealand company a month after buying GE Capital's Australian Fleet Card business, as part of growth plans into the Asia-Pacific, it said in a statement.

CardLink markets fuel cards mainly to small and medium sized businesses, and offers processing and outsourcing services to oil companies and other partners.

"The addition of CardLink to our portfolio provides a great base to develop a real presence in the Asia Pacific region," Cardlink Chairman and Chief Executive Ron Clarke said. "This operating base will create the presence to potentially help our global oil partners in the region."

Auckland-based CardLink was set up in 1984, starting in fuel card management and full charge card facilities, total fleet management, taxi management systems, and complex loyalty operations, according to its website.

The company was ultimately owned by the Spencer family's Clime Group before the sale.

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There are several new features tied to the “Green Hybrid” initiative; first BYD becomes the first vehicle OEM to implement the higher-efficiency 48VDC vehicle voltage platforms using BYD’s internally developed Iron-Phosphate batteries (versus older heavy-metal-laden, 12VDC Lead-Acid technologies). According to the company, this new technology allows the battery life to be extended to the expected life of the car. Vehicles transition to all-LED lighting, electronic parking systems, hybrid and regenerative braking, idle start-stop energy management, automatic engine starts, low rolling resistance and advanced aero-dynamic designs.

The 48VDC systems are not hindered by the line/harness power losses experienced with normal lower-voltage systems (saving important energy for batteries). BYD has also implemented low-voltage, large-torque, double-winding motor technologies for battery-acceleration-assist and regenerative braking. These changes have been shown to save as much as 1.5 litres of fuel/ 100km (on a 30 mpg car, that’s as much as a 7 mpg improvement), according to the company.

BYD’s “Insta-Pure” cabin filtering technology helps protect drivers and passengers from dangerous city particulate matter up to 2.5 micrometers in size, by quickly rotating cabin air, scrubbing and filtering it, all in less than 3-5 minutes, according to the automaker. The first production vehicles launching with this advanced cabin purification system are the new BYD S6 Premier models – which debuted at this year’s show. This level-4 purification technology is integrated into the vehicle’s air conditioning system and detects the inside and outside particulate matter levels, triggering auto-air-filtering equipment, sterilizing, deodorizing and purifying all PM2.5 levels to below 12. This technology not only gives consumer families a cleaner driving sphere, but also provides a feasible scheme for improving all urban environments.

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The Toyota RAV4, a small SUV, has earned the Top Safety Pick award for the vehicle’s performance in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s moderate overlap front, side, rollover, and rear crash tests.

Toyota redesigned the RAV4 for 2013. One notable change is that the automaker improved the RAV4's roof structure to earn a "good rating" -- the highest rating available -- for rollover protection, IIHS said.

In the roof strength test, the new model's roof withstood a force equal to five times the SUV's weight. The previous-generation RAV4, manufactured from 2006 to 2012, had a strength-to-weight ratio of 3.46, which equates to an "acceptable" rating, IIHS said.

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The recent focus has been KwaZulu-Natal truck stops where drivers get an opportunity to go for free voluntary screening in mobile clinics by qualified nurses and counselors for various ailments, including high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.

According to the SABC News report, company representative in KwaZulu-Natal Nosiphiwo Ligwa said this has been done to meet the drivers halfway as they cannot afford to go to local clinics.

"The health challenges that are faced by the drivers are really issues around the diabetes, their blood pressures, and some of them have [high] cholesterol. And we understand the impact of HIV/AIDS. The truck drivers are also faced with issue of prostate and lung cancer and we also love to educate just to add on that the issue of medical male circumcision that we would to educate the drivers and the importance thereof," Ligwa said.

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The German vehicle market has been growing constantly by around 1 percent per year. There are approximately 50 million vehicles registered in Germany, and about 10 percent are registered as company cars.

The German fleet market is dominated by national automakers, including VW, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

The lease market is very mature with almost 60 percent of all company cars being leased.

“Full-service leasing is also very popular, especially in the big fleet segment. The German fleet leasing market is split into captive and non-captive leasing. All relevant OEMs offer leasing products via their own leasing companies. Closed-end products are the most commonly required leasing solutions, including high-end services that deliver a high level of cost efficiency and transparency,” said Günther Glueck, commercial director LeasePlan Germany.

--By Mike Antich

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The day-long session, on Wednesday May 29, at the Hotel Brussels Airport Van der Valk, will consider the very latest developments in managing international vehicle fleets.

Highlights will include a presentation on running effective tenders plus a case study of his own fleet from Joe Carreira, fleet manager EMEA of global healthcare provider, MSD, and current joint holder of the International Fleet Manager of the Year title.

The expert training session has been specially designed to provide insight into the key elements for successful fleet management, according to the organizers. It will examine the different cost elements of running an international fleet, including lease rental, tax, and variable and end of contract costs.

It will also consider how to identify international and external stakeholders, what to manage internationally, where and how to get fleet data, how to launch a tender process and implement the outcome and, finally, how to measure fleet management success.

Other sessions during the day will look at the building blocks of international fleet management and procurement, along with defining international fleet strategy. Speakers will include Marc Van Eck, regional sales manager for ALD International and Nathalie De Vries, consultant for LeasePlan International.

In the afternoon session, a roundtable discussion, moderated by Joe Carreira, will look at the success factors for fleet strategy optimization, while tax expert Bart Vanham will consider the trends and alternative solutions in international fleet management.

In the evening following the seminar, sponsor Toyota Motor Europe will be hosting a dinner for all delegates. All participants will also get free access to the Smart Mobility Forum and Awards held at the same venue on the following day, May 30.

Later this year, the autumn expert session will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 20 when the topic will be ‘the successful integration of Eastern Europe in international fleet management’.

A complete program and registration information are available at: http://www.nexuscommunication.be/download/ 130322_IFMI_programme.pdf

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A new series of web videos provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the work of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Vehicle Research Center. 

In "Inside IIHS," engineers explain the institute's test programs and highlight some of the equipment that employees use in their research. 

The first video, "Inside IIHS: Crash test dummies at work," is now available on the IIHS YouTube channel. You can learn what kinds of dummies IIHS uses and how they help engineers evaluate vehicle crashworthiness. 

More videos in this series will be uploaded weekly, starting Tuesday, May 21, IIHS said.

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On a per vehicle mile basis, motorcyclists are over 30 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of cars, and five times more likely to be injured.

Here is some advice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on how to safely share the road with motorcyclists. You may want to pass these tips along to your drivers.

▪       Never drive distracted. Doing so can result in tragic consequences for motorcyclists.

▪       Allow a motorcyclist a full lane width. Although it may seem that there is enough room in the traffic lane for a motor vehicle and a motorcycle, the motorcycle needs the room to maneuver safely. Do not share the lane.

