By Greg Neuman, Senior Manager of Quality Control, CEI

Fleets can save money on collision repairs by using alternatives to parts made by the vehicle’s manufacturer, or “OEM” (Original Equipment Maker). On average, the alternatives can be 10% to 30% cheaper than OEM parts.

While parts are just one component of a collision repair, the savings can add up to hundreds of dollars when more than one alternative part is used in a single repair , and substantial dollar amounts for fleets in the course of a year.

But for a variety of reasons, fleets need to exercise caution when using these kinds of parts.

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Mindy Holman named Chairman at Holman, Carl Ortell CEO — Chris Conroy named President at ARI

Holman Automotive Group, Inc. announced that it has named Melinda “Mindy” K. Holman Chairman of the Board, with Carl A. Ortell to assume the role of CEO and Brian R. Bates to assume the role of COO and CFO of Holman Automotive. The organization’s long-time Chairman, Joseph Holman, will assume the role of Chairman Emeritus, serving as a mentor and offering counsel to the Holman board and executive team, while Chris Conroy will take on the role of Executive Vice President, Holman and President of ARI, and Bill Cariss will serve as Executive Vice President, Holman and President of Retail Operations.

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By Matthew Betz, Vice President Business Development, Fleet at Motus, LLC

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers” – Voltaire

People who know me know that I ask a lot of questions. Don’t get me wrong, I also tend to offer my opinion pretty readily, and like to think that I’m ready with a good answer when somebody has a problem. But as a rule, I question things. I like to learn as much as I can about a situation, then develop what I think might be the best solution.

So, that brings me to my first question: How does it make you feel when others in your organization make decisions that impact your job without asking for your input?

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The company’s emphasis on professional development as well as its collaborative culture and atmosphere of teamwork were recognized.

ARI® was named to Fortune’s 2015 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the third year in a row, coming in at Number 36. ARI continues to be the only fleet management company, the highest among the companies located in New Jersey and only one of two companies headquartered in the Philadelphia region named to this annual list that recognizes companies that have exceptional workplace cultures.

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Pictured: Fleet Alliance MD, Martin Brown (left) with Rick Yarrow, MD of Experteye

Fleet decision-makers have rated Fleet Alliance the UK’s top vehicle leasing and fleet management company for service to customers in 2015 in the annual Experteye customer satisfaction survey.

The fleet funding and management specialist topped the category which recognizes service to fleet operators with up to 250 vehicles.

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Wheels, Inc. has won an American Business Award for Sales & Customer Service. The company’s Recall Communications program took home a Bronze “Stevie” award in one of the Innovation in Customer Service categories.

“More than 40 million vehicles were recalled in the U.S in 2014, affecting millions of fleet and non-fleet motorists alike,” said Gail Wheeler, Wheels’ assistant vice president of marketing.  “We tasked ourselves with developing an automated system that proactively identifies the vehicles in our clients’ fleets that may be impacted by each recall, and provides the communication processes necessary to ensure driver awareness and action.”

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Donlen released their 2014 customer satisfaction scores showing a one percent increase from the previous year.

Customer satisfaction levels increased, and overall, 97% of their customers were satisfied to extremely satisfied with Donlen. In addition, Donlen achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 63, more than four times the national average.

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Automakers say autonomous driving features that have the potential to make cars safer also make them cleaner—and they want the government to give them credit for it.

As safety features like automatic braking and adaptive cruise control become more widely available, traffic accidents are expected to fall. Fewer accidents will lead to less congestion and better traffic flow—factors that, when combined with speed management, could cut vehicle emissions by as much as 30%, say University of California at Riverside researchers.

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By Ed Pierce, ITA Fleet Communications

Feedback is an important tool for marketers. However, like in music, it can be misused and abused unless controlled.

Marketers all know that the marketing process demands a closed loop: market research helps a company determine user needs and pain, corporate and promotional messaging promotes benefits and value inherent in its brand and product attributes, and market research confirms the effectiveness of the communication.

Problems usually arise in that last step when the company decides to take shortcuts or to muddy the waters by mixing in multiple objectives. Consider these examples:

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Automakers aren’t the only ones concerned about self-driving cars. Insurance companies have taken notice, too — and they’re warning investors that autonomous vehicles could put some big, ugly dents in their bottom lines.

That’s because self-driving vehicles will cause fewer accidents than those with human drivers. Fewer accidents means less risk, and in the world of insurance, less risk means lower rates. That, in turn, means slimmer profit margins for insurance companies.

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