Posts Tagged ‘fleet managers’
Shell Looks to Disable GPS Screens for Drivers
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
With a worldwide fleet of 14,000 vehicles, Shell, a global group of energy and petrochemicals companies, has asked automakers to disable satellite navigation systems while a vehicle is in motion, reports fleetnews.co.uk.
The goal of this request is to prevent drivers from being distracted while driving. If automakers comply, the in-car satellite navigation systems could only be used when the vehicle is in a stationary position. Once the vehicle is in motion, the screen would become blank and drivers would no longer be able to view the map. However, voice instructions would still operate.
According to the news report, Shell has asked BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler about the initiative, and will soon be talking to Ford and Opel.
Currently, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have agreed to the deal; however, the carmakers have yet to offer a vehicle with a deactivated system.
With a health and safety policy that states that all accidents are preventable, Shell has already banned its drivers from using cell phones while driving. Additionally, the company’s drivers have been told not to accept portable navigation systems that are offered by Shell’s rental car provider in some countries.
Shell hopes other fleet managers follow its lead. The company realizes that navigation systems have some benefits, including reducing emissions, but feels there is no need for the screen to be operational when a vehicle is in motion.
Do you agree with Shell’s policy, or is the distracted driving initiative taking things too far? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Photo courtesy of gTarded under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: BMW, Daimler, fleet managers, fleet vehicles, fleetnews.com.uk, Ford, GPS, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Shell, Volkswagen
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Boston Fire Crash Attributed to Poor Training and Maintenance
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Government Fleet has a follow-up on a recent tragedy that highlights the need for fleet managers to pay careful attention to the safety of their employees:
Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley announced Dec. 10 that training and maintenance were two of the “multiple, overlapping factors” in the fatal crash that killed Boston Fire Lieutenant Kevin Kelley on Jan. 9.
Conley said that no person or entity bore criminal responsibility for Kelley’s death, but recommended that training and maintenance should be revised to avoid future tragedies. In a letter to Boston Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser, he said prosecutors would not seek criminal charges in connection with Kelley’s death in the Mission Hill fire truck crash.
Kelley, a 30-year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, died of blunt force traumatic injuries when Ladder 26 lost braking power during its descent of Parker Hill Avenue and crashed into a Huntington Avenue building. At the time, Ladder 26 had been operating for years with a compromised braking system as a result of poor maintenance. Moreover, the firefighter behind the wheel that day had not been properly trained in the use of the 22-ton truck’s air brakes or emergency retarding system.
“Human error, insufficient driver training, the substandard in-house and outside maintenance of Ladder 26, the topography of Parker Hill Avenue, and Lieutenant Kelley’s self-sacrificing determination to protect civilian lives all combined on that fateful day to send a massive piece of firefighting machinery hurtling toward a tragedy that is still felt almost a year later,” Conley wrote in the letter to Fraser.
Following the fatal crash in January, the Boston Fire Department hired a new fleet manager and safety officer in late April to manage the department’s fleet. The safety officer was reportedly fired less than two weeks into the job for absenteeism.
Photo courtesy of smc06r under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: Boston, Boston Fire Department, firefighters, fleet managers, fleet safety, Government Fleet
Posted in Industry News | 1 Comment »
Free Fleet Safety Web Seminars Coming Later this Month
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Brought to you by Automotive Fleet and the other subsidiary sites of fleet-central.com , these free safety seminars are now open for registration. The topics covered will be at-fault accidents, driver distraction, and brake safety. A description of each individual course appears below. Fleet managers only need to sign up once to receive all three seminars!
Fleet Safety Webinar Series
Click here to sign up for the webinar series
SAFETY SESSIONS PART I
Prevent and Predict At-Fault Crashes
September 22, 2009 11:00AM PDT / 2:00PM EDT
Sponsor: Driver’s Alert
As a fleet manager or safety director, you know 95% of your drivers practice safe driving and that the other 5 percent are at high risk to cause your next at-fault crash. Find out how many of your drivers are in the bottom 5% and how to prevent the at-fault crash from ever happening.
SAFETY SESSIONS PART II
Distracted Driving: Dangers and Defenses
October 13, 2009 11:00AM PDT / 2:00PM EDT
Sponsor: DriverCare Risk & Safety Services by CEI
Distracted driving is a serious and growing problem for fleets and the public at large. Gain valuable knowledge about the sources of distracted driving, its impact on crashes, fatalities and fleet finances, and a range of proactive responses. This webinar will be a practical discussion between a subject matter expert from the National Safety Council and two leading fleet managers from the commercial and public sectors, who will share their real-world experiences and insights in dealing with the problem. Topics will include the science of distracted driving, programs to raise drivers’ awareness, legislative initiatives, and emerging technologies.
SAFETY SESSIONS PART III
Are You Helping to Keep Your Drivers Safe? How Good Are Your Brakes?
November 10, 2009 11:00AM PDT / 2:00PM EDT
Sponsor: Midas
Learn how brake systems work, how they have changed, and how they affect and are affected by other vehicle safety systems. Gain knowledge on how to identify potential issues which could eventually lead to extensive and expensive repairs. Understand how utilizing M.A.P. (Motorist Assurance Program) can help fleet managers make better informed decisions on whether or not to keep the vehicle in service based on known upcoming service needs.
