| Video News & Views
PEOPLE & IDEAS TO WATCH | A Unique Strategy for Mobile Apps | | A hardware agnostic approach for applying mobile applications to effect productivity gains |
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June 10, 2010
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| Fleet Trends & Issues |
Opportunities & Successful Fleet Management |
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PHH Truck Fleet Survey Now Open Survey of private truck fleet managers to gauge state of the industry PHH Arval invites managers of medium and heavy truck fleets to participate in the 2010 Truck Fleet Survey. This industry-wide survey of private truck fleets tracks fleet managers’ views on their major challenges and issues, current and future plans for their fleets, response to environmental requirements, and more. The 2010 Truck Fleet survey is available online at www.phharval.com/trucksurvey . The survey is open from June 3 through July 30, 2010. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Participants who take the survey will be entered to win a Netbook companion PC. Results will be announced in August via press release and on www.phharval.com .
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| Managing Your Fleet Selector |
OEM & Equipment Manufacturer
Products & Services |
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2011 Toyota Avalon The 2011 Toyota Avalon mixes a new look with new technology and what Toyota calls simple, familiar pleasures. Toyota's largest sedan benefits from an infusion of practical features, including a standard rearview video monitor and an updated, easier to use navigation system. The 2011 Avalon engine-transmission package sports Toyota's 24-valve, 3.5- liter V6 with variable valve timing, and a six-speed automatic. The Avalon delivers 20 mpg city, 29 highway, according to the EPA. Read more
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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee will debut with wholesale changes from its predecessor. It will come in Laredo, Limited, and Overland models. Each will offer two- or four-wheel drive, a five-speed automatic transmission, a brand-new four-cam, 280-hp flex-fuel 3.6-liter V6 engine and the option of a 360-hp 5.7-liter Hemi. Fuel-economy ratings are expected to range from 16/23 mpg to 13/19 mpg. Read more
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2011 Volvo S60 The Volvo S60, which put an end to boxy Swedish cars, sports a turbocharged 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine for 2011. Among the new safety options are pedestrian detection with full automatic braking in a radar/camera based system, lane departure warning, driver alert, distance alert, collision warning, blind-spot alert, front and rear park assist, and active cruise control with queue assist. Read more
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| Association News & Views |
Activities, Events & Success Stories |
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NAFA Fleet Management Association is pleased to announce its 2010-2011 Board of Trustees. The team of volunteers was introduced by NAFA President Christopher Amos, CAFM, during the Association’s 2010 Institute & Expo in Detroit and officially began their terms on Saturday, April 24 during NAFA’s Annual Business Meeting. President: Christopher Amos, CAFM, Commissioner of Equipment Services, City of St. Louis Senior Vice President: Douglas Weichman, CAFM, Director, Palm Beach County Fleet Management Vice President: Claude Masters, CAFM, Manager, Acquisition and Fuel, Florida Power & Light Vice President: Marvin Fletcher, CAFM, Director of Fleet Services, County of Hanover Fleet Services Vice President for Canada and Northern Region Trustee: Lt. Col. Katherine Vigneau, CAFM, Logistics Section Chief, Government of Canada Joint Warfare Centre Treasurer: Bryan Flansburg, CAFM, Director, University of Colorado Transportation Services Secretary: Ruth Alfson, CAFM, Manager, Fleet Center of Excellence, Serco Group, Inc. Regional Trustee, Eastern Region: Jeffery Jeter, Director of Fleet Services, Spotsylvania County Public Schools Regional Trustee, Central Region: Sheryl Grossman, Fleet Manager, GE Healthcare Regional Trustee, Western Region: William Peacock, Director of Fleet Services, Texas Farm Bureau Trustee – Past President: Gayle Pratt, Director Global Fleet, Ecolab Inc. Trustee- Affiliate: Matthew Betz, Vice President, Government Fleet Services, LeasePlan USA
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Janice Sutton, Editor
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The theme of this year's AFLA Conference is 'Turn Change Into Opportunity' - a perfect motif for these unsettled times. We talk about some of the highlights of the upcoming event - September 8-10 in Las Vegas - in this week's Conference Planning Guide. In Get Reel this week, you'll want to check out ARI's director of systems and programming, Tony Candeloro, who talks about their unique mobile apps designed to increase driver efficiency. NAFA's president, Chris Amos, gives us some insight into the benefits of NAFA membership for a new fleet manager, and AmeriFleet's CEO, John Norris, speaks eloquently about corporate responsibility. Save some dates: CALSTART Webinar Series EPA’s New Criteria Emissions Rules - Industry and Fleet Impacts and Opportunities: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PST. Non-members registration fee is $50. CALSTART members register for free. Contact either Gina Ochoa or Brenda Lozoya at CALSTART - 626/744-5600 to sign up and get webinar registration details. For webinar questions, please contact Susan Romeo sromeo@calstart.org. Plug-In 2010 Conference & Exposition: July 26-29, 2010, San Jose, Calif. www.plugin2010.com Janice Sutton
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| Places, Sites, and People for New Ideas
& Applications |
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Guidelines - NADA Used Car Guide Industry Update - June 2010 NADA’s prior edition of Guidelines highlighted the reasons for the relative strength in the industry; primarily low supply relative to strong consumer demand. However, this strength is expected to moderate somewhat during the second half of the year as the effects of a stronger new vehicle market, the continuation of attractive new vehicle incentives, and a slight uptick in returning used supply - notably in the overall supply for CUVs and off-rental supply in general - apply downward pressure and help to stabilize used vehicle prices. Read more
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21st Annual 'State of Logistics Report®' - The Great Freight Recession - 2009 Logistics Costs fell to $1.1 trillion
- Transportation costs dropped 20.2 percent and now account for 4.9 percent of nominal GDP - all modes dropped substantially
- Logistics cost were equivalent to 7.7 percent of GDP in 2009 - the lowest level recorded to date
- Inventory carrying costs declined 14.1 percent and now account for 2.5 percent of nominal GDP - both decreased inventories and lower interest rates contributed
Learn more
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John Norris
AmeriFleet Transportation
President and CEO
The Concept of Service
Social responsibility is a vital part of AmeriFleet. John says, "We can't execute our social initiatives without being successful as a business and we feel strongly that our social involvement helps us be successful as a business."