▪       Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic. This allows motorcyclists to anticipate traffic flow and find a safe lane position.

▪       Because of its smaller size, a motorcycle can be hidden in a vehicle's blind spot. Always check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.

▪       Turn signals on motorcycles are not the same as those on motor vehicles – motorcycle signals are usually not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Allow enough time to determine the motorcyclist's intention before you proceed.

▪       Remember that road conditions that are minor annoyances to motorists can pose major hazards to motorcyclists. Motorcycle riders may change speed or adjust position within a lane suddenly in reaction to road and traffic conditions such as potholes, gravel, wet or slippery surfaces, pavement seams, railroad crossings, and grooved pavement.

▪       Allow more following distance, three or four seconds, when following a motorcycle so the motorcycle rider has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emergency. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars. 

"Increasing safe riding and cooperation among all road users is essential to reducing the number of deaths and injuries on our nation's highways," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Motorists and motorcyclists have a common responsibility to safely share the road together." 

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In “Lean In", author Sheryl Sandberg, examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential. Written with both humor and wisdom, Sandberg’s book is an inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth. “Lean In” is destined to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can.

Register today! AFLA members receive free registration.

Not an AFLA member? Join AFLA today by visiting: http://bit.ly/JoinAFLA or contact Elise Jaeger, AFLA Membership Coordinator for more information.

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When you drive on wet, icy, gravel or dirt roads you should:

1. Drive more slowly and stay farther behind the vehicle ahead.

2. Slow down as you approach curves and intersections.

3. Avoid quick stops. “Pump” the brakes to slow or stop.

4. Avoid fast turns.

5. Shift into a lower gear before going down a steep hill.

6. If your brakes get wet, dry them by pressing the gas and brake pedals at the same time so that the vehicle drives against the pressure of the brakes.

7. Avoid especially slippery areas, such as ice patches, wet leaves, oil and deep puddles.

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Over the past four decades, ARI’s Vice President of Remarketing Bob Graham has been a leader in the efforts to keep remarketing evolving with the times — from the lane to online. And, along the way, he has given back as a mentor to a new generation of consignors and remarketers.

Note you can click any of the images in this story to view a photo gallery from this year's Conference of Automotive Remarketing.

In acknowledgement of his decades’ long service to the industry, Graham was named the 2013 Consignor of the Year by Bobit Business Media at the 2013 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR), held March 6-7 in Las Vegas.

Graham was chosen via an online ballot by remarketing industry professionals.

Upon accepting his award, Graham said: “I’ve spent my career in the remarketing industry trying to be both a student and a leader, and it’s always gratifying and humbling to be recognized with an award like Consignor of the Year.”

Falling into Remarketing

As with most consignors, Graham’s entry to the field was more a matter of remarketing finding him than him finding remarketing.

After graduating from La Salle College (now La Salle University) in Philadelphia where he studied economics, Graham joined ARI in 1973, starting in the new-vehicle ordering area and progressing to maintenance management.

In 1976, he was approached by Vice President of Remarketing Frank Grochal, who would become Graham’s mentor, about an opening in the Remarketing Department.

“I went to my then boss and asked him, ‘What do you think about moving to remarketing?’ He told me it’s too rough, and I wouldn’t be good for it. So, of course, I said ‘yes’ automatically,” Graham recalled.

Graham doesn’t regret ignoring the advice of his boss all those years ago.

“The thing that makes it interesting to me and why I stayed in remarketing is because remarketing has two cool things: the best people in the industry to interact with and it’s something that’s ever-changing and evolving. I’ve been lucky at ARI to always have the ability to evolve and change without a whole lot of layers or hoops to jump through,” he said.

During his 40 years at ARI, Graham has been instrumental in moving the fleet management company’s remarketing program from what he calls “traditional” remarketing to a dynamic Web-based environment, leading to ARI AutoDirect, ARI BuyDirect, and ARI Virtual Market.

While he said he doesn’t look at his career in terms of seminal moments, when pressed, Graham cited ARI Virtual Market as one of his proudest accomplishments.

“Creating ARI Virtual Market, developing it, and fostering it over the years — it’s the thing that I think has been the most impactful that I’ve done,” he said.

Giving Back

Over the past several years, Graham has been actively involved with the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA), currently serving as chairman after successful stints as vice president and president.

The commitment to the IARA reflects the culture of ARI and Graham’s own commitment to the industry.

“I’ve had a great career in the remarketing industry, made a lot of friends, and risen through the ranks,” he said. “And, the best way of keeping ARI in the forefront is to be out there and continuing to learn, which is what you do when you participate, and since I’ve been around a long time I get to mentor and give back because I have a lot of experience.”

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“Donlen has many customers that provide vital emergency and life-saving services and supplies,” said Kathy Quinn, manager of fleet fuel programs at Donlen. “They can’t afford to be down due to lack of fuel during a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Having a fuel program partner who can provide critical fuel deliveries can mean the difference between an active fleet and a fleet that is stalled until conditions normalize.”

There are two options available with this program. Mobile on-site fueling delivers fuel directly to vehicles in a designated location from a mobile tank truck, and bulk fuel delivery, where a mobile vendor delivers fuel to a mobile or fixed tank.

Once customers sign up for the program, Comdata develops an appropriate fuel program, facilitates all fuel vendor communications, monitors the hurricane situation, and ensures deliveries are made whenever possible given area conditions. They remain in constant communication with the Donlen customer and fuel vendor to identify emergency needs.

Donlen partners with Comdata to provide their customers with the Donlen Fleet MasterCard® Card and comprehensive fuel program. Comdata is a leading business-to-business provider of electronic payment solutions. They capture and report detailed transaction data, giving customers unprecedented control over their expenses.

For more information on our fuel program, please contact Kathy Quinn at 847-412-5273.

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Emkay Inc. has named Brad Vliek as its new vice president of client solutions. The company said Vliek started at Emkay in 1999 in its vehicle acquisitions department as a management trainee. Since then, Emkay stated that Vliek has been an integral part of many successful projects and initiatives during the last decade and most recently was vice president of client services. During the past 14 years, Emkay said Vliek has earned recognition for its dedication and hard work.

“In the 14 years I’ve been at Emkay, I’ve gained a tremendous amount of experience with how we differ in all aspects of the industry,” Vliek said. “It is an honor to have been given the opportunity to take our company to the next level.”

In Vliek’s most recent role, he lead initiatives to enhance Emkay’s cross-border opportunities, to build a complete full service analytics team, and spearhead a company-wide efficiency movement.

“Brad has been essential to the growth and progression of our company,” stated Chris Tepas, CMO & EVP, the Emkay Experience. “Brad’s passion for excellence coupled with his unique ideas and dedication has helped to evolve Emkay into the award winning company it is today.”

