FleetManagementWeekly AmeriFleet
March 8, 2016

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Editor's Analysis & Top Industry News


Springing Forward

Spring is nearly upon us, and things are kicking into high gear here at FMW – and here are just a few highlights from this issue:

Fleet Management Weekly is proud to be a media sponsor of Driveless: The Business of Autonomous Vehicles, which will be held on March 22-23 at the San Francisco Airport Crowne Plaza. Register through us, and you’ll get a discount!

FLEXY Awards finalists were just announced, and we’ll be thrilled to see who the winners are at NAFA I&E next month!

Goals are vital for motivating employees and monitoring their performance, and Mike Cieri offers a few simple tips that can be game-changers.

Enjoy this issue and check in with FleetManagementWeekly.com for daily updates.

Ted Roberts
President / Chief Content Officer


Thought Leadership

Fleet Marketing – Guiding principles for fleet providers to improve marketing and increase sales.

Fleet Asset Management – Best practices for work truck management.

On Accident Management Learn ways to save money on your fleet’s collision repair costs.

Safety & Risk — Impactful driver safety and risk management tools and techniques.

The Fleet Customer Experience – Identifying the practices that define the best customer experience.

Think Global. Plan Local. – Navigating the management of the world-class fleet.

The Fleet CX Toolbox – Solid steps to implementing and improving fleet customer experience.

The Sustainable Fleet – Strategic approaches to bring about a smarter, cleaner fleet.

Talent Management – Smart guidelines to help you manage the talent in your workplace.

All posts from the newsletter reside on our web site, FleetManagementWeekly.com


lauria-paul

VIDEO: Being Smart About Choosing a Telematics Solution

More and more companies are implementing telematics solutions, but the reality is that they often need some help thinking through what they’re going to do with all the data those solutions are going to provide.



VIDEO: Working with Suppliers
Screen Shot 2016-03-07 at 10.10.23 AM
  Making Everything Run Smoothly with Suppliers
 

From capturing processes, to getting them documented, to turning them into helpful instructions, Wheels has been working hard to get everything running as smoothly as possible with its suppliers.


VIDEO: Used Vehicle Prices Flat in January
Banks-Jonathan
  February Used Vehicle Industry Update
 

Wholesale used vehicle prices were flat in January, says Jonathan Banks, executive automotive analyst at NADA Used Car Guide.





The Fleet Spot


Donlen logo Donlen Improves Efficiency With New Purchase Order System

Donlen is excited to announce enhancements to their Maintenance program that will provide customers with new features and benefits geared towards lowering their fleet’s maintenance expenses.

“We have launched a new purchase order system that is electronically integrated with major vendors in the fleet industry,” said Oliver Zerhusen, director of maintenance and accident at Donlen. “This new platform provides us with improved ways to manage maintenance transactions for our customers.”

READ MORE

CEI-logo-whitespace Why Onboard Crash Prevention Technology Isn’t Enough

It’s probably just a matter of time before onboard driver assist systems become a regular feature of fleet vehicles. The data gathered so far proves that at least some of the dozen or so technologies can prevent accidents by a significant number.

Currently offered by car makers and independent manufacturers for between $1,000 and $2,000, the technology is also likely to more affordable as it becomes more popular.

Beyond the question of its affordability, there’s the prospect that driver assist technology may be required by federal law. In September 2015, the National Traffic Safety Board recommended again that forward collision avoidance systems become standard equipment on all new passenger and commercial vehicles.

READ MORE

nafa-logo 2016 NAFA Webinar Series Continues!

NAFA’s 2016 Webinar Series Continues With: Leasing and Reimbursement – Selecting the Optimal Program for the Right Situation — Registration Closes March 15!

NAFA’s latest webinar session will be tackling a subject that many fleet managers might find puzzling; namely electric vehicles (EVs). Entitled Demystifying Electric Vehicles – Understanding the Complexities, Costs and Savings Potential, this session will help explain aspects such as cost, integration, and the savings that EVs can provide.

The webinar will be held WEDNESDAY, March 16, so don’t miss out!

READ MORE

ari For the Fourth Year in a Row, ARI is Named One of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For!

ARI® was named to Fortune’s 2016 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the fourth year in a row, coming in at Number 24. This is the highest the company has ever been ranked in its four years on the list.

“We are incredibly honored to be named to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for a fourth consecutive year,” said ARI President Chris Conroy.

READ MORE

FLEXY Awards Finalists Announced

(PRINCETON, NJ – MARCH 07, 2016) – After weeks of intense judging by industry leaders, the finalists for NAFA’s 2016 Fleet Excellence Awards have been chosen.

The Fleet Excellence Awards (or FLEXY for short) were designed to shine a spotlight on those who have impacted fleet management in both the corporate and public fleet segments during the previous year.

Three finalists were chosen for each of the seven categories. Winners will be announced during the Fourth Annual Fleet Excellence Awards Gala on Tuesday, April 19 at the Austin Convention Center, Austin, Texas during NAFA’s annual conference.

The FLEXY Awards were open to all fleet professionals throughout the United States and Canada, regardless of whether or not they were members of NAFA Fleet Management Association.

SEE THE LIST of FLEXY Finalists

 
Talent Management

By Mike Cieri, MSIR, Vice President of Mardac Consultants

Goals are vital for motivating employees and monitoring their performance.

