October 28, 2014

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Editor's Analysis & Top Industry News


Driving Fleet Safety

We interviewed Dan Frank, president of Wheels, Inc. at the recent AFLA Conference and were delighted to have the opportunity to talk with just the third president in Wheels' 75-year history. In this week's issue, we speak with Dan about one of the most relevant issues fleets face today: driver safety. Next week we continue the conversation with a discussion on the state of the industry.

Speaking of safety, don’t miss Randy Shadley’s cautionary tale of a fleet that did everything right. Or did they?

Last day to register for NAFA's International Fleet Academy is Wednesday, October 29th. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about global fleet management from the experts!

Have you checked out our new FleetManagementWeekly.com website? We would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

Janice Sutton
Executive Editor


Ford and Telogis Co-Develop Technology to Improve Police Officer and Public Safety

Industry-first OEM telematics solution built specifically for the way that law enforcement vehicles are driven

Ford Motor Company and Telogis have partnered to develop a solution built specifically for law enforcement agencies in order to safeguard against hazardous driving, identified as the No. 1 threat to officer and civilian safety[1]. Available in early 2015, the new solution builds on the success of Ford Crew Chief powered by Telogis, the existing commercial vehicle telematics program, but was developed to deliver data that is specific to how police vehicles are driven - for instance when responding to emergencies or while in pursuit and the vehicles' sirens and light bars are activated.

READ MORE


frank-dan

VIDEO: Fleet Managers Wear More Hats These Days

There are a lot of fleet managers today who are in roles that are procurement-based — versus operationally-based — and they are looking to fleet management companies to do more for them than ever before.



VIDEO: Excellent Vehicle Transportation
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  28 Years of Opportunities, Thanks to NAFA
 

This indus�try expert cred�its 28 years of NAFA involve�ment with end�less oppor�tu�ni�ties to improve and expand his career -- includ�ing train�ing, net�work�ing, cer�ti�fi�ca�tion, and more.


VIDEO: Teaching Safety
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  The Evolution of Safety
 

Dri�ver train�ing from ADTS evolved out of dri�ver train�ing for police offi�cers in the Philadel�phia area, and has grown to over 300 loca�tions per year that are taught by 100 dif�fer�ent uniquely qual�i�fied instructors.





The Fleet Spot


telogis-logo Telogis and Isuzu Collaborate to Develop Connected Vehicle

New telematics system will create stronger ownership experience by improving overall vehicle performance

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. has announced an exclusive collaboration with Telogis to improve the overall ownership experience for Isuzu customers.

"Today, Isuzu defines its connected vehicle and telematics strategy by collaborating with Telogis. We chose Telogis because of their focus on innovation, and their industry-leading experience with built-in OEM location intelligence solutions, with a mutual goal of providing Isuzu customers with the very best ownership experience in the medium-duty truck market," said Shaun Skinner, executive vice president and general manager of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.

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ford crash avoidance New Ford Crash System "May" Spare Pedestrians

While overall highway fatalities have been on a sharp decline in recent years, the number of pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes actually has been on the increase over the last half decade, reaching more than 4,700 annual fatalities, according to federal data -- and about one death every two minutes worldwide.

Ford's new pedestrian alert technology is part of an upgrade to the collision avoidance system it first introduced in 2009, and will be renamed "pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection."�Ford says that it “may”�prevent pedestrian crashes. It will first debut on the 2015 Ford Mondeo about to go on sale in Europe, but Ford plans to expand its use to other models, including those sold in the States - where a version of the Mondeo is sold as the midsize Fusion sedan.

READ MORE about the system.

Rainer Laber Fleet Logistics Adds New Features to New Driver App

Europe's largest independent fleet management company, Fleet Logistics, has upgraded its new free driver app with new features, functionality and languages and is migrating it across to both Apple and Android platforms by the end of this month as planned.

The Fleet Logistics' Mobility Control App, which provides fleet drivers with access to all their vehicle details, mileage data, support services and other key information, was launched earlier this year. Initially it was launched for users of Windows smart phones on Fleet Logistics' fleet across Europe. The first roll-out has now been completed with two large, international fleet clients with Windows smart phones, and 45% of their drivers have now begun using the new tool on a regular monthly basis.

READ MORE

distracted-driving Drunk vs. Distracted Driving in DC and the 50 States

Mobile technology makes a lot of things easier: sending emails, talking to friends, playing games, hailing taxis. One thing it makes harder: staying focused on the road.

Taking the same route day in and day out leads to complacency and loss of attention. With all the time you spend driving, glancing down for a few seconds to skim a text from a friend doesn’t seem like too much of an indulgence.

While there’s social stigma against drunk driving thanks to decades of advertising, texting�and driving is more widely tolerated.

READ MORE

Making Your Safety Policy Known

In the spirit of Halloween, let me share with you a very scary "Could-it-happen-to-you?" horror story.

A fleet had a written fleet safety policy in place. The policy was very comprehensive, with strict qualification standards for acceptable driving histories; it required signed Fleet Safety Policy Acknowledgements for all drivers; it mandated annual Motor Vehicle Record checks; and it required specific, targeted training when drivers had preventable crashes or serious MVR violations.

Sounds good, right? READ MORE

 
The Complexity of Today's Fleets

In this excerpt from a wide-ranging interview with Dan Frank, newly appointed president of Wheels, Inc., we asked him to tell us what he considered to be the most compelling issues facing fleets today. "I think it is the complexity of their environment. The number and the breadth of issues that fleet managers and organizations have to deal with as it relates to their company fleet are quite extraordinary. It has become a very difficult job because the expectations are very high and the field is very complex," he responded.