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Mercedes Benz unveiled its new 2014-MY Sprinter Van, which the automaker said has a new design, is more economical, and more environmentally friendly. The company said this redesign comes after seven years of the current-generation Sprinter. The new full-size van is set to go on sale in the fall of this year.

Performance

For MY-2014, the Sprinter features a BlueTEC 2.1L four-cylinder diesel engine as standard equipment. The automaker said it can produce 161 hp and 265 lb-ft. of torque between 1,400 and 2,400 rpm. The vehicle uses exhaust gas recirculation and SCR technology to reduce emissions. Mercedes also offers an optional V-6 diesel motor capable of producing 188 hp and 325 lb.-ft. of torque.

Mercedes paired the 2.1L engine with a seven-speed automatic transmission that features a torque converter. Next, the company modified the rear axle to reduce friction in order to make it operate more economically. The automaker also optimized the generator management system so the alternator prioritizes battery charging while the vehicle is braking or coasting. Next, the electric fuel pump varies the fuel supply based on demand, and the optional air-conditioning system uses a freewheel so the compressor is only working when the air-conditioning is on.

The automaker has not yet released fuel-economy data for the new engine.

Exterior

Mercedes redesigned the Sprinter’s look for MY-2014, changing the vehicle’s front end, from the radiator and headlamps to the hood and bumper, along with its rear taillights. Up front, Mercedes changed the radiator louver design to improve airflow and establish a visual connection among the automaker’s vehicles. On Mercedes-Benz van models, the Mercedes star is on a highlighted base. On Freightliner models, the badge is at the top of the new grille.

The vehicle’s headlamps have sharper contours and a surround divides the headlamps into sections. The bottom of the headlamp housing has space for LED light strips. The automaker moved the hood higher and gave it more dramatic contours. The front bumper features more of an upward sweep and the air inlet is set further back.

Interior

Inside the 2014-MY Sprinter, Mercedes said the van features a spacious cabin and seats with good lateral support that are height adjustable. The automaker said it designed the cabin’s controls so they are easy to reach. For storage, Mercedes said it added a number of spaces to store a driver’s personal items.

Mercedes made the foam cores in the driver and passenger seats firmer, added wool fleece linings to the seats, and new seat cover fabric for breathability and durability. For electronics, the automaker added a standard 5.8-inch color display that features Bluetooth connectivity, a telephone keypad, phone book, an SD card slot, a USB 2.0 interface, and an AUX input. If the optional backup camera is installed, the display can show what the camera is viewing. Also, guide lines on the camera display help the driver maneuver.

Mercedes offers a Becker Map Pilot navigation unit. If selected, the system’s box is integrated into the Sprinter’s glove box. Map data for the customer’s region is installed by the factory. The navigation system’s box is removable and has a USB port, which allows customers to update the system. Mercedes added that a pre-installation kit for the Becker Map Pilot is available.

Safety

Mercedes said it plans to offer four new major safety systems on the 2014-MY Sprinter. They include Collision Prevention Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Highbeam Assist, and Lane Keeping Assist. Collision Prevention Assist is designed to prevent rear-end collisions. It features a radar-based proximity warning function (and provides both visual and audio warnings) and the automaker’s adaptive Brake Assist system. The Brake Assist system warns the driver when the vehicle gets too close to another vehicle up ahead and applies additional braking force. If the driver brakes harder than the system, the driver’s applied braking force takes priority. Collision Prevention Assist operates at speeds of 12 mph or higher.

The Blind Spot Assist system in the 2014-MY Sprinter uses four close-range radar sensors to detect whether there is a vehicle in his or her blind spot. The system warns the driver with a warning signal on the right- or left-hand side exterior mirror (depending on where a vehicle in a nearby lane is located) and issues an audio warning if the driver has activated the turn signal indicator. The driver can deactivate this assistance function, according to Mercedes. The Blind Spot Assist system functions at speeds of 20 mph or greater.

Next up is the Mercedes’ Lane Keeping Assist system, which uses a camera behind the windshield to monitor road surface markings. If the vehicle starts to drift into another lane without the driver having activated the turn signal indicator or without changes to the accelerator or brake pedal positions, the system will warn the driver with an audio signal. The system functions at speeds of roughly 40 mph or greater. It also can detect yellow markings at construction sites, helping the driver maneuver in tight quarters. The driver can turn this system off, if necessary.

The fourth new system is Mercedes Highbeam Assist, which can turn the vehicle’s high beams on and off, depending on road conditions. The system can detect the road’s path, pedestrians, or potentially dangerous areas on a road. It uses a camera inside the front windshield and can distinguish between moving and stationary objects. The system is available for both halogen headlamps and the optional bi-xenon headlamps that Mercedes offers for the Sprinter. This system functions at speeds of 22 mph or greater, according to the automaker.

Other standard safety systems include fade-resistant disc brakes on all wheels, a bulb indicator failure indicator that lets the driver know whether any lights are out, and a seat belt reminder indicator.

The vehicle also features Mercedes’ Adaptive ESP (electronic stability control) system, which combines anti-lock brakes; acceleration slip regulation; electronic brake force distribution; hydraulic Brake Assist; Load Adaptive Control (LAC) load-dependent control system; Roll Over Mitigation roll-over protection and Roll Movement Intervention (ROM/RMI); Enhanced Understeering Control system; an automatic brake disc drying system (Brake Disc Wiping) when driving in the rain; and anticipatory preparation of the brake pads in critical driving situations (Electronic Brake Prefill).

Mercedes said if a customer selects a trailer coupling as an option, or the preinstallation option for a trailer coupling, the vehicle will also feature the Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) system as standard.

Other safety features include height-adjustable three-point seat belts with belt tensioner and belt force limiter, two-way head restraints, and front airbags.

Additional optional safety features include the previously mentioned bi-xenon headlamps; fog lights; a headlamp cleaning system; a heated windshield; a rear-view camera; a backup warning system; a rain sensor with Headlamp Assist (which automatically switches the headlamps and windshield wipers on and off); airbags and thorax airbags; and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Available rearview camera, backup warning system and the PARKTRONIC system facilitate maneuvering, while the standard Start-off Assist system helps when moving off on uphill slopes. The available rain sensor with Headlamp Assist relieves the driver of the task of switching the appropriate systems on and off. Available window airbags and thorax bags enhance passive safety, while the optional tire pressure monitoring system ensures the correct pressure on variants with single tires.

Upfitting

Mercedes aid special bodies and interior equipment are available from select and certified partners in the Sprinter Preferred Upfitter Program. The automaker said there are more than 80 approved upfitters in the program.

Models and Feature Overview

Mercedes provided an overview of the different Sprinter models it plans to offer. The automaker said it will release pricing information at a later date.

