A Review of Fleet Policy is Money Well Spent: Or How to Save Your Company $Millions

Bert Grayson, a consultant who specializes in helping attorneys and fleets with negligent entrustment issues, shares a few stories with us about fleets that have either chosen not to check motor vehicle records or ground problem drivers.

A recent court case has some very simple facts and a very scary outcome. A driver has been cited with his third moving violation in a short period of time. The fleet safety committee tells the driver, via the fleet department, to turn in his company car. He responds by suggesting he will have his wife drive the company car and he will drive the family car on his sales calls. They agree to consider the idea, but subsequently learn he is actually divorced. The driver is once again advised to surrender the car. He promises to do so but never actually does it. The result of not following up to be sure he does? He has an accident and costs the company something over $2 million.

Another equally frightening case. A very good worker is somehow able to do his job while drinking. Sadly, he is one of those people whose personal problems overwhelm him. The company has some idea he is a day-time drinker but, again, he is somehow able to do his job exceedingly well. Finally, after pressure from customers, the company decides to give him some time off. The job requires him to have a company pickup truck which doesn't get removed. While still in possession of the truck, the driver has a traffic accident and severely injures another party. Something approaching $6 million is the expected outcome.

Bert has nearly 30 years of experience in the fleet business. He served as fleet manager for eleven years, was a sales executive for a major fleet management company for nine, and for the last eight years expert witness and consultant to major law firms across the U.S. While specializing in negligent entrustment cases, Bert was instrumental in obtaining three settlements totaling over eight million dollars. Other assignments produced similar results in the area of vehicle maintenance and fleet practices. Contact: Bert Grayson

Leading Chassis Manufacturers to Showcase Next Year’s Models at NTEA Truck Product Conference

Gain direct access to new model chassis and the engineers who design them at the National Truck Equipment Association’s New Model Truck Product Conference (TPC), scheduled Sept. 13–15, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn (Dearborn, MI). This members-only event is the place to see new model year changes firsthand; learn key information on specifications and design; and gain details on critical issues affecting the industry. Also, NTEA members can take advantage of the opportunity to network with other industry professionals; look under the hood of new models; and learn how chassis manufacturers are resolving challenges. Participating chassis manufacturers include: 

• Ford Commercial Truck 
• Freightliner Trucks 
• General Motors Fleet and Commercial Operations 
• Hino Trucks
• International Truck 
• Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. 
• Kenworth Truck Company 
• Ram Trucks 
• Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. 
• Western Star Trucks

NTEA members can register for the Truck Product Conference on or before Sept. 3, 2010 to take advantage of early bird conference discounts of $99. After Sept. 3, registration costs increase to $119. For additional information or to register for the Truck Product Conference, visit www.ntea.com or call 1-800-441-NTEA (6832).

Better Antitheft Technology, but Smarter Car Thieves

Based on the advertisements, it would seem that technology has made it impossible - or at least stunningly foolhardy - to steal a car. Tracking systems with GPS can pinpoint any vehicle and direct the authorities straight to the crooks. But while the technology may be getting better, professional car thieves have stepped up their game, too, meaning that some tracking systems may be better than others. Read more

Government has reached no conclusions in Toyota case

The government says it hasn't reached any conclusions about whether Toyota drivers may be to blame for their vehicles suddenly accelerating. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday the government had analyzed dozens of event data recorders, or black boxes, in Toyota vehicles involved in crashes blamed on unintended acceleration and found the throttles were open and the brakes not engaged. That would suggest drivers were stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brakes. Read more

AT&T Rolls Out Its 2,000th Alternative Fuel Vehicle and 1,500th Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle in Its Corporate Fleet

AT&T today announced the deployment of the 2,000th alternative fuel vehicle and 1,500th compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle in its corporate vehicle fleet, giving it one of the largest CNG vehicle fleets in the U.S. These milestones are part of a $565 million planned investment announced in March 2009 to replace more than 15,000 fleet vehicles with alternative fuel models through 2018. Currently, the AT&T corporate fleet includes more than 75,900 vehicles. Read more