The relevance of driver safety and the role of telematics is the topic in this segment of our discussion with Frank. In next week's issue, we talk about the state of the industry with just the third president in Wheels' 75-year history.

READ MORE

 
Distracted Driving Insights

Using a cellphone while driving is risky and can lead to crashes. Making or taking calls, texting, or interacting with an electronic device in any way can take your eyes off the road at a critical moment. Teenage drivers may be especially susceptible to distractions. In response, states have enacted cellphone and texting bans, and insurers along with other groups have sponsored public education campaigns. Even though studies show that phone use by drivers has declined in states with bans, crashes reported to insurers haven’t gone down during the same period.

While phoning and texting have become synonymous with distracted driving in the news, distraction is a much larger problem than just electronic devices. A new study by IIHS in partnership with Virginia Tech helps clarify the risk of cellphone use behind the wheel and offers insight into other distracting things drivers do when they aren’t using cellphones. The research points to the need for a broader strategy to deal with the ways that drivers can be distracted.

READ MORE








Fleet Trends & Issues


Auto Industry Forming Consortium to Fight Hackers

Automakers are forming a consortium to deter hackers who might try to breach a vehicle's security system — an effort that has gotten the blessing of federal regulators.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers are helping to coordinate the effort, said David Strickland, the former director of NHTSA who now is a consultant for Venable LLP.

Automakers want to create secure firewalls for vehicle-to-vehicle communications, and also for vehicle data links to "the cloud."

READ MORE

Was Your Car Stolen? Stop the Thieves in their Tracks with a Simple SMS

What would you do if your car had just been stolen? Take out your phone and call the police? Sure, you could that, but what if instead of asking authorities for help you simply sent a text message?�Moreover, what if that SMS went straight to a hidden device inside your car and immediately immobilized the vehicle’s engine?

True, the thieves could still get away, but you’ll know at least that you have good chances of recovering your stolen vehicle.

This anti-theft solution is the latest service offered from Kenyan entrepreneur Kelvin Macharia Kuria, founder of Nairobi-based car security company�Sunrise Tracking.

READ MORE

Why Pest Control Companies Track Their Trucks

Pest control companies are using fleet tracking to gain insight into their fleet's activity and solve their most difficult business challenges. Fleet tracking solutions, like GPS Insight, can help your pest control business provide proof of service, prevent labor fraud, improve route efficiency, enable quick response times, and more.

READ MORE

Ford Claims Expertise to Build a Tesla-Like Car

Ford CEO Mark Fields says the company has the expertise and ability to build a Tesla-style full-size, high-tech, high-performance, long-range electric vehicle. Fields stopped short of saying Ford will do so, but did say, “It’s consistent with our product philosophy.”

Ford said it has no plan to copy the Tesla Model S — a big, four-door hatchback sedan. But a larger vehicle of some kind, with greater range and better performance than the Focus electric, would fit Ford’s lineup and its emphasis on technology, the automaker said.

READ MORE

Driverless Cars Change Everything

We’ve all heard the theories: Autonomous�cars�will prevent accidents. Autonomous cars will reduce traffic.

Most of those predictions are based on current facts and educated guesses. Ad agency�Sparks & Honey�has compiled all that data into a new report entitled Driving Disrupted: Driverless Cars Change Everything, which�attempts to describe the many ups (and several downs) of life in the rapidly approaching autonomous car age.

Why would an ad agency do such a thing?

READ MORE to find out.

 
Gas Prices Dropping Fast

America's motorists are enjoying gasoline prices about 20 cents per gallon cheaper than this time last year, thanks to falling oil prices. Since July, prices are down about 15% nationwide – or nearly 50 cents – to an average $3.14 a gallon, according to data from Gasbuddy.com.

This has a stimulus effect on the U.S. economy, saving us about $100 billion in annualized fuel costs, according to economist Ed Yardeni. That works out to about $300 in annual fuel savings for every American. Just in time for the holiday season.

READ MORE and find out where your state rates.

 
Extending the Alliance

Pictured from left to right: Francois Piot, Director, International Business Office, Arval; Steve Hudson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Element Financial Corporation; Philippe Bismut, CEO, Arval; Philippe Noubel, Deputy CEO, Arval; Brad Nullmeyer, President, Element Financial Corporation; Bart Beckers, Chief Commercial Officer, Arval

The long standing 14 year partnership between Arval and PHH Arval, which was acquired by Element Financial Corporation in July of this year, recently was extended when representatives from both entities signed an enhanced strategic agreement to form the Element-Arval Global Alliance.

READ MORE







Fleet Management Resources 
AmeriFleet
Offering a nationwide vehicle delivery and relocation service; serving the corporate and commercial fleet industry.
GPS Insight
GPS Insight offers GPS tracking solutions to meet your organization's unique requirements and challenges.
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.
LeasePlan
LeasePlan is the world's leading high-touch service provider for vehicle leasing and fleet management.
The CEI Group Inc.
North America's largest accident management and fleet driver safety company.
Element
Customizing global fleet management to achieve your goals.
NAFA
NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location, or fleet composition.
Verizon Networkfleet
Verizon Networkfleet offers GPS fleet management solutions to help small to medium-sized businesses, enterprises, and government agencies better manage vehicles and assets. For a demo visit www.networkfleet.com/demo.