2014 Sprinter (new standard engine) - Price $TBD

• 2.1-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel (161hp, 265 lb-ft)
• 7-speed automatic transmission
• 144-inch & 170-inch wheelbase
• 3 body lengths
• GVWR 8,550/9,990/11,030
• Available high-roof option
• Configurations: Cargo, Crew, Passenger, MiniBus, Cab Chassis

2014 Sprinter V-6 (carryover) - Price $TBD

• 3.0L V-6 turbodiesel (188 hp, 325 lb-ft)
• 5-speed automatic transmission
• 144-inch & 170-inch wheelbase
• 3 body lengths
• GVWR 8,550/9,990/11,030
• Available high-roof option
• Configurations: Cargo, Crew, Passenger, MiniBus, Cab Chassis

New Standard Feature Highlights:

• New front grille, headlights, bumper, hood, badging
• Redesigned steering wheel and shifter
• New seat design
• LED Daytime Running Lights
• Headunit with 5.8-inch screen including Bluetooth, iPod and aux interface
• 3.692 rear axle
• New Optional Feature Highlights:
• Navigation system

Active Safety Plus Package

• Blind Spot Assist (N/A Cab Chassis)
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Highbeam Assist
• Collision Prevention Assist

Active Safety Plus Package w/PARKTRONIC (N/A Cab Chassis)

• Blind Spot Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Highbeam Assist
• Collision Prevention Assist
• PARKTRONIC
• Low Roof (Chassis Cab models)

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Lisa Kneggs reported her position as fleet manager was eliminated at Associa, a homeowners association management provider, headquartered in Dallas. She assumed the newly created position at Associa in May 2012.

Previously, Kneggs was fleet manager for Coinmach Service Corp. in Irving, Texas, where she managed a fleet of 1,250 service vehicles for six years.

Earlier, Kneggs worked for 10 years as the fleet administrator for Pizza Hut/Yum Restaurants, also in Dallas. At the time, Pizza Hut had a 750-vehicle fleet. Later, Kneggs expanded her responsibilities to assume management of the KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, and A&W Restaurants fleets, which were also owned by Yum! Brands. The combined total of all of the Yum! Brand fleet totaled 1,150 vehicles.

Kneggs is currently looking for a new position in fleet management. Her personal e-mail address is: Lckneggs@yahoo.com. Her cell number is (214) 535-6792.

By Mike Antich

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The 2013 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR)’s 18th annual meeting held March 6-7 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas attracted more than 650 remarketers and consignors who benefitted from a full-schedule that covered the breadth of the industry, giving them insight on everything from the future of the market to the benefits and challenges of multi-platform online selling, to the ins and outs of condition reports. The CAR Conference is held in partnership with the National Auto Auction Association (NAAA), which co-locates its spring meeting with CAR.

Note: You can click any of the images in this story to view a complete photo gallery from the 2013 Conference of Automotive Remarketing.

Keynote speakers included former Harley-Davidson Chairman and CEO Richard Teerlink, Bay Auto Outlet/Wholesale Auto Direct President Kraig Quisenberry, and CNBC Commentator Steve Cortes.

Teerlink outlined how he and Harley-Davidson’s management team brought the company — and the brand — back from the brink of extinction in the early 1980s by focusing on engaging employees, dealers, and customers.

Quisenberry encouraged attendees to think like customers as they develop their business strategies for a single, practical reason: “Customers will increasingly define the marketplace,” he said.

Cortes showed the benefits of being a contrarian with his analysis of the Chinese economic market and why the 21st Century may be the “Second American Century” due to China’s reliance on centralized planning, lack of innovation, and impending demographic imbalance Cortes’ overriding message: Avoid “group think” in day-to-day decision making.

“When I got back to my office, the one talking point that seemed to come up in every discussion was Steve Cortes’ ‘contrarian’ outlook on the state of the Chinese economy, and the possible residual effects here in the U.S.

Granted, this was not necessarily associated with any direct ‘remarketing’ insight. However, that’s the beauty of CAR. The real value lies in the diversity of the overall learning experiences garnered over two days of presentations, panel discussions, and break-out sessions. And, needless to say, CAR 2013 was no exception,” observed Jim McCarthy director, Vehicle Management Services for CSCM, a Division of Siemens.

General and breakout sessions drilled down to remarketing specifics. Highlights included a panel session on simultaneous multiplatform online selling moderated by ARI Vice President of Remarketing Bob Graham and a forecast of what to expect from the wholesale automotive market in 2013 and 2014 moderated by MS Cloud Services Chief Marketing Officer Charlie Vogelheim. Automotive Fleet Editor and Conference Co-chair Mike Antich moderated a panel designed to give attendees insight into how to spot and combat odometer fraud, title washing, and VIN cloning.

In addition, the automakers and fleet management companies honored their top auction partners. Bobit Business Media presented the Consignor of the Year Award to ARI’s Bob Graham, and the Remarketer of the Year Award to Henry Stanley, owner of the Carolina and Indiana Auto auctions.

CAR was co-located with the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA)’s Winter Roundtable.

In addition to the IARA’s unique roundtable sessions, keynote speaker Dale Pollack, owner of Chicago-based vAuto, gave attendees practical advice about how to strategically remarket vehicles. The IARA also posthumously honored its late executive director, Matt Marks, with the 2013 Circle of Excellence Award, which, beginning in 2014, will be referred to as the Matt Marks’ Circle of Excellence Award. Marks, the Alliance’s first executive director, died unexpectedly in October 2012.

Next year, CAR will be held March 5-6 and move to the Paris Casino.

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It was offered at no cost, in bulk, to all. The magazine was popular with marketers, as well as fleet managers, and we distributed more than a half-million copies at the zenith of its life.

But, the landscape does change over time. Etched in my memory are myriad comments from our AF readers sharing the horror stories of drivers complaining about almost everything under the sun. It seemed as if drivers were the bane of almost every fleet manager’s existence (along with attempting to placate their own executive management on their car preferences and problems).

Then, a panacea was presented by the FMCs. You, the fleet manager, no longer need to worry about the drivers. Our 800-number, along with some of your policy guidelines, will keep them out of your hair for good (for a price). Hallelujah!

This same period also produced corporate belt tightening, which prompted more employees to work from home, full or part time. It saved the company work space and other costs, but also, as an unintended, positive consequence, saved the nation mpg costs.

The whole point here is pretty well summed up by a response I got regarding my December 2012 editorial on “How’s Your IQ on MPG?” It came from Ed Miller, fleet manager at Morris Communications. He said, “I would like to say that ‘going green’ is not about a rational fuel conservation or replacement strategy. It’s an agenda.”

Thomas Bray at J.J. Keller wrote to us recently. He stated, “I used to work for a fleet that had gone so heavily to technology that it got to the point where we suddenly realized we didn’t know if our drivers were happy, sad, thrilled, mad, or about to quit due to never actually talking to them!”

