| Video News & Views
PEOPLE & IDEAS TO WATCH | See You in Charlotte! | Doug Weichman takes over the helm at NAFA next week. He was mighty enthusiastic when talking with us about the superb educational agenda at the upcoming Institute & Expo in Charlotte.
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April 07, 2011
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| Fleet Trends & Issues |
Opportunities & Successful Fleet Management |
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Negligent Entrustment: Driver Competency By John E. Cruickshank , Attorney at Law, Alaniz & Schraeder L.L.P. Knowing that you are responsible for the drivers that you put behind the wheel and that liability is based exclusively on the preparations that you make in determining whether or not they are competent to be drivers, the next obvious question is, what is it that you should be looking at when deciding whether or not an individual is, in fact, competent to operate one of your vehicles? The answer is that you should perform an extremely exhaustive review. That is exactly what a plaintiff's attorney is going to do. Everything that you missed and everything that you slipped up on and everything that you ignored, even though you kind of knew you shouldn't, is exactly what he is going to do when he is arguing to the jury that he deserves punitive damages for those two paralyzed teenagers that were injured when they ran into the driver, driving the truck with your company's logo on it. There are a lot of different things that you need to ask of anyone, regardless of who they work for, long before you ever give them the keys to one of your vehicles. Obviously you are going to want their safe stat score. We recommend the highest rating, but if they are marginal or above they are permitted to be behind the wheel, but you definitely need to start with their safe stat score. If you hire a third-party company to drive your vehicles, you need to look at the criteria for employment that this group would use. What required road tests do they make of their drivers? What are their driver qualifications? Do they require any physical evaluations of their drivers? Do they perform criminal background checks? You want to follow up with determining the types of policies and procedures the company has regarding its employees' conduct. How does it investigate accidents that its drivers are involved in? What types of drug and alcohol policies and testing procedures do they use? Do they have cell phone or texting policies? The company that you hire to supply you with drivers absolutely should have firm policies prohibiting cell phone use and texting use at any time when the vehicle is in motion. If they don't, you are just inviting a huge lawsuit with massive damages. Obviously, in every case where you put a driver behind the wheel, you are going to want to have a copy of that driver's motor vehicle report as well as their safety record. It is important to know that it is not enough to simply ask for this information. You need to review it. That is exactly what a plaintiff's attorney is going to be doing.
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| Must See & Do at NAFA 2011 |
Featured Exhibitors, Presenters
& Awards
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Networking Welcome Reception Sunday, April 10 - 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm I&E’s Networking Welcome Reception is NAFA’s premier networking event sponsored by the Affiliates and Manufacturers. The event will be held adjacent to the exhibit floor this year allowing you to do business, make connections, or just spend time with your fleet industry colleagues while relaxing with some great food, drink, and entertainment. All fleet managers, guests and exhibitors are invited to attend.
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Map Your Show at I&E NAFA has partnered with Map Your Show, an interactive tool that allows attendees to make the most out of their I&E experience while saving valuable time and money. Map Your Show is a user-friendly online tool that lets attendees view an interactive floorplan, find companies and products of interest, and plan out their sessions and events. You will even be able to print out a detailed day-by-day event schedule. Click here to Map Your Show!
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Keynote Addresses Sunday, April 10, 9:15 am
Shane Terblanche (pictured), Vice President and General Manager for Navistar Electric Vehicles. He led Navistar's efforts to bring the first electric-born delivery vehicle to market in North America. Monday, April 11, 8:30 am
Don Esmond, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations for Toyota. His distinguished career at Toyota includes serving first as Corporate Fleet and Truck Manager and then National Fleet Manager. Tuesday, April 12, 12:15 pm
Joe Gibbs, Legendary Pro Football Hall Of Fame coach and NASCAR racing team owner. Gibbs will provide his keynote address during NAFA's Chapter Recognition Luncheon.
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| Association News & Views |
Activities, Events & Success Stories |
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Some Last Minute Notes on NAFA I&E Do you have a burning question for one or more of the OEM fleet executives who will be on a panel moderated by the effervescent Chuck Parker on Sunday morning at 10:15? If so, please send it to me at jsutton@automotivedigest.com. Also, if you manage a fleet and would be willing to share your success stories or management strategies with our readers, please email me and we will schedule a time to talk in Charlotte. The National Conference of State Fleet Administrators (NCSFA) co-locates its annual conference this year with NAFA I&E. A couple of NCSFA events to note: Attendee/Vendor Welcome Reception on Friday, April 8th, at 6:00 PM, so kindly sponsored by The CEI Group and LeasePlan USA. NCSFA's annual Tee-Shirt Swap is on Saturday, April 9th, at 5:00 PM. Bring a new t-shirt from your home state or buy one in Charlotte and wrap it up! Kudos to Wright Express for sponsoring this fun event. Stop by the NCSFA booth in the registration area. The first 80 NCSFA members or individuals that sign up for a complimentary NCSFA trial membership can get a special gift courtesy of Mohawk Lifts! Nice! Download this Free Pass which entitles attendees to free admission to the Expo, plus they can attend a keynote speaker presentation. See You in Charlotte!
