FleetManagementWeekly AmeriFleet
May 10, 2016

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Editor's Analysis & Top Industry News


Leadership Nirvana

In his video clip, LeasePlan USA CEO Mike Pitcher says, “Nirvana occurs when you love what you do, when you love the people you do it with, and you love the people you do it for.” LeasePlan has been lauded many times as a great place to work so these are not idle words.

Mike has written an insightful new book: Seven eLements of Leadership for the New Breed of Leader. Amazon members can download the book to any mobile device for free from May 9-13.

In an industry blessed with fine leaders, we were delighted to be present at I&E when Past President Claude Masters, CAFM was honored with NAFA’s Distinguished Service Award. So well deserved!

Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief


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

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

BIG Data. BIG Results. BIG Future– We look at harnessing big data to achieve big results using cutting edge technology.

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


Pitcher-Mike

VIDEO: LeasePlan USA's Mike Pitcher on Leadership and His New Book

LeasePlan USA CEO Mike Pitcher recently spoke to FMW about his new book, Seven eLements of Leadership for the New Breed of Leader, and how the seven elements can influence the workplace.



VIDEO: Shell's Fleet Card Solution
miller-henry
  A Global Fleet Card Solution
 

If you’re a global fleet manager looking for a fleet card solution, you should consider that Shell is in 32 different countries and has over 50 years experience.


VIDEO: Commitment and Collaboration
hayes-mark
  Anticipation Around Element’s Integration
 

Throughout their current integration process, Element Fleet has committed to continuously collaborate with their customers. And for customers, that commitment makes all the difference.





The Fleet Spot


NAFATueFLEXYPR-5247-2 (2) NAFA Past President Claude Masters, CAFM, Earns Distinguished Service Award

NAFA Fleet Management Association’s Distinguished Service Award represents the Association’s highest form of recognition.

Claude Masters, CAFM, the recipient of this award for 2016, has proven to be eminently qualified for this honor. Recently retired from longtime employer Florida Power and Light, Masters’ legacy is evident in NAFA’s convictions and continued efforts in fleet sustainability.

READ MORE

Daniel-Wolak-Donlen Daniel Wolak, Donlen Contact Center Supervisor Achieves World Class Technician Certification

Donlen announced that the Auto Care Association has awarded Daniel Wolak, Donlen Contact Center Supervisor, the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) World Class Technicians certification.

“All of us at Donlen are so proud of Dan’s achievement,” said Bill Byrnes, Donlen Vice President, Contact Center Operations. “His experience of more than 15 years in the automotive industry and this specific recognition continue to add world-class expertise to our already existing staff of multiple ASE-certified technicians.”

READ MORE

Wheels W Wheels Wins Gold and Silver Stevie Award in 2016 American Business Awards

Wheels, Inc. was named the winner of a both a Gold and Silver “Stevie” Award at the 14th annual American Business Awards.

Wheels’ newly revamped online management tool, FleetView™, was awarded the Gold Stevie award as the top overall company in the Best Interface Design category, while the company’s new Reimbursement Program received a Silver Stevie in the Business-to-Business Service  category.

“The last 12 months at Wheels have been very exciting. We introduced two new innovations that support our commitment to providing our clients with the best services and tools in the automotive fleet management industry,” said Dan Frank, president of Wheels, Inc.

READ MORE

cap NAFA Fleet Management Association Announces Its Class Of 2015/2016 CAFS® Graduates

NAFA Fleet Management Association is proud to announce its Class Of 2015/2016 Certified Automotive Fleet Specialist (CAFS®) graduates. The CAFS® designation identifies excellence in fleet knowledge, and is the first step to attainment of Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM®) status.

“The NAFA CAFS® program proves an individual’s expertise in four of the eight disciplines of fleet,” said NAFA Chief Executive Officer Phillip E. Russo, CAE.

READ MORE for a list of the graduates

Seven eLements of Leadership

Michael Pitcher’s “Seven eLements of Leadership for a New Breed of Leader” will be free for a limited time only on Amazon.

In anticipation for LeasePlan USA President and CEO Mike Pitcher’s “Seven eLements of Leadership for a New Breed of Leader,” a digital download will be available for five days only on Amazon.com.

While the book is already available for online purchase through Amazon, members can download it to any mobile device for free from May 9-13.

In his book, Pitcher explains the seven eLements — Laugh, Learn, Listen, Language, Lagniappe, Legacy and Love — and how these relate to empowering leaders. Under Pitcher’s leadership, LeasePlan USA has been recognized numerous times as a top workplace, and boasts employee engagement scores in the top 10 percent of North American benchmarks.

The hard copy of the book will be out in stores soon.

 
On Accident Management

By John Wolford, CEI director of client and network services

In most areas of business where people and companies want to get the best value for their dollar it’s common practice to seek three estimates instead of just one. It’s a practice that some fleets still follow for collision repairs, but the truth is it’s not necessarily the best approach and at times could just be the worst.

Your goal should be to obtain the correct estimate, not necessarily the lowest. That’s because there are ways for shops to keep an estimate low, and not all of them are good, like using inferior parts, materials or repair methods, or simply failing to recommend all the repairs that might be necessary.