In the sector of the trucking industry, Troy Clarke, president/COO of Navistar, told an audience at the American Truck Dealers (ATD) conference that there are 25,000 fewer drivers than needed. While this may be a case of compensation or not being home on weekends, it’s still a symptom of losing touch with the driver.

If “suitability” is at, or near, the top of the most important considerations in vehicle selection surveys, and you do not have regular direct contact with your drivers, how can you make key decisions with certainty?

In today’s corporate atmosphere, most rely on outsourcers or on the ubiquitous e-mail, mobile app, or texting to communicate. It’s impersonal and wrought with the fact that one loses understanding, empathy, and a certain connection that inhibits making any decision easier to accept along the way. Yet, we are virtually doomed to the technology era and the results they deliver.

Technology also produces the GPS/tracking abilities that can — and do — identify each driver at every filling station, dry cleaner, and precise time getting home. Every company driver has to lose some confidence that he or she is a trusted employee almost working in some kind of near-police state when they are constantly bombarded with oversight.

If we want the cooperation and buy-in of our fleet drivers, I suggest that we create some kind of mask in our micromanagement world and find some way to personalize our relationships. Of course, that’s only if we want to educate, influence, and motivate those around us.
If you disagree, let me know.

ed.bobit@bobit.com

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This was a topic of spirited discussion at two seminars held last March at both the 2013 International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA) Spring Roundtable and the 2013 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR). The overwhelming consensus of remarketers is not “if” this will occur, but “when.” And, just as important, most see it happening sooner, rather than later.

The technology exists today to facilitate multi-platform selling, but, as they say, the devil is in the details. The IARA Standards Committee is taking the lead by proposing possible standards governing the use of multi-platform selling and is currently soliciting comments from the remarketing industry, including consignors, auctions, vendors, and dealers.

The Desire for Platform Diversity

Multiple platforms selling is the use of an electronic hub to expose a vehicle to the most purchasing dealers. Consignors will determine the venues their vehicle assets will be posted for cross-listing on multiple platforms. Real-world remarketing experience shows that by exposing products to the most buyers, you maximize resale prices. A central portal would provide consignors one common interface to facilitate online sale activities across multiple online platforms, allowing a single vehicle to be simultaneously listed for sale on various online sites. This central portal would connect all participating online platforms to receive and send information, including digital photos, inspection reports, floor prices, etc.

However, the IARA believes that to be successful, the simultaneous listing of vehicles on multiple online sale platforms will require standardization of industry practices associated with the online selling of vehicles.

Specifically, there will be a need for standardization among auction start and end times.

The IARA Standards Committee envisions the acceptance of the following general principles when remarketing vehicles on multiple online sale platforms. There should be a real-time exchange of data across the various bidding platforms. Bidding received on one platform would be sent in real-time to a central portal that sends out an update, also in real-time, to all other platforms upon which a vehicle is simultaneously posted.

Initially, the central portal should be agile enough to support both competitive bidding and “buy now” sale transactions. Online sale platforms would work cooperatively with each other to allow buyers to do business in the sale platform with which they are most comfortable. The IARA believes it is important that buyers and sellers retain the ability to operate on their preferred sales platform, while having access to the maximum exposure of vehicles.

The IARA Standards Committee recommends that the online bidding starts at the floor price on each of the platforms. Once the consignor’s floor price is surpassed on one site, the vehicle will automatically and instantly be removed from the other sites. The vehicle continues to be available for additional bids on the first platform that received the original bid until that online sale closes and the bidding ends. If the buyer clicks on the “buy now” sale price, it also instructs the central platform to pull the vehicle from the other sites and move it directly to the sale process.

A contentious topic about multi-channel platform is cross-bidding to maximize prices. The IARA points out that cross-bidding brings a new layer of complexity and additional time will be required to develop the business rules to facilitate this functionality with cooperation from the sale venues on various challenges, such as coordinating the start and end time of auctions.

Moving to a New Business Model

A central portal allows consignors the ability to manage online sales inventory through a single common user interface. Logging-in to the portal will facilitate the log-in to each participating platform. The functionality will allow consignors one location to facilitate a vehicle posted on multiple venues with competitive bidding across different channels. All online sales inventory will be visible in any online platform chosen by the consignor (along with individual condition reports) and the inventory will be managed from the central portal.

This isn’t blue sky technology; it is coming, either from the auction industry or third-party technology company. It will represent a “sea change” in how vehicles are remarketed online in the wholesale market. As one independent auction owner acknowledged, “everyone knows this is the direction in which the industry is going.”

This promises to be a topic of discussion again at the IARA Summer Roundtable Aug. 20-21 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in Dallas. I encourage you to attend. In the meantime, check out www.iaraonline.com for a white paper on the topic.

“It’s hard to have all auctions and consignors agree, but we can try to get as close as possible to reaching an agreement so this evolution in the remarketing process moves forward,” said Bob Graham, VP, remarketing for ARI, and past IARA president.

Let me know what you think.

mike.antich@bobit.com

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“TARP’s emergency support to GM during the financial crisis was necessary to prevent the collapse of the American auto industry and save more than one million American jobs,” said Tim Massad, Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability. “Earlier this year, Treasury launched an effort to sell its remaining shares in GM common stock. We are pleased with the progress to date and will continue exiting this investment in accordance with our previously announced plan and timetable, and in a manner that maximizes returns for taxpayers.”

In December 2012, the Treasury noted that GM repurchased 200 million shares of GM common stock from the Treasury. The Treasury also said it would sell the remaining 300 million shares at that time in order to fully exit its investment in GM 12 to 15 months from the date of that announcement.

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The company said both Gibson’s and Minton’s roles will be to develop and implement fleet fueling sales strategies with national and large fleet customers and fleet management companies for the continued expansion and growth of VNG’s fleet fueling relationships.

Bill Gibson worked most recently with SCT Fleet Solutions as its vice president of sales and marketing. Before that, he worked at General Motors as the company’s director - fleet and commercial sales for nearly 10 years, from 2001 to 2011. He was in charge of GM’s U.S. National Commercial Sales Accounts, federal government sales (GSA), and in coordinating global fleet sales. Prior to this role, Gibson worked as GM Fleet & Commercial Operations director - U.S. Rental Sales from 1994-2001.

Prior to his role at VNG, Minton spent 13 years with General Motors, most of that time in fleet sales as National Account Manager responsible for GM’s largest commercial fleet customers.

“Rob’s fleet experience, product knowledge, and customer relationships were key factors in our executive search,” said Robert Friedman, VNG chief operating officer. “He and Bill provide VNG with greater resources to support the VNG fueling solution for light-duty NGV fleet customers.”

