By John Wolford, CEI associate director of network services and loss recovery

When thinking about collision repairs, you may well envision just one provider: the body shop. But there are many times when there are more players who need to be involved, because further repair expertise is required. And, just as with any other project, the more players involved the greater the chance for delays.

Since time is money – in this case, more money spent on temporary replacement vehicles, drivers who are sidelined, and sales that don’t happen – it’s imperative that repair delays be avoided or minimized. Fortunately, while delays can and will happen some of the time, there is a way to manage repair subcontractors. But first, you need to a review of why and when subcontractors are involved.

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Last month we looked at some of the typical reasons managers do not delegate and discussed the steps for success. Here are the 5 steps to successful delegation in more detail.

First, let’s look at 6 typical rules:

1. Describe the task
2. Outline expected results
3. Discuss resources
4. Confirm understanding
5. Solicit ideas
6. Establish methods of working and reporting

Next: The 5 Phases and what they entail

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By Robert J. Hall

The fleet manager is a crucial part of the modern business. Companies in many industries, from service providers to landscapers, rely on vehicles to deliver products and services to customers. Those vehicles and their drivers must be properly managed.

Fleet managers can enjoy long and interesting careers, but they do require certain skills to thrive in their industries. Here are some of the skills that the best fleet managers possess that make them a good fit for the job.

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Truckinginfo.com

New York City will install vehicle-to-vehicle technology in 10,000 buses, taxis, limousines, and city fleet vehicles as part of a $23 million federally funded initiative designed to reduce future congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

The New York Department of Transportation is overseeing the initial pilot phase of the New York City project. Two other projects have been approved for Wyoming and Tampa with $42 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s national Connected Vehicle Pilot program.

The projects go beyond traditional vehicle technologies to help drivers better use the roadways to get to work and appointments, relieve the stress caused by bottlenecks, and communicate with pedestrians on cell phones of approaching vehicles.

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The New York Times

Volkswagen is expected to offer cash to the owners of diesel cars in the United States this coming week as it steps up an effort to recover some of the good will it lost after admitting in September that the vehicles were programmed to cheat on emissions tests.

Volkswagen officials said the company would not confirm a report on an automotive website that diesel owners would be offered up to $1,250.

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Gizmag

A group of scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) have developed an electrocardiogram (ECG) that operates from within a car’s driver’s seat. The device, the researchers say, can monitor the driver’s heart rate and prevent accidents due to driver incapacitation.

The researchers state that other than exhaustion, the number one accident-causing forms of sudden driver incapacitation are heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

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Boston.com

On November 2, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it will consider automatic emergency braking technology as a criteria for its 5-Star Safety Rating System, overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The move applies to vehicles beginning in model year 2018.

In a statement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx explained the department’s rationale. “We are adding automatic emergency braking features to the 5-Star Rating System because crash-avoidance technology can save lives and should be widely available,” said Foxx in a release.

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The Detroit Bureau

Autonomous cars are coming fast, predicts Tesla Motors’ founder, CEO and resident visionary. And they will dominate the roads well before we reach the midpoint of the 21st Century, he predicts.

Tesla is taking a first step in that direction with the ongoing roll-out of its semi-autonomous Autopilot program, which will allow the owner of a Model S sedan or Model X sport-utility vehicle to cruise along hands-free on a well-marked, limited-access highway.

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Ed Pierce, Fleet Industry Marketer

Sales and marketing people know that buyers make decisions based both on rational and emotional reasons. That dichotomy sometimes creates a schism in sales and marketing communication messaging.

Sales reps, who rely on face-to-face communications, tend to focus on rational arguments in a sales pitch, highlighting that their product is faster, better or cheaper. Corporate management and marketing, who strategize indirect corporate messaging, can afford to be more considered, seeking to trigger emotional responses.

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Money

Maybe Fiat is Italian for “lots of hassles.”

Infiniti, Mercedes, Cadillac … these are among the luxury car brands that find themselves highlighted on a list that every automaker would much prefer to avoid. It’s the 20 Least Reliable New Car “awards” from Consumer Reports.

The study, being published in the December 2015 issue, isn’t yet on newsstands, but a USA Today story offers a sneak peek of the dubious “winners.” Fiat Chrysler came out looking the worst of any automaker, holding five of the 20 spots—for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Ram 2500, Jeep Cherokee, and Fiat 500L.

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