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Jim Creighton
ARI
VP of Global Strategic Services
Global Fleet Services
"We've found that great fleet management solutions exist everywhere," Jim told us when we talked with him at NAFA I&E. He is responsible for ARI's global sales and strategic consulting team and we were eager to hear more from this industry expert.
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Daniel Stiller
The EVolution Solutions Group
Partner
EVs and Fleets
Dan tells us that fleets are critical to the development of the electric vehicle market and says that the fleet industry as a whole must do a better job of promoting itself as the driving force in innovation.
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Automotive News Green Car Conference/Exhibition
The Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, MI
June 16, 2010
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Government Fleet Expo & Conference
Hilton Austin/Austin Convention Center
Austin, TX
June 21-23, 2010
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FedFleet 2010
Phoenix Convention Center
Phoenix, AZ
July 13-15, 2010
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Plug-In 2010 Conference & Exposition
San Jose Convention Center
San Jose, CA
July 26-29, 2010
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AFLA 2010 Conference
JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa at Summerlin
Las Vegas, NV
September 8-10, 2010
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| Conference Planning Guide |
Exhibitors, Educational Sessions, & Events |
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2010 AFLA Conference: Turn Change Into Opportunity If you haven't already registered, it's time to start thinking about AFLA's 2010 Conference held this year in Las Vegas from September 8th to the 10th at the beautiful JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa at Summerlin. Take a look at just a few of the sessions: The Current State of the Auto Industry: John McElroy, Auto Industry Expert and Producer of Autoline Detroit Extending Vehicle Replacement Cycles and How it Can Impact Your Fleet: Panel discussion of the implications of extended cycling Is your Fleet Exposed? Legal Implications that Affect your Fleet Policies: Richard D. Alaniz, Senior Partner at Alaniz and Schraeder Electronic Toll Systems and Considerations for Corporate Fleets: JJ Eden, COO for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority Click here for more information
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Stats and Smart Charts
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Changes in NADA Commercial Truck Guide Segment – May 2010 vs. June 2010
[Click to enlarge graphic]
 - Most vehicles in NADA's Commercial Truck Guide either stayed flat or appreciated for June edition
- Sales data suggest selling prices for most segments of Class 8 highway market have been increasing since January
- With trend most evident in March time period Daycabs and low-mileage sleeper tractors continue to lead market
- Sector exhibiting biggest improvement is aerodynamic sleeper trucks with average mileage
- From demand perspective, can infer that basic economic fundamentals creating need for additional freight capacity
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Last Minute News
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Ford adds Google Maps 'Send to Sync' service to beam driving directions into car; at no extra cost Drivers who enjoy the convenience of Ford SYNC® with Traffic, Directions & Information (TDI) soon will be able to select a destination on Google Maps and send it to their Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicles. ‘Send to SYNC’ is a new capability added to the Ford Service Delivery Network, the company’s cloud-based architecture, which provides a suite of voice-activated services accessible through a customer’s mobile phone. Read more Car, smartphone tech collide at Novi conference Automakers are racing to keep up with technologies that have allowed drivers to bring their phone conversations, text messages and digital maps into their cars. But technology that adds features yet diminishes distraction took center stage today at Detroit Telematics, now in its 10th year, in Novi. Read more
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Fleet People Going Places
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Elisa Durand
ARI
Assistant Manager of Strategic Services, Environmental and Fuel Strategies
Automotive Resources International (ARI), a leading global fleet solutions provider specializing in complex car and truck fleets, announces the promotion of Elisa Durand to Assistant Manager of Strategic Services, Environmental and Fuel Strategies. With an educational background in Environmental Science, Durand will serve as ARI's in-house expert for all environmental and fuel issues. She will work with clients through the ARI EnviroFleet® program to develop sustainability goals, fuel policies and proactively consult clients on regulatory compliance. Durand joined ARI in 2006 as a member of ARI's Sales Support Team.