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Hal Feder, director, export & growth operations with Ford Motor Co., has retired after 30 years with the automaker, where he worked in a variety of roles during his tenure. In his most recent role, Feder was responsible for sales, marketing, and service growth in emerging markets, including the Caribbean, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and in Ford’s Asia Pacific Regions.

Prior to that role, starting in 2010, Feder worked as general manager of Ford and Lincoln Mercury sales for the company. Before that role, he was the CEO of Ford Motor Co. of South Africa, and was responsible for leadership oversight of product development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and service operations for the Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover brands.

Feder was also directly involved in the fleet industry for many years. He was Ford's executive director for North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations (NAFLRO), starting in February 2004. He was responsible for sales of cars and trucks from across the company's eight vehicle brands to daily rental, government, and commercial fleet customers. He also oversaw the company's efforts in remarketing vehicles through auctions. Prior to that assignment, he was director of Sales Planning & Distribution for North American Marketing, Sales & Service.

Feder began his career with Ford in 1983. He started as a zone manager for Ford Division, where he focused on markets in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. From 1987 to 1989, he held different positions in the Ford Division, including sales promotion specialist for the Southeast region. He returned to the Ford Division later in his career as regional manager for Memphis in 2002 and 2003.

He also worked for the Lincoln Mercury division from 1991 to 1994 and held a position as general zone manager for the Southeast region. In 1998 and 1999, he worked in the Ford Customer Service Division as manager for Business Strategy & Communications.

“It has been special representing the Blue Oval for so many years and in so many roles,” Feder said. “There is no other Company like Ford … a ‘family’ business … whose employees, dealers, suppliers, and customers all feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. And it has been a great honor and pleasure being part of that extended family for so many years.”

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“Adopting the Gold Standard is a tribute to the extraordinary leadership at Merchants Fleet Management and to their determination to provide inspiration and support to other organizations large and small that are committed to playing an active role in winning the battle against cancer”

Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi, chairs the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, the nonprofit organization of cancer-fighting CEOs who created the CEO Cancer Gold Standard, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, many of its designated cancer centers, and leading health non-profit organizations and professionals. Today, more than 3.4 million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the more than 140 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited.

"Adopting the Gold Standard is a tribute to the extraordinary leadership at Merchants Fleet Management and to their determination to provide inspiration and support to other organizations large and small that are committed to playing an active role in winning the battle against cancer,” said Viehbacher.

The CEO Cancer Gold Standard calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials.

“Becoming a CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer is a logical step in fostering a work environment that values and promotes healthy lifestyles and provides the support needed when a diagnosis of cancer becomes a reality,” said Glen Villano, CEO.

In addition to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fifteen NCI-designated cancer centers and nearly 40 hospitals and medical centers have earned Gold Standard accreditation. CEOs from across industries are keenly aware of the tremendous impact they can have in improving health, controlling health care costs and making a difference beyond their organization’s walls in the fight against cancer and other chronic diseases. Other Gold Standard employers include insurers like Aetna, Cigna, State Farm and several Blue Cross affiliates; law firms, such as Hogan Lovells and Jenner + Block; technology companies such as Dell and SAS Institute; institutes of higher education and a range of leading employers including American Century Investments, Johnson & Johnson and Lowe’s.

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GM said the new V-6 uses direct injection, active fuel management (which involves cylinder deactivation), and continuously variable valve timing, and can produce 285 hp. The V-6 has trailering ratings of up to 7,200 lbs. for a regular cab, short bed, four-wheel-drive model. GM matched the V-6 with a six-speed automatic transmission. The automaker has yet to announce official EPA fuel economy estimates for this engine.

The new EcoTec3 V-6 builds on GM’s experience, as it debuted the first V-6-equipped pickup truck in 1960. In addition, the 4.3L V-6 introduced as standard equipment on GMC half-ton pickups in 1985 used geometry and engineering from the brand’s Small Block V-8.

GM stated that 2014 Sierra models equipped with the 4.3L EcoTec3 V-6 will go on sale later this year and have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $25,085. This price includes a destination charge of $995 but excludes tax, title, license, and dealer fees.

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“This new office will enhance the value we provide to our clients as we support our continued growth in the region,” said Jim Halliday, president PHH Canada, and senior vice president and chief business development officer for North America. “PHH is committed to investing in the products, services, technology and capabilities that benefit our customers. As a premier provider of fleet management services to the energy sector, the Houston location extends our commitment to clients in the Southwest.”

The Houston office will offer access to broad capabilities, account management staff and personnel to serve the Southwest marketplace. The PHH call center is staffed by a team of maintenance experts – from specifications and acquisition consulting to compliance management and used vehicle remarketing.

Center for Transportation Safety, a PHH Arval company, will provide state-of-the-art programs in driver safety, Commercial Drivers’ Licenses and a suite of training products particularly geared toward oil and gas companies. The office will also serve PHH FirstFleet clients operating medium and heavy trucks and equipment, as well as provide consultation on financing, asset management and operational services.

PHH’s other North American locations include: Sparks, Md.; Plantation, Fla.; Denver, Colo.; Mississauga, ON; Calgary and Edmonton, AB; Montreal, QB; and Vancouver, BC.

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PHH stated that the increase from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013 was due to an improvement in its leasing business but that the $3 million difference between Q1 2013 and Q1 2012 was due to a drop in fleet management fees and lower syndication results.

With regard to its fleet leasing business, the company stated that net investment in fleet leases as of March 31, 2013, represented a 1% increase compared to the end of 2012. The average number of leased vehicle units dropped by 1% during Q1 2013, which the company said was the result of higher capitalized units replacing lower cost vehicles. The company said this is consistent with its emphasis on service fleets.

For its fleet management fees, the company said that in Q1 2013, they fell by $4 million to $43 million (down from $47 million). This result was due to reduced client participation in driver safety training services. The company added that fleet management fees during Q1 2013 was at about the same level as it was during Q4 2012.

The company as a whole, including mortgage services, reported net income of $52 million.

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“Being recognized as the number one mid-size company, exemplifies the passion, expertise, respect and commitment that LeasePlan employees bring to work every day. LeasePlan employees do a tremendous job of delivering high-touch customer service to our business partners, and they have created a culture of success that we can all be proud of. At LeasePlan, we have enjoyed a record level of employee engagement that helps us drive customer loyalty and in turn, a profitable business model.” said Michael A. Pitcher, president and CEO.

Among 1,200- plus companies nominated, LeasePlan prevailed as the number one mid-size workplace. Honorees were chosen based on employee surveys conducted by consulting group, Workplace Dynamics.