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Janice Sutton, Editor
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We spent several hours a couple of months ago interviewing attorney John Cruickshank from the Houston law firm of Alaniz and Schraeder L.L.P . about negligent entrustment. In today's issue, we bring you the first article from a multi-part series on this critical and timely topic. We heard Richard Alaniz, partner at the same law firm, speak on this subject at last September's AFLA conference and were most eager to hear more about how a fleet can reduce its liability risks. Be sure and catch our videos this week! Incoming NAFA president Doug Weichman welcomes us to Charlotte with a peek at some of the exciting events; PHH Arval's Rob Stowers gives us his thoughts on the enlivened truck sector; and AmeriFleet's Steve Gibson talks about the solutions their Work Truck Transport unit is bringing to fleets. Please check out our Fleet Management Weekly Fanpage, become a fan by clicking on the Like button, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fleet-Management-Weekly/203149889695398?sk=wall and follow us on twitter to get the latest Automotive News: http://twitter.com/autodigest We hope to see you in Charlotte! Drive Safely, Janice
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Last Minute News
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Microsoft, Toyota partner on efficiency-oriented auto software
Along with plans for telematics services including data, navigation and in-car entertainment, and multimedia using Microsoft's Windows Azure platform, the system may manage energy use in vehicles, the companies said. Read more Planned Internet wireless network threatens GPS
A new, ultra-fast wireless Internet network is threatening to overpower GPS signals across the U.S. and interfere with everything from airplanes to police cars to consumer navigation devices. Read more PHH Arval Partners with Pricelock to Provide Fuel Price Protection to Clients
PHH Arval has announced a strategic partnership with Pricelock Inc., the leading online provider of fuel-price hedging solutions, to provide fuel price protection to its clients. Effective immediately, PHH Arval can help fleet managers protect their organizations against unpredictable fuel prices and ensure budget predictability. Read more
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| Places, Sites, and People for New Ideas
& Applications |
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Avoiding Collision Fraud Dr Will Murray , Research Director at Interactive Driving Systems, publishes some terrific papers on fleet safety. This paper was directed at UK fleets and you'll see references to "roundabouts" and "slip roads" and "liveried fleet vehicles," but the message is just as valid for U.S. drivers. Read more
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Mac Yandell
AmeriTag
Director
L&T Solutions: Save Money, Save Time
AmeriFleet Transportation has added a new division, AmeriTag, in response to client requests for help with title and registration issues, even when a vehicle was not being moved. Mac heads up the team who provides this nationwide service and we wanted to hear all about it!
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Kerryan Simpson
AmeriFleet
Account Manager
AmeriFleet Transportation announces the appointment of KerryAn Simpson as Account Manager. The newest addition to AmeriFleet’s growing client services team, Simpson will be based in Chicago . In her new role, she will support various clients nationwide and AmeriFleet’s ongoing fleet management company partner LeasePlan. She began her career in the fleet industry in 2006 working for Atlanta-based LeasePlan.
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Kim McCullough
Land Rover North America
Brand Vice President
Kim McCullough has been appointed to the position of Brand Vice President, Land Rover North America. McCullough will report to Gary Temple, President, Jaguar Land Rover North America, and will be responsible for marketing communications and product planning for Land Rover in the United States . Before joining Jaguar Land Rover North America, McCullough was Assistant General Manager, Lexus Western Area.
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| Managing Your Fleet Trends, Issues & Opportunities |
Municipal Fleet Managers Face New Challenges
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As city budgets get squeezed, municipal fleet managers are doing all they can to extend vehicle life cycles, cut costs and plead their case for new vehicles when needed. "The fleet manager who closes himself in his office and waits for people to come see him will find himself in a world of trouble. The city council should know him by name. He needs to make himself visible and available. The fleet operation has to be in good standing," says Sam Lamerator, fleet manager, Troy, MI
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Telematics Continue to Drive Efficiency
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Telematics are continuing to drive efficiency with not just small improvements but transformational changes. TNT Innight uses telematics to deliver parts to technicians' repair vans at night so a technician heads to the first job each morning with parts already on board. Locating vans and delivery points is aided by telematics. Fleet8 from Telelogis uses web-based services to automate data transfers to companies with thousands of trucks.
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| Driver Safety Management Practices, Policy, & Training |
Going Too Far? LaHood, States Raise Bar on Distracted Driving
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When a dump truck crashed in Pennsylvania recently, causing one death and several injuries, police linked the crash to distracted driving. It’s the source of debate and political action by proponent DOT Secretary Ray LaHood and several stated enacting strict bans on use of cell phones behind the wheel. Critics contend that LaHood and his allies are going too far. One analyst cautions that stricter laws are unlikely with Republicans in control of the House.