1. Establish DIRECTION for on-going activities
2. Identify EXPECTED results.
3. Improved TEAMWORK through a common sense of PURPOSE.
4. Heighten performance levels by setting TARGETS to be achieved.

Goals provide the MOTIVATION and DIRECTION necessary for growth and success in important areas of almost every business.

READ MORE

 
Must-Attend Driverless Conference

By Mike Sheldrick

An upcoming Silicon Valley conference will explore the state and future of autonomous vehicles.

Fleet Management Weekly is a media sponsor of Driveless: The Business of Autonomous Vehicles. It will be held on March 22-23 at the San Francisco Airport Crowne Plaza.

Fleet Management Weekly has been keeping a close eye on autonomous vehicle developments. That’s only natural because the top names in the field — Google, Apple, and Tesla are close to our offices, along with high-tech suppliers and R&D operations of many OEMs.

As we’ve written in the past, the adoption of driverless vehicles may be determined more by legal and liability issues — as well as by driver acceptance — than by the technology.

READ MORE








Fleet Trends & Issues


New Report Shows Traffic Crashes Cost Employers $47.4 Billion In 2013

Protecting employees from motor vehicles crashes could be a profitable investment for U.S. businesses, according to a new report released today by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS).

In 2013, U.S. traffic crashes cost employers $47.4 billion in direct crash-related expenses, which includes medical care, liability, lost productivity and property damage.

The study showed that employers could control costs by promoting safe driving habits, including seat belt usage and the elimination of speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving, whether or not employees are on the clock.

READ MORE

Ford Commercial Vehicles Discusses F-Series Super Duty, F-650 F-750 Power Stroke V8 Diesel and Vans

NTEA News

Ford Commercial Vehicles shared details and information about the all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck and chassis cab lineup at The Work Truck Show® 2016. 

With best-in-class capability, the all-new F-350, F-450 and F-550 chassis cab lineup is optimized to help commercial customers be more productive on the job – from clearing snow-filled streets to rescuing stranded motorists to restoring power in a storm.

READ MORE

Top 10 Autonomous Car Facts: When Will Self-Driving Cars Arrive, What’s Holding Them Up?

Karl Brauer/Forbes

At the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Audi presented its new E-tron Quattro concept car. As a 100-percent electric vehicle with a 310-mile range between charges, not to mention the latest in autonomous driving technology, the E-tron Quattro is a fairly accurate representation of how Audi’s first fully-autonomous car will look — and drive.

After some quality time spent with Audi’s innovators and Google’s self-driving car I’ve assembled 10 critical points related to the autonomous future we’re rapidly speeding toward. Many of these items were news to me, and all of them helped me understand the challenges facing autonomous vehicle technology.

READ MORE

Ram Commercial Announces 2016 Chassis Cab Lineup Offering Most Available PTO Options

NTEA News

Ram Commercial  announced its 2016 Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab trucks will answer the call of flexibility by offering the most Power Take-off (PTO) options.

“Ram Commercial has gained ground through innovation and by listening to owners,” said Dave Sowers – head of Ram Commercial. “By offering exclusive features and through constant improvement we continue our role as most upfitter friendly and Ram’s record sales are proof we’re making customers happy.”

READ MORE

Crisis in San Diego

Los Angeles Times

Years of neglect and mismanagement of San Diego’s large fleet of fire engines, patrol cars, street sweepers and other vehicles have created a crisis that officials say they’re just beginning to understand.

Only about 1,600 of the city’s roughly 4,100 vehicles are in good shape or better — and a recent analysis said more than 700 should be immediately replaced and an additional 1,100 considered for replacement based on age and deterioration.

READ MORE

 
Fleet Marketing

By Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer

In the April 7, 2015 edition of the Fleet Management Weekly e-newsletter, I summarized the steps necessary to ensure success at the fleet industry’s biggest exhibition event – the NAFA I&E.

Entitled “It’s Not Too late,” the article made clear that the preliminary work needs to start well before the conference!

Here is a more complete chronology of the “best practices” NAFA I&E exhibitors should adopt every year.

READ MORE to learn, step-by-step, the actions you can take to fully realize the marketing value of NAFA I&E — the industry’s biggest conference.

 
Fleet Sales are Booming

Automotive News

Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler both had their best February for U.S. sales since 2006, and Nissan North America posted its highest market share for any month ever. Meanwhile, General Motors is on pace to lose share for a fifth consecutive year.

For all four companies, the explanation largely comes down to one word: fleet.

GM’s fleet deliveries dropped 24 percent last month, resulting in a 1.5 percent drop in the company’s overall sales. In contrast, FCA’s fleet sales surged 39 percent, Ford’s jumped 42 percent, and Nissan’s soared 54 percent.

READ MORE








Fleet Management Resources
 
AFLA – Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association
Providing the advanced forum for corporate fleet professionals to network with industry leaders.
The CEI Group Inc.
CEI is North America’s largest provider of fully integrated fleet accident management, driver safety and risk management services.
PARS
PARS' mission is to provide you with high-quality service at competitive prices for all of your transportation needs.
AmeriFleet
Offering a nationwide vehicle delivery and relocation service; serving the corporate and commercial fleet industry.
LeasePlan
LeasePlan is the world's leading high-touch service provider for vehicle leasing and fleet management.
Wheels, Inc.
First in fleet for 76 years. Wheels helps you build tomorrow’s fleet today.
ARI
Driven fleet professionals. Driving results.
NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location, or fleet composition.



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