Automotive Fleet, February 2019

This has proven to be the most effective way for me and our company to drive the point home to our drivers We cannot charge them for the abuse and neglect of our vehicles but we can give them disciplinary action and suspend them without pay This has begun to turn the tide for us It is unfortunate that we have had to turn to this method of enforcement but gone are the days one would pride themselves in being given the privilege of driving a company vehicle to perform the work required of them and to be able to drive to and from home in the vehicle Just the savings on fuel and associated expenses alone should make one feel honored and privileged Thanks for the timely article Michael Becerra Sr Fleet Safety Manager OConnell Landscape Maintenance Rancho Santa Margarita Calif GOOD ONE I just read the Market Trends editorial in the January 2019 issue on vehicle abuse and I just wanted to let you know that it was a good one Lee Pierce Director of Fleet Nutrien Ag Solutions Loveland Colo PROPERLY MAINTAINED VEHICLES DIMINISHES VEHICLE ABUSE Automotive Fleet Editor Mike Antich made excellent points on fleet vehicle abuse by employees in the Market Trends editorial published in the January 2019 If youre a fleet manager you need to take a look at it and be on guard A company vehicle in poor condition because of driver abuse or neglect will result in lost resale value or incur unnecessary reconditioning expense at auction In vocational fleets operators are more likely to abuse an old poorly maintained unit There are ways to minimize this If you keep vehicles and equipment properly maintained you can diminish the operator mindset If they dont care why should I Sheldon Zitzmann Sales Marketing Director TigerTough Vesta Minnesota OPPORTUNITY NOT A THREAT The Market Trends editorial entitled Traditional Procurement Incentive Plans Run Contrary to Fleet Goals was spot on Suppliers can see this as a threat to the old engagement model but smart ones will see an opportunity to shake things up by talking to and partnering with fleets around TCO as a new way to take market share Kenneth Jack Vice President Fleet Operations Verizon Basking Ridge N J TACTICAL VS STRATEGIC I read the blog entitled Traditional Procurement Incentive Plans Run Contrary to Fleet Goals and wanted to make some additional observations Category management and strategic sourcing are meant to move the procurement function away from tactical and one dimensional decision making but require a deeper level of engagement and understanding Knowledge exchange between fleet experts financial safety and procurement can create an improved TCO in addition to best in class fleet performance Procurement in most cases is tasked with supporting the goals of the larger organization across many disciplines and categories Fleet should ensure that their goals are aligned with those of the enterprise and help procurement to understand the necessary support Scott Bailey Vice President Sourcing and Strategic Alliances Element Fleet Management Sparks Md NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT LIABILITY CAN BE FAR REACHING The Market Trends blog on negligent entrustment was another great article See Negligent Entrustment is based on What you Should have Known My updated policy is pending approval as we speak with consideration for risk management after we discussed this Texas case Brian Reynolds Fleet Administrator Smith County Tyler Texas This verdict that Brian is referring was announced on July 19 2018 when a jury in Texas awarded a plaintiff 101 million for a crash with a tractor trailer in 2013 The indictment held both the company and its driver responsible arguing the company was negligent in hiring the driver in the first place The jury found the driver to be 70 at fault with the company at fault for the remaining 30 The companys negligence was calculated at 75 million The plaintiffs attorneys argued the company negligently hired the employee by violating its own safety policies and was negligent in its training and supervision contributing to the crash Most states impose liability when an employer knew or should have known that an employee was unfit to drive a vehicle or that a vehicle was unsafe to operate This standard means that companies must be able to show that they did everything they reasonably could to prevent an accident otherwise actions it did or didnt take might be construed as negligent entrustment Editor L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R AUTOMOTIVE FLEET I FEBRUARY 2019 8 CREATING SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS The blog entitled Procurements Fixation on Hard Costs Misses Larger Soft Cost Savings was a good article Negotiating competitive pricing for the right equipment specs is quite important but sustainable savings will come from improving safety and fleet availability Jorge Castro MBA Procurement Manager Americas World Fuel Services Miami Fort Lauderdale Fla