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FMCSA Releases New Safety Program
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The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has released its new safety program called Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA). This program replaces the Safe-Stat program which relied on safety audits and targeted a small number of carriers. CSA will be run from weigh stations and will focus on out-of-service items, overweight violations, moving violation tickets as well as maintenance and log book violations.
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| Manufacturer Developments Design, Production, & Services |
Hybrid and Electric Car Sales Jumped Nearly Twice as High as Conventional in Q1
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Edmunds.com just analyzed first quarter US new vehicles sales and determined that hybrid and electric car sales increased 37% while conventional vehicles grew 20% during that time. Rising gasoline prices fueled the increase. Toyota sales made up two thirds of the total, while Honda, BMW, and GM saw the largest gains.
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TrueCar.com Rates Top 10 Car Shopper Deals as Gas Prices Rise
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TrueCar.com just published its own ranking of the top 10 car shopper deals for acquisition and gas pump prices, as rising gas prices become a more pressing purchase decision. The 2011 Chevrolet Aveo topped the list of cars with four or more seats and automatic transmissions, competitive pricing, and combined EPA fuel economy ratings in the 28 to 33 mpg range.
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| Driving Green Initiatives, Actions, & Implementations |
National Clean Fleets Partnership Helps Fleets Reduce Fuel Use, Increase Efficiency
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AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo, UPS, and Verizon are charter members of the new National Clean Fleets Partnership through the Dept. of Energy's "Clean Cities" initiative. The program will help companies reduce gasoline and diesel use by bringing in advanced technology vehicles or those that use alternative fuels, such as electricity, natural gas, biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen, or propane.
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Administration Promoting CNG Vehicles
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President Barack Obama's call for more funds for natural gas exploration and incentives to buy vehicles that run on compressed natural gas may finally spur Congress to act. A measure that would have dedicated $4 billion to boost the sale and development of natural gas vehicles stalled in Congress last year after the Senate failed to break a filibuster to approve the bill.
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| The Intelligent Vehicle Telematics, Telecommunications, &
Technology |
Toyota Wins Federal District Court Battle in Unintended Acceleration Claims
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Toyota just won a court battle in a US District Court that may be an early indicator of the strength of its legal theories behind the unintended accelerator claims against the company. The jury sided with Toyota’s lawyer’s blaming the accident on driver error, which is the most often reason cited by manufacturers for unintended acceleration incidents.
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Auto Safety Technology Helped Fuel Decline in Traffic Fatalities
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Federal regulators announced traffic deaths on the nation's roads fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2010 to 32,788, the lowest level since 1949. The decline, down 3.2 percent from 2009, came despite a significant rise in the number of miles Americans traveled last year. Auto safety technology played a key role in reducing road deaths.
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| Fleet Vehicle Remarketing Marketing Strategies, Channels,
& Sales Data |
Compact, Midsize Used Car Prices Climb
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The combination of rising gas prices and production restrictions from the recent Japanese earthquake are causing the prices of compact and midsize vehicles to climb. Three to five year old compacts have risen 11% in the last few weeks. "If you have a small car and want to get rid of it, now is the time. The prices are just going crazy," said Jonathan Banks, analyst, National Automobile Dealers Association Used Car Guides.
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US Auto Sales Better than Expected in March
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Turmoil in Japan and the Middle East, along with spiking gas prices, prompted initial forecasts to be lower than what was discovered at the end of March. While sales eased from the very strong February results, they outpaced analyst expectations, rising 17% from a year ago. Credit availability, a brightening jobs picture, low-interest rates, and pent-up demand were driving forces.
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NAFA 2011 Institute & Expo
Charlotte Convention Center
Charlotte, NC
April 9-12, 2011
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RIMS 2011 Annual Conference & Exhibition
Vancouver Convention Centre West
Vancouver, Canada
May 1-5, 2011
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Alternative Clean Transportation Expo 2011
Long Beach Convention Center
Long Beach, CA
May 4-6, 2011
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NVLA Conference
The Allerton Hotel on Magnificent Mile
Chicago, Ill.
May 11-13, 2011
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The Great West Truck Show
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
June 9-11, 2011
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Stats and Smart Charts
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Harris Poll 2011 Automotive Brand Rankings
[Click to enlarge graphic]
 - Ford and Chevrolet are seeing benefits from effective product lines and marketing among consumers, as demonstrated in 2011 Harris Poll EquiTrend study
- Toyota was bumped from number 1 to number 4 in rankings
- As domestic brands create growing appeal among US consumers
- Mercedes-Benz ranked highest among Luxury Automotive brands
- Last year’s highest ranked company, Lexus, ranked 2nd, followed by BMW and Infiniti
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