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Greg Snyder
WorkTruck Transport
Client Service Representative
WorkTruck Transport, the recently launched AmeriFleet Company created to fulfill the unique logistics needs of up-fitters and truck fleets announces the appointment of Greg Snyder as Dispatcher, Client Service Representative. He will be based in the company’s Cleveland, Ohio office. Snyder joins WorkTruck Transport from America’s Body Company (ABC) in Cleveland, Ohio where he spent more than a decade in a variety of positions. Most recently he was Corporate Purchasing Manager. "Greg brings to WorkTruck Transport a wealth of experience in the logistics/transportation industry with special expertise in the trucking category," said Tim Fontana, Vice President and General Manager, WorkTruck Transport.
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| Managing Your FleetTrends, Issues & Opportunities |
ALG Looks at $4 Gas Impact on Residuals
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ALG believes gas will go over $4 in 2013, so the company is looking at the long-term impact on two segments. The company says its outlook for mid-compacts is upbeat with auction values 13% higher than overall industry. But premium fullsize SUVs are likely to drop 20%.
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Automakers Stumble Over Fuel Economy Standards for Pickups
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Ford F-150 still leads the way as the top selling U.S. car or truck. Sales of pickups are climbing 8 - 35% better than a year ago in January to May despite rising fuel prices. Automakers will have enormous trouble meeting the new 35.5 mpg fuel economy standard from the 16-18 mpg they get now and keeping pickups affordable.
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| Manufacturer DevelopmentsDesign, Production, & Services |
Mercury Latest Casualty in Mulally’s One Ford Strategy
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Mercury sales have been insignificant compared to carrying costs for an automotive brand so Ford will eliminate it by the end of 2010. Without this drain on resources, Ford intends to focus on revitalizing its luxury Lincoln brand which has been losing market share to competitors.
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New International eStar Electric Step Van Coming to North America
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Navistar has modified the UK's Modec plug-in electric vehicle for use in North America as a class 2C-3 step van for urban use. As modified, the eStar will recharge on standard 220v power getting 100-mile range on 8-hours charge.
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| Driving Green Initiatives, Actions, & Implementations |
Verizon Commits to Sustainable Fleet Including Hybrid Service Pickups
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Verizon has committed to acquiring sustainable fleet vehicles including 576 Chevrolet Silverado two-mode hybrid pickups. The trucks will have a custom, composite service bed insert to limit weight and further reduce fuel consumption.
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GM Bets on New Natural Gas Vans for Fleet Customers
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Natural gas vehicles have had a mixed history in the U.S. for automakers, but GM is betting on CNG and LPG versions of their 2011 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. GM listened to fleet customers and dealers about offering options to meet their business objectives and found NGVs to have more options short term than electric vehicles for this market segment.
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| The Intelligent Vehicle Telematics, Telecommunications, &
Technology |
Accessing Medium-Duty Truck Engine Data
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Valuable engine data is now available on medium-duty trucks as it has been for years on heavy-duty applications. Access can be tricky without an investment in telematics to read and transfer data, but information such as fuel use, idle times, power take-off use, speeding, and hard braking incidents can be valuable management tools.
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Hyundai-Kia Takes on Toyota in Fuel Cell Vehicle Race
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Hyndai-Kia has been working hard on fuel cell technology for the past six years and is nearly ready to get hydrogen fuel cell vehicles out on the market by 2012. This ties in with Toyota's announcement last month that by 20i5, it will have 50,000 fuel cell cars available for a price point of $50,000.
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| Driver Safety Management Practices, Policy, & Training |
Driver Weight Impacts Effectiveness of Vehicle Restraint Systems
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A statistical review of fatal crash data by the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute indicates restraint systems need to continue evolving to better protect thin men and women and obese women.
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New US NCAP Standards to Raise Safety Bar
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New, more stringent US New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)safety criteria, due in place next year, will have the support automakers need from TRW, global leader in active and passive safety components simulation capabilities testing.
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| Fleet Vehicle Remarketing Marketing Strategies, Channels,
& Sales Data |
May Wholesale Prices Dip as New Vehicles Gain Traction
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With incentives helping to boost the new-vehicle market, wholesale prices dipped slightly in May. The drop was expected and may continue through year's end. Analysts also noted that some segments like midsize vans and large pickups outperformed expectations.
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Leasing Uptick on Stronger Used Market
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Swapalease.com executives note climbing used-car values will help a stronger lease market. So, too, will a dwindling supply of used vehicles and improving credit availability. The higher depreciation values will encourage leasing, say company officials.
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