The surveys contained the following criteria:

• the direction of the company
• execution
• work conditions
• career paths
• management
• pay and benefits

Pitcher added, “LeasePlan is proud to be recognized in this group of Atlanta business that understands the importance of employee satisfaction and engagement. We are thrilled to be included in the AJC's Top 100 Workplaces for a third year in a row.”

LeasePlan spent the week following the announcement honoring its employees including a large celebratory breakfast.

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Ford is adding more than 2,000 jobs at its Kansas City Assembly Plant. The company said it is adding these jobs to meet F-150 demand, specifically adding 900 jobs and a third crew for that vehicle, and the other 1,100 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2013 to prepare to build the all-new Ford Transit. The Kansas City Assembly Plant currently builds the Ford F-150 Regular, Super, and Crew Cab models, according to Ford.

With regard to specific investments in the plant, Ford said it is investing $1.1 billion to retool and expand the facility to boost F-150 production and build the Transit. This expansion includes a 437,000 sq.-ft. stamping facility and a 78,000 sq.-ft. paint shop. The automaker said it finished the new stamping facility in 2012 and that the paint shop expansion will feature installation of the three-wet paint process, which requires less time than the conventional paint process.

When Transit production begins, Ford said around 275 suppliers across the U.S. and six local suppliers will be contributing to the project and increase business.

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General Motors said it is planning to take its Cadillac brand's semi-autonomous “Super Cruise” driving technology to the next stage of testing, which includes real-world driving assessment and other tests. The company reiterated its previous announcement that this technology could end up in production models later this decade.

Super Cruise is a system that allows for autonomous lane following, braking, and speed control under specific driving conditions. GM said it designed the system to assist the driver on freeways, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and on road trips but that the system still requires the driver to pay attention to the road and driving conditions. Super Cruise also makes use of lane-centering technology, which users forward-facing cameras to detect lane markings and various sensors to detect curves in the road and other features. The company said Super Cruise will use various types of alerts to communicate with the driver. GM said it developed these alert types on test tracks and in a 360-degree, motion-based driving simulator.

GM added that even when it adds the full Super Cruise system to production vehicles, it will still require driver attention, and that traffic, weather, and lane marking visibility will affect how it operates. GM said Super Cruise will prompt the driver to take control if reliable sensor data isn’t available to the system.

In terms of practical applications today, GM said the development of Super Cruise technology has led to the Safety Alert Seat and Driver Awareness and Driver Assist features in Cadillac’s 2013-MY vehicles, for example the 2013 Cadillac XTS and ATS sedans. These technologies are part of the available Driver Assist Package.

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Announcing the launch of the next generation of the firm’s flagship fleet management software application, FleetWave, the 2.1 version will see a host of enhancements and additional functionality including a more sophisticated report writing tool, which will enable faster and more efficient access to specific data during the reporting process. Other benefits include Excel-style browse filtering, improved data rules functionality and an odometer correction tool.

Attended by a number of delegates from Chevin’s global customer base over a two day period; the theme of this year’s user day events has been Gather, Share, Change - as Ashley Sowerby, managing director at Chevin, explains: “Bringing customers together to share and understand their use of the system is pivotal in the development of Chevin’s future offering but also in helping our customers get more from their relationship with us. Offering the ability to network with industry colleagues and explore new ways of allowing technology to streamline numerous business processes, in fleet and beyond, is something that I’m proud to be facilitating here this week.

“FleetWave 2.1 represents a commitment to our customers that we will continue to invest in and enhance Chevin’s product offering; that we will listen to the opinions of customers and build their requirements into our software as standard; and that customers can rest assured that they are receiving the very best the market has to offer.”

The upgraded version will be available to most customers currently using the latest version of the software at no additional cost. As part of Chevin’s on-going commitment to enhance the product offering and continue to offer value for money to customers, Chevin will be delivering regular micro upgrades to the system as standard. It is expected that the upgrades will typically occur between every six and twelve months from now on.

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WEX Inc. has named Melissa D. Smith company president and said she will assume the role of chief executive officer, and maintain her duties as president, on Jan. 1, 2014. The company said this change is part of a management transition plan that’s in line with the company’s board’s succession planning process.

Michael E. Dubyak will remain chairman and CEO during this transition. After Smith takes on the role of CEO, Dubyak will move into the newly created role of executive chairman of the board at WEX.

WEX said Smith joined the company in 1997 and most recently served as president, The Americas. She has been a member of WEX’s senior leadership team for the past 12 years and has 16 years of experience in the payments space. The company said she will work with Dubyak during the transition period and handle strategic planning for 2014 and later years.

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At the 2013 Fleet Safety Conference, scheduled for June 25-27 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Senior Research Engineer Chris Sherwood will cover the organization’s new Top Safety Pick+ safety recognition level.

The Top Safety Pick+ designation features new testing criteria, and Sherwood will explain the criteria and how it will impact fleet vehicle safety now and in the future.

For more information about the 2013 Fleet Safety Conference, visit the event’s website at www.fleetsafetyconference.com.

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The HawkEye 5300 delivers pole-to-pole coverage for globally-dispersed fleets by harnessing the power of the Iridium satellite network and provides seamless switchable Iridium-GSM dual-mode network connectivity – which can be leveraged to optimize operational productivity, according to the company. When paired with Blue Sky Network’s cloud-based web portal, New SkyRouter, the device enables tracking and two-way messaging between land assets and fleet managers from a PC or mobile device. The HawkEye 5300 also provides monitoring of vehicle diagnostic data, alerts and driver behavior when utilized with the New SkyRouter. Using its geo-fencing capabilities, the HawkEye 5300 easily notifies fleet managers when a vehicle is entering or exiting a specified zone.

The HawkEye 5300 is available with two different options, HawkEye Touch (LCD touch screen) and OBDII diagnostic module. The HawkEye Touch enables e-mail/short-code two-way communication, features a quick position emergency button, and even doubles as a navigation device. This solution also supports unique driver PIN identification that can be used to enable trip reports and vehicle status for each driver. The HawkEye 5300 with an OBDII module enables mileage reporting, diagnostic trouble code (DTC) alerts, and fuel usage reports for most automobiles, light trucks, and vans.

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The Nissan NV2500 ambulance was first used by the Mexican Red Cross in April 2012 in a pilot test. After proving its versatility and functionality, the Mexican Red Cross decided to integrate Nissan as a partner for its ambulance fleet this year.

Nissan Mexicana's President and General Director José Valls said the NV2500 won out over other more expensive vehicles. "Now the Red Cross in Mexico has taken the NV2500 as the flagship of the new ambulance," he noted.

The Mexican Red Cross receives over 1.2 million ambulance service requests per year, so the NV2500 will have many opportunities to show its capabilities in terms of reliability and versatility, according to the organization.

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In fact, HLDI found that claims under property damage liability coverage were filed 16% less often for S60s than for other midsize luxury cars. For the XC60, such claims were filed 15% less often.

