| Video News & Views
PEOPLE & IDEAS TO WATCH | A Dynamic Fleet Safety Policy | Theresa Belding, Senior Manager of Fleet Services at Forest Pharmaceuticals, gives us her formula for success in developing a dynamic fleet safety policy.
Read our interview with Theresa in The Fleet Spot! |
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November 10, 2011
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| Fleet Trends & Issues |
Opportunities & Successful Fleet Management |
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Ivor Johnson Wins International Fleet Manager of the Year Award Ivor Johnson, EMEA Regional Fleet Director at Pfizer, was elected as the new International Fleet Manager of the Year. Holger Wiegand, Sourcing Operations Manager of 3M Europe, took the second place. Ralph Ruckgaber, Manager EMEA Lead Cars & Car Lease at IBM, was given the third prize in the category International Fleet Manager of the Year Award. The International Fleet Manager of the Year Award rewards the person or the team having most successfully developed an international fleet management strategy and implemented an efficient international car policy, leading to an optimized cost structure and taking into account local differences and current fleet trends like sustainability, safety and mobility management. The strengths of Mr. Ivor Johnson’s fleet management policy at Pfizer lay amongst others in: - Good mission, vision and principles
- Excellent transparency on TCO, safety etc. with an on-line data-base
- Good insight into the fleet profile, areas for savings, and good project tracking
- Innovation - looking at alternative funding methods Good governance
The Fleet Europe Awards were designed to find the best fleet management case studies throughout Europe, to highlight the work that international fleet managers carry out, and especially to share best practices and inspire other fleet management professionals. Click here for more Fleet Europe Award winners.
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| Focus On... |
Current Fleet Topics
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Take Back Your Profits Tips for taking traffic out of the fleet equation By Michael Geffroy, VP, TomTom Business Solutions In 2010, according to the Texas Transportation Institute, the 75 largest U.S. metropolitan areas experienced 3.6 billion vehicle-hours of delay resulting in 5.7 billion gallons of wasted fuel, and $67.5 billion in lost productivity. For businesses that rely on vehicle fleets to move goods or service their customers, minimizing traffic’s impact can save time and money, and improve service levels. But traffic is just a way of life isn’t it? Beyond avoiding major roadways during rush hour and listening to traffic reports, how can dispatchers and drivers reduce the amount of time spent sitting in traffic? Today, many fleet management solutions can also provide traffic information. But how do you find one that really works? And how do you ensure that it will be easy enough, and accurate enough, to ensure that your drivers use it consistently? And how will you know if it’s making a difference? Read more
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| Association News & Views |
Activities, Events & Success Stories |
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NAFA Announces Lower Prices, More Choices For Conference Registration It’s rare to get more for less, but that’s exactly what fleet managers will get with NAFA’s 2012 Institute & Expo. While the conference itself continues to grow bigger each year, conference registration costs have been reduced from 2011 prices. In addition, conference attendees can now choose from numerous registration options ranging from single day passes, two-day passes, and full conference registration with or without meals. Fleet managers can even attend the Expo portion for free. The various packages were designed based on input from fleet professionals who want to attend the fleet industry’s largest event of the year, but are working with reduced funding for travel. Early-bird rates are in place until December 31, 2011 with savings of up to 75 percent off of last year’s rates. Here is a look at the complete registration options...Read more ***** NTEA Work Truck Show - More than 60 Intensive Training Sessions Available Help your company stay ahead of the competition by taking advantage of training opportunities offered through more than 60 intensive Convention educational sessions. Gain strategic positioning ideas as well as tools for business improvement and growth. Choose from sessions on industry trends and regulations, market updates, truck frame modification, vehicle certification, customer service, and much more. Click here for more information
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"If the patient doesn't seem to understand the risk, I might ask, 'How would you feel if your surgeon were operating on you while he's talking on a hands-free phone?'" Amy N. Ship, M.D., assistant professor at Harvard Medical School
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Janice Sutton, Editor
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Theresa Belding, Senior Manager of Fleet Services at Forest Pharmaceuticals is the newly-elected president of AFLA and our interview with her from the recent AFLA conference is featured in The Fleet Spot this week. We have been following Theresa's career for years and were absolutely delighted when she was named 2011 Professional Fleet Manager of the Year at last spring's NAFA I&E. Don't miss David Teater's video clip in Video News & Views. David is Senior Director of Transportation Initiatives at the National Safety Council and one of the nation's most powerful advocates of policies to curb distracted driving. Drive Safety, Janice
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Last Minute News
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Wright Express Unveils Pump Shut-Off Giving Fleet Managers More Control Over Driver Spending Wright Express has announced a new pump shut-off feature for large fleet customers that provides increased control over driver fuel spending and fraud. With pump shut-off, Wright Express approves fuel transactions up to the maximum dollar amount the customer has defined for the card in use, and then the pump is closed for that individual transaction. Read more
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| Places, Sites, and People for New Ideas
& Applications |
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Theresa Belding
Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Senior Manager, Fleet Services
A Winning Safety Strategy
Theresa manages a fleet of 3,300 vehicles for this pharmaceutical giant. Troubled over high accident rates, she worked with the company's sales department to develop a fleet safety program that has been a huge success. Here's a great stat: from 2007 through 2010, the company's accident rate dropped 27 percent!
- [Read More] |
David Cheleen
Omaha Standard PALFINGER
Account Specialist - Western Region
David Cheleen has been named to fill the newly established role of Account Specialist - Western Region. Located at their Omaha Standard PALFINGER (OSP) facilities in Council Bluffs, IA, David will be primarily responsible for both inside sales activities and external regional management of specific accounts.