READ MORE

 
Talent Management

By Mike Cieri, MSIR, Vice President of Mardac Consultants

Rewards and recognition do not have to be huge pots of money, lavish trips, or even impressive/expensive gifts.

Today, rewards and recognition have become more important than ever for several reasons;

• Employees are asked to do more and more tasks, and work more autonomously. Behaviors that are acknowledged and reinforced tend to repeat themselves.
• Managers increasingly must serve as coaches, influencing behaviors rather than demanding behaviors.
• Changing demographics of the workforce. The incoming workforce tends to have different values and expectations.

Although money is important, research continually shows that what motivates most to perform at high levels is the personal kind of recognition that signifies true appreciation for a job well done.

READ MORE








Fleet Trends & Issues


UPS Looks to Extend Range, Efficiency with Large Workhorse Hybrid Delivery Truck Order

Trucks.com

UPS, the shipping giant announced at the 2016 Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Long Beach that it has worked with truck vendor Workhorse Group to use a new drive system that will allow its vehicles to go farther before charging and refueling.

It is swapping out a four-cylinder engine for a smaller two-cylinder motor. The new engine will act as generator extending the range of the vehicle and improving fuel efficiency.

“This new system enables the vehicle to accommodate UPS’s typical route on battery energy and uses a very small internal combustion engine to add additional energy to the batteries when and if needed and eliminates range anxiety,” said Steve Burns, chief executive of Workhorse.

READ MORE

Sofico Partners with Connective to Provide e-Signature Solutions

Global automotive finance, leasing and fleet software provider, Sofico, has partnered with Belgian software house, Connective, to introduce a new electronic signature capability for its software solution, Miles.

Wim Bauwens, Sales and Marketing Executive, at Sofico (pictured), said: ”Through our collaboration with Connective, we can extend Miles’ product offering with eSignatures capabilities which enhance its functionality and its proposition as the complete solution for leasing companies, fleet management providers and finance houses.”

READ MORE

At Least 17 Fuel Cell Vehicles Set to Reach Market Over Next Decade

The Detroit Bureau

While new, long-range electric vehicles, such as the Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt, have dominated headlines lately, a number of major automakers are working up a green alternative, and at least 17 new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will be on the market around the world by 2027, according to a new study by IHS Automotive.

There are currently just two, the Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Vehicle, with Honda set to launch its new Clarity model later this year. But manufacturers such as General Motors and Daimler AG are working up their own offerings.

READ MORE

California Invites Power Utilities Into the Car-Charging Market

Bloomberg

In California, more than 200,000 electric cars are on the road. But Governor Jerry Brown wants to raise that number to 1.5 million by 2025.

Getting there requires figuring out something oil companies had to deal with a century ago: how to keep cars juiced up.

“Nobody’s going to buy an electric car unless they see charging equipment where they commonly drive or park,” says Pasquale Romano, chief executive officer of ChargePoint, based in Campbell, Calif., which sells charging equipment.

READ MORE

Connected Mobility

Forbes

For the early part of the 21st century, China has been the growth engine of the global automotive industry.

Despite a recent slowdown, China will surpass 25 million units in annual car sales in 2016 and has become the battleground for dominance of the global auto industry.

Several driving forces, which are particularly evident China, are disrupting the status quo of the automotive industry

READ MORE

 
Fleet Marketing

By Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer

When I saw the conclusions of Gartner Group’s most recent CMO Study, I was perplexed. Digital marketing is everywhere. In 2016, no company can develop a comprehensive integrated marketing plan without digital components.

As it turns out, that was exactly the point of Gartner’s report: digital marketing is officially mainstream.

“There is little doubt that digital marketing is now mainstream,” said Yvonne Genovese, group vice president at Gartner. “Marketers no longer make a clear distinction between offline and online marketing disciplines. As customers opt for digitally-led experiences, digital marketing stops being a discrete discipline and instead becomes the context for all marketing.”

Two main factors are driving marketers’ interest in digital commerce: the need to point to tangible results from marketing investments, and the recognition that companies need more than a commerce platform to sell.

READ MORE

 
Fuel Economy and Savings

The Car Connection

Despite today’s low fuel prices, consumers continue to rate fuel economy as one of their top criteria when shopping for a new car.

That’s likely because they understand that gas prices can change quickly, and more efficient vehicles provide protection against future fluctuations.

The folks at the advocacy group Consumers Union feel the same, and today, they’ve published a report showing that new federal fuel economy goals for 2025 will save consumers up to $8,000 over the life of their vehicles.

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.
NAFA Fleet Management Association
NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location, or fleet composition.
AmeriFleet
Offering a nationwide vehicle delivery and relocation service; serving the corporate and commercial fleet industry.
Donlen
Since 1965, Donlen has been the fleet management industry’s leading provider of comprehensive, integrated financing and asset management solutions — and that spirit of innovation continues today.
PARS
PARS' mission is to provide you with high-quality service at competitive prices for all of your transportation needs.
ARI
Driven fleet professionals. Driving results.
Driving Dynamics
Driving Dynamics was established to help corporate fleet drivers develop expert, safe driving skills using proven, advanced driving techniques.
Wheels, Inc.
First in fleet for 76 years. Wheels helps you build tomorrow’s fleet today.



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