City Safety uses a light detection and ranging sensor built into the windshield to detect a stopped or slow-moving vehicle ahead. If a crash is imminent and the driver fails to react, the system applies the brakes before impact. City Safety operates at speeds up to 19 mph.

Click here to read HLDI’s status report on City Safety.

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The accord is valued at €125 million and specifies the delivery of vehicles from Iveco’s light and medium ranges (Daily vans and crew cabs, and Eurocargo) from 3.5 to 18 tons. Most of these vehicles will be specially equipped with cranes and lifting platforms for the maintenance of the nation’s electric distribution network.  

This appointment is the latest development in Iveco’s ambitious expansion plan for the Africa and Middle East markets, according to the company. The objective is to obtain product volumes and market share increasing Iveco’s position among the leading supplier of industrial vehicles in this area by 2014.

Iveco’s offering in Africa and the Middle East covers all product segments from light to medium and heavy. These vehicles are redesigned and adapted to meet the required local context in order to deliver the best possible performance, even in extreme weather and road conditions.

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As part of the partnership, the two companies will collaborate on integrating fleet management and tachograph services. Both companies continue to individually develop and launch their own products. TomTom will integrate the new capability into its IO27001 certified WEBFLEET platform and plans to come out with a product for the remote-controlled download of tachograph data and its compliant data analysis and long term archiving during the second quarter of this year.

TomTom said it now actively manages more than 250,000 vehicles with WEBFLEET and services more than 20,000 business clients.

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The TARS Group of the University of New South Wales has commenced work on an integrated facility for the implementation of Australia’s first large-scale Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS). The NDS team will be utilizing Mobileye’s technology in approximately 400 cars in Australian cities, integrated with data acquisition systems, to continuously record data on driver behavior in normal and safety-critical situations. This data will serve planners and policymakers in the ongoing effort to reduce death and injury on Australia’s roads, according to Mobileye.

Additional partners in the study include the NSW Centre for Road Safety (which already utilizes Mobileye’s solution in the evaluation of driver behavior), the Victoria Transport Accident Commission, the Office of Road Safety from Main Roads Western Australia, and the South Australia Motor Accidents Commission. According to TARS, the integrated facility will underpin all future road safety research and become an essential pillar for the entire Australian road safety research community and regulatory authorities.

Mobileye’s technology is available throughout Australia to both commercial fleets and private aftermarket customers. Mobileye also serves a variety of Australian governmental and NGO bodies in the evaluation and improvement of driver behavior.

The Mobileye solution uses monocular vision technology, including object (pedestrian and vehicle) detection, lane detection, traffic signs recognition, and high/low beams control. These technologies are powered by Mobileye’s System-on-Chip – (EyeQ) and provide a multitude of applications running in parallel. Some features of the solution include lane detection technology, lane-keeping and traffic-jam assist, forward-collision-warning, as well as collision mitigation by brake, according to the company.

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By the end of the year, Ford plans to offer Myanmar customers a full showroom of global cars and trucks, representing all vehicle segments. The vehicles will be sourced and imported from Ford’s global production facilities, including North America and Thailand.

“We see tremendous potential and opportunity for Ford in Myanmar, and we’re looking forward to serving customers in this exciting market,” said David Westerman, regional manager, Asia Pacific, Ford Export & Growth Operations. “We’re also committed to making meaningful contributions and investments that will support the country’s ongoing economic and social development.”

Through its deal with Capital Automotive, Ford will become the first global automaker to offer complete automotive solutions in Myanmar, according to the company.

Ford’s first dealership facility is nearing completion in Yangon — the country’s commercial center and most populous city — and will offer an integrated sales, service and spare parts solution. Both the facility’s design and operations are fully aligned to Ford’s global standards, according to the company.

Ford and Capital Automotive plan to expand with facilities in other markets across the country as business grows.

According to the automaker, Ford’s entry into Myanmar will help support its overall growth strategy for the ASEAN region, which represents a combined population of 600 million.

The iconic Ford F-Series pickup truck and class-defining all-new Ford Ranger will be among the first models to arrive in Myanmar.

“We’re committed to bringing the best of our global Ford lineup to Myanmar – world-class vehicles that Myanmar customers will want and value,” said Westerman.
 
 

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“The major difficulty is to build a quality network of suppliers to ensure the service due and get payments on time. The African market is concentrated mainly in South Africa and Morocco. ALD is also present in Egypt and Algeria, but, for the rest of the continent, existing operations are mainly local initiatives from car dealers or daily rental franchisees,” said Pascal Serres, deputy CEO of ALD International.

--By Mike Antich

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“Our customers told us that establishing a presence in Western Canada would provide them with better access to our products, services and inventory,” said Tim Janego, regional vice president, east.  “This partnership supports Manheim Canada’s efforts to enhance its experience for customers while making it easier for them to conduct business.”

The Source Auto Auction management team will consist of owner Danny Fayad, and general manager Darcia Cuff, who brings 30 years of remarketing and auction industry leadership experience to the location. Fayad and Cuff will work closely with Manheim Canada’s four other operating locations, as well as Manheim’s Pacific Operations team, led by market vice president Julie Picard, to integrate Manheim’s products, services and best practices into their operations.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Manheim, as we both share a strong customer focus,” said Fayad, who will lead the operation as chief executive officer (CEO). “Combining our convenient location, great staff and state-of-the-art facility, with all the resources and technology that Manheim brings, gives our customers advantages they can’t come close to anywhere else.”

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Click here to submit your nomination today!

The Fleet Hall of Fame honors and recognizes fleet industry leaders and pioneers who have contributed significantly to the commercial fleet management profession.

Eligible nominees must have at least 10 years fleet management experience and have contributed significantly to the industry.

Inaugurated in 2008 with 20 founding honorees, five more will be selected for the 2013 award.

Take a moment to ensure that your voice is heard and be a part of making history. Nominate a veteran of the fleet industry today.

Click here to submit your nomination today!

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• Fleet Hall of Fame
• Automotive Fleet Inducts 2012 Hall of Fame Members at AFLA Conference
• Six New Hall of Fame Inductees
• 27 Fleet Hall of Fame Nominees

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Fuel, insurance, preventive maintenance and repairs are generally accepted as standard operating costs for fleets. What about vehicle-issued violations, such as parking, toll and photo enforcement tickets? Some fleets treat vehicle-issued violations as a cost of doing business.

The latest issue of the AFLA Whitepaper series was released to its members last week. AFLA members can access the whitepaper by logging into the AFLA Resource Library to learn about how fleets can prepare as these violations are on the rise.

Not a member? Join AFLA today by visiting: http://bit.ly/JoinAFLA or contact Elise Jaeger, AFLA Membership Coordinator for more information.

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