Photo courtesy of aNantaB under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: Automotive Fleet, Driver's Alert, DriverCare Risk & Safety Services by CEI, fleet, fleet managers, Fleet Safety Webinar Series, fleet-central.com, M.A.P, Midas, Motorist Assurance Program, National Safety Council
Posted in Industry News | 1 Comment »
Vehicle Theft Statistics for Small Fleets
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
Automotive Fleet’s latest report on vehicle theft sheds light on what is a common and incredibly frustrating problem for fleet managers and companies.
On average, fleets experience a loss of two vehicles per year to theft. Just over half of fleets (53 percent) recover all of the stolen vehicles, but many fleets never recover their vehicles. The financial loss incurred by stolen vehicles can take a serious toll on the bottom line of a small fleet.
Fleets are taking steps to prevent vehicle theft; many cars are equipped with alarm systems either from the manufacturer or installed after-market depending on the importance of the cargo. Not all fleets can afford to equip their vehicles with alarm systems, which can be costly. Some fleets even pass on installing alarms because the cost of equipping them is greater than the amount they would lose from vehicle theft.
So what is the best way for you to prevent theft in your fleet? Automotive Fleet offers these suggestions:
- Do not leave vehicles and/or company equipment unsecured.
- Install alarms on vehicles with sensitive equipment.
- Designate specific parking areas.
- Request drivers remove valuable items from eyesight. One option is placing these items in the vehicle trunk.
- Instruct drivers to lock vehicles at all times and park in well-lit, safe areas.
- Install a GPS system in vehicles to track them in the event of theft.
Vehicle theft is on the rise over the past two years in commercial fleets, along with vandalism and practices such as fuel siphoning. These consequences don’t just fall on fleet managers; in most fleets, drivers are responsible for their vehicles and any items left inside. If theft is a result of negligence, drivers can quickly be terminated. New vehicles are not the only targets for theft, and all vehicles should be carefully monitored and protected to keep your fleet safe and secure.
Photo courtesy of kowitz under the Creative Commons License.
Tags: auto theft prevention, Automotive Fleet, fleet managers, fleets, stolen vehicles
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Gender’s Role in Fleet Salaries
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
According to a survey by Automotive Fleet magazine, male fleet managers earn an average salary of $79,429 per year, while female fleet managers make an average of $67,378- a difference of more than $12,000 dollars per year.
The gap between male and female fleet managers’ salaries is affected by several factors. When it comes to experience, the survey showed that the gap begins at around $3,000 per year for fleet managers with 1-3 years of experience. From there on, the salary gap remains roughly the same until 20 years of experience, when it widens significantly to over $15,000 per year; male managers at this level make an average of $87,083 while females earn $71,666.
Education and fleet size have a less constant effect on the salary gap. While female fleet managers did report a lower salary at almost all levels of education, females with a technical degrees were found to earn slightly more than males with the same level of education. The largest gap appeared in managers with liberal arts degrees, with males making an average of $14,000 more than females. Females were found to earn more than their male counterparts in fleets with between 1 and 50 vehicles, and stay close to even with male salaries until fleet sizes reache 1,000 or more, where the gap reaches $15,624.
While this data may seem somewhat bleak, consider the following: across all professions in the United States in 2008, males made an average of 22 percent more than females. In the fleet industry, that number is only 15 percent.
Do you think the salary gap is a problem? What could the fleet industry do to lessen the divide? Leave us a comment below and tell us what you think.
Tags: Automotive Fleet, fleet industry, fleet managers, fleet salary, fleet size
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Dealing with Road Rage
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Road rage is a term that we’re all familiar with, but as a problem on our highways, it’s one that is not going away.
As a fleet manager, teaching your drivers how to deal with road rage, especially during these hot summer months, can help your team avoid incidents that in the past have led to some pretty terrifying conclusions.
One of the most important rules of the road when it comes to dealing with aggressive drivers is to know that you can’t control any driver’s behavior but your own. It is not being cut off by another driver, or having someone tailgating behind your vehicle that causes road rage as much as how you react that will determine what happens next.
Remind your drivers that they should try to keep their cool and not react as aggressively as the other driver. Doing so might actually defuse any potential further incidents.
Venting might seem as gratifying as other actions when you’re in the heat of the moment, but encourage your fleet drivers to talk about the driving experience – it is proven to relieve stress and help cut down on a drivers road rage.
In an article posted at dmv.org, the question is asked, “What if you are the aggressive driver?” The article recommends that you challenge your drivers to analyze their driving styles to find out if they are susceptible to road rage and supply a list of examples that are characteristics of aggressive drivers:
* Tailgating
* Using their horn
* Flashing their headlights
* Changing lanes quickly and often
* Gesturing to other drivers
* Talking on their cell phone
There are thousands of drivers on the road every day and dmv.org points out that road rage can be triggered by drivers who are driving under the speed limit, skipping turn signals, slowing down early for exits, accelerating unevenly, and hogging lanes.
Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but remind your fleet drivers that they are sharing the road with other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists and in the end everyone is trying to get from here to there, no matter where they may be headed, safe and sound.
It’s better to keep a watchful eye on the road than to be ready for a confrontation when another driver makes one wrong move on the road.
For a free analysis of your driving style, check out RoadRagers.com and for the complete article on road rage, click here.
Photo courtesy of yummic00kies under the Creative Commons License
Tags: dmv.org, fleet managers, road rage, roadragers.com, tailgating
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Toyota Fleet Incentive Program
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009
This week, we’re going to begin a series of blogs based on fleet incentive programs offered by the major automakers.
As a fleet manager, these incentives are offered with initial model year production. This year, Toyota’s program features two components, an invoice credit (fleet incentive) and price assurance.
Fleet incentives
The incentive amounts listed below for each model will be paid with an invoice credit on all eligible factory orders. Vehicles purchased from dealer stock are ineligible for the fleet incentives. For your reference, the 2009 model year incentive amounts are also listed.
Model 2010 MY Incentive 2009 MY Incentives
| Avalon | $750.00 | $750.00 |
| Camry (gas engine) | $400.00 | $600.00 |
| Camry Hybrid | $400.00 | $0.00 |
| Corolla | $200.00 | $200.00 |
| Highlander (gas engine) | $900.00 | $800.00 |
| Highlander Hybrid | $800.00 | $400.00 |
| Matrix | $200.00 | $200.00 |
| Prius | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Rav 4 | $400.00 | $400.00 |
| Sequoia | $2,000.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Sienna | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Tacoma | $600.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Tundra | $2,000.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Venza MY09/10 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Yaris | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 4 Runner | $800.00 | $2,200.00 |
Visit fleet.toyota.com for full details
Photo copyright of danielctw under the Creative Commons License
Tags: 4 Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, fleet incentive program, fleet managers, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Toyota, Tundra
Posted in Industry News | 4 Comments »
Gas Prices Continue to Rise for Fleets
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009
The Energy Department reported Monday that gasoline prices rose for the eighth straight week, with the national average for unleaded gas up 2 cents to $2.69 a gallon.The increase is the smallest since fuel costs started rising in April and analysts are saying that prices should top out not much higher than $2.70 a gallon.
While the price are still a little high for fleet managers trying to keep operating costs down, costs are much more manageable compared to last summer. At this time last year, the national average was $4.08 a gallon.
This summer prices are leveling out sooner because of cheaper crude oil and less demand due to the struggling economy.
Breaking down prices by regions, the West Coast had the most expensive prices, averaging $2.93 a gallon. Gulf Coast states had the cheapest gas at $2.56 a gallon.
What are prices like in your part of the world? Let us know.
Tags: Energy Department, fleet managers, fuel, gas, gas prices, operating costs, USA Today
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Are You a Successful Commercial Fleet Manager?
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
This week, Work Truck Online looks at effective fleet managers and the traits they share in keeping their vehicles running as safely and efficiently as possible.
See if your management style matches up:
1. Goal-Oriented Fleet Management – Are your goals in step with the company’s overall mission?
2. Focus on the Internal Customer – Keep senior management informed and the company’s interests foremost in all fleet management decisions.
3. Develop Partnerships with Suppliers – Work with suppliers and other partners to optimize performance.
4. Practices Strategic Fleet Management – Treat every decision you make, from vehicle acquisition to how you choose your suppliers and manufacturers, as a high-level corporate decision.
5. Ability to Implement Effective Fleet Policies – be strategic in controlling costs. It can truly impact the bottom line.
Read the entire list here, and we want to know: what do you think of the list? What would you add or delete?
Photo copyright of ktoiswho under the Creative Commons license
Tags: fleet management, fleet managers, Work Truck
Posted in Fleet Resources | No Comments »
17% of Commercial Fleet Managers Earn $100K+
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Location and Education Pay Off
Despite the daily assault of news on the economic downturn, maybe things aren’t all that bad for those of us running a fleet business.
Seventeen percent of commercial fleet managers earned more than $100,000 last year, and 8-percent of them banked more than $120,000, according to a post on Automotive Fleet, which will soon publish its compensation survey in the May 2009 issue of Automotive Fleet.
Not bad, when the median household income in the U.S. is $50,230 and 8.5 percent of the U.S. is out of work, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics.
We also learned that fleet managers in the Midwest had the highest median salary, as did fleet managers with some post-graduate study. And only 14 percent of fleet managers made less than $50,000.
More information and additional statistics will be published in the May 2009 issue of Automotive Fleet.
How does your paycheck stack up to the rest of the American work force? Check out this month’s Parade magazine’s feature story “What People Earn 2009.” You can even compare your salary to others’ in your zip code, or find out what you’d earn if you relocated., changed jobs altogether, and moonlighted as a fleet industry blogger. Ok, not really. But there are some interesting earners on there.
Tags: Bureau of Labor Statistics, fleet managers, salary
Posted in Industry News | 1 Comment »