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Phil Justice
Omaha Standard PALFINGER
Operations Manager
Omaha Standard PALFINGER (OSP) announces the appointment of Phil Justice as Operations Manager. Phil will play an important role in quality management, staff training, project management and the continuous improvement of the daily operations at Omaha Standard PALFINGER.
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| Managing Your Fleet Trends, Issues & Opportunities |
Budget Benefits of Using NPV Life Cycle Cost Analysis
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The net present value (NPV) life cycle cost analysis is one of the best financial analysis tools available to fleet managers for deciding whether to repair or replace a vehicle. The NPV shows the total true cost of each alternative. An after-tax NPV life-cycle cost analysis addresses the time value of money and the impact on taxes.
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Report Shows Fleets Plan to Order More Equipment Than in 2010
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The Q4 2011 Fleet Sentiment Report Buying Index shows a 22% improvement over the same quarter 2010 as more fleets plan purchases of power units and trailers. The survey showed 52% of the respondents are planning to place power unit orders in the next months although less than a third are planning to add capacity with these orders. Most are replacing aging equipment.
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| Driver Safety Management Practices, Policy, & Training |
Side Effects Related to Red-Light Camera Use
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Contracts between some municipalities and vendors who provide red-light cameras split ticket revenue 50/50. Red-light cameras are one answer to raising revenue. However, some regions are becoming more aware of the pitfalls of contracting out red light tickets and have issued bans on the cameras.
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Traffic Congestion Impact on Health
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Research shows there is growing evidence that air pollution can affect the brain. Researchers suspect that vehicle tailpipe exhaust may injure brain cells in addition to contributing to heart disease, cancer, and respiratory ailments. Scientists believe steps to speed the flow of traffic in congested cities are a factor in reducing some public-health problems.
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| Manufacturer Developments Design, Production, & Services |
IIHS Awards Top Safety Pick to Five Minivans
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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has recognized five minivan models with its 2011 Top Safety Pick award. The 2012 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Volkswagen Routan, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Sienna were selected for their superior protection in rollover crashes. Vehicles must have the highest rating of good for frontal, side, rollover, and rear crash protection and must have electronic stability control (ESC) to qualify.
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Long-Term Gains for Ford, Kia, Hyundai in ALG PQS Study
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ALG's latest Perceived Quality Study shows Ford, Kia, and Hyundai have the biggest long-term gains in improved brand perception, and Toyota's quality score rose more than two percent over the last six months. The complete list with scores and details is available at: https://www.alg.com/pdf/pqs_fall_2011.pdf.
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| Driving Green Initiatives, Actions, & Implementations |
Ford Prices 2012 Focus Electric Under $40,000
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Ford hopes the battery quick charge time and range of standard features on its 2012 Focus Electric model will attract buyers. The base version sticker price is $39,200 plus destination charge, and buyers will qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Ford claims the Focus Electric can recharge in half the time as the Nissan Leaf.
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Analysts Say 2012 May See Record High Gas Prices
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Analysts say growing global demand and rising U.S. fuel exports could send gasoline prices to record highs in 2012 as oil prices move toward $100/barrel. Demand for gasoline in the U.S. is down, but growing demand in Latin and South America is driving record U.S. exports of fuel to those areas, particularly diesel.
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| The Intelligent Vehicle Telematics, Telecommunications, &
Technology |
Consumer Complaints Result in Upgrades to MyFord Touch System
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Ford will upgrade its MyFord Touch system in response to consumer complaints that the telematics system is too complicated. Set to debut on the 2013 Ford Escape, Flex and Taurus, the upgrade provides simpler graphics, faster touch-screen response and easier-to-use controls. The system upgrade will be available for vehicles already equipped with MyFord Touch, and thumb drives will be mailed to eligible customers next year.
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Hackers Ready to Target Your Car
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Carmakers often fail to mention increased security risks that accompany wireless access to automotive systems. Wireless connections are susceptible to hackers, opening the door to multiple potential problems. The growing popularity of wireless options in vehicles means consumers must have basic knowledge about their security concerns.
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| Fleet Vehicle Remarketing Marketing Strategies, Channels,
& Sales Data |
End of the Line for 14 Long-time Models
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The Ford Crown Victoria has been a staple for years, commonly seen as taxi cabs and police cars. It will be one of 14 cars being retired at the end of this year, along with other well-known models like the Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS and STS, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Honda Element, and Mitsubishi Eclipse.
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Retail Used Prices May Join Wholesale in Softening
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There are signs that retail used car prices are starting to retreat, just as they have been on the wholesale side. Dealers are continuing higher prices to consumers for used and CPO vehicles and credit has become more available, but pricing power is starting to weaken.
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Fleet & Asset Management USA 2011
Hotel Melia'
Atlanta, GA
November 16-17, 2011
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LA Auto Show
Los Angeles Convention Center
Los Angeles, CA
November 18-27, 2011
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Natural Gas Vehicle Infrastructure Conference & Exposition
Omni Houston Hotel
Houston, TX
January 24-25, 2012
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Green Truck Summit 2012
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, IN
March 5-6, 2012
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The Work Truck Show 2012
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, IN
March 6-8, 2012
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Stats and Smart Charts
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Truck Fleet Buying Plans in Next 3 Months
[Click to enlarge graphic]
 - Q4 2011 Fleet Sentiment Report Buying Index shows 22% improvement over same quarter year ago
- Lower index than first three quarters of this year reflection that fewer fleets planning trailer orders in Q4
- Report from CK Vehicle Research surveys for-hire, private, and government fleets on both power units and trailers
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