By John Wolford, CEI director of client and vendor services

Do you let your drivers decide where they get their vehicles repaired after an accident? If so, you may be opening the door to repair disasters, like:

• Low-quality workmanship.
• Inferior parts.
• Overlooked damage.
• Prolonged downtime.
• Storage costs you could avoid.
• Limited recourse.

Let’s face it – shops often compete for business on the basis of the estimates they write, and this provides an incentive for shops to low-ball their estimates.

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By Mike Cieri, MSIR, Vice President of Mardac Consultants

What are your thoughts about this statement: “We cannot be motivated by others….only influenced.”

Hmm, so many times we look to our supervisor, various leaders in the community, coaches to motivate us into action. Yet if we think about it, are they really getting us to move? Who decides whether we put in extra hours at work to meet deadlines, or go into the office when we are not feeling 100%? I do! Individually, I decide if I will put in the time or not.

I decide if the reward is worth the effort, not my supervisor, community leader, coach, or professor. I decide.

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The Detroit Bureau

The check is in the mail. Well, not quite. But Kenneth Feinberg, the specialist whom Volkswagen has hired to put together a compensation package for U.S. owners of about 600,000 diesel-powered vehicles, says he expects to be eventually making some very generous payments.

But the timing is up in the air, Feinberg tells the German newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine, until VW can first come to an agreement to move forward with repairs for those vehicles – which were equipped with so-called “defeat devices” meant to cheat on diesel emissions tests.

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The Detroit Bureau

If you think your last speeding ticket is the reason your car insurance is so high, you may want to think again: it may be your home.

If all things are equal, insurance companies charge as much as 47% more for basic liability auto insurance if a driver doesn’t own a home, according to a new analysis of premiums.

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The Car Connection

Love it or hate it, the Internet of Things is upon us. We have watches that tell us when we’ve been sitting too long, dog collars that keep tabs on our pooches’ pulmonary patterns, and refrigerators that know way too much about our private eating habits.

So, it’s not very surprising that one company has developed a smart gas pedal — one that teaches motorists to drive more efficiently, gives them a heads-up on traffic jams, and warns them of potential collisions.

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NGT News

As part of the ALT Fuels Colorado program, the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC) is requesting applications to fund fleet purchases of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). AFVs under this application include new original equipment manufacturer (OEM) compressed natural gas (CNG), electric, propane and CNG bi-fuel vehicles weighing 6,001 lbs or more.

Funding for AFV purchases is available for public, nonprofit and private fleets operating within Colorado’s ozone nonattainment and carbon monoxide maintenance areas.

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Signal Tribune

For years, vehicles in the City of Long Beach’s award-winning fleet have been downsized and alternatively fueled whenever feasible, according to city officials. Now, the City is using renewable fuels for more than 18 percent of its total vehicle fleet. “The shift to these renewable fuels is an important part of the City’s commitment to sustainability and greenhouse gas reductions,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “I’m proud that Long Beach has one of the greenest fleets in the United States.”

Renewable fuels, such as renewable diesel and renewable liquid natural gas (RNG), are produced from renewable resources. Both of these renewable fuels greatly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and tailpipe emissions, cost the same or less than current fuels, and do not require any modifications to the City’s vehicles or fueling infrastructure, officials said. A total of 393 vehicles are powered by renewable fuels, out of 2,185 vehicles in the City’s fleet.

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The Washington Post

Driverless cars are bound to introduce a host of new challenges that society will have to grapple with. They’ll have an impact on jobs and the American worker.

They’ll be tracking your driving habits and location, just like Google monitors your search history today. And what if the software fails? Is it truly safe? Who should be held accountable when things go wrong?

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By Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer

Traditional public relations practices seem to be considered outmoded in this age of social media, marketing content and digital presence.

However, digital communications cannot replace the effectiveness of personal relationships with those who can influence buying decisions. In a B2B environment, chief among these “influentials” are editors and writers for the various trade and business press.

Joseph Gallo, Vice President at Weber Shandwick, provides five best practices for media relations:

1. Stop emailing! There’s nothing as effective as speaking with and getting to know your editorial contacts. Get on the phone to solicit advice and pitch ideas. Go to conferences and trade shows to meet and greet them! A cup of coffee could lead to your next story!

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Forbes

Hardcore car enthusiasts have a difficult time letting go of certain old-school technology like manual transmissions, even though it’s been proven that a cutting-edge automatic gearbox can shift as smooth and fast as any human. But I doubt that most motorists miss, say, crank windows or manual steering.

The venerable side mirror could be the next vehicle feature to get relegated to the dust bin, and its demise may be overdue since new and better solutions now exist.

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