If you’ve been watching the news over the past week, you know that Atlantic City – and the entire New Jersey coastline – was ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, the largest storm to ever hit the state. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the fleet managers who planned ahead, put plans in to action, and are working around the clock to make sure we are whole again.
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It is with deep sadness that NAFA share with the news of the passing of our friend Windell Mitchell, former NAFA Officer, Trustee, committee leader, and chapter leader. Windell passed away October 23 at his home in Bellevue, WA. He was 71.
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Attention all voting NAFA Members: Your vote is required for a Bylaws amendment. The NAFA Board of Trustees presents this proposal to amend NAFA’s Code of Regulations. All NAFA Full Members and Associate Members in good standing (as of October 26) are entitled and requested to vote on this proposal. NAFA Members were emailed this information last Friday, October 26 and should return the pdf or mail the ballot by Friday, November 9, 2012.
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NAFA's Chapters will be the driving force of a new initiative -- one that will get your accomplishments, activities, and efforts seen by the widest spectrum of the NAFA membership. This new effort will be unveiled in 2013, so we're calling on committed, engaged fleet professionals and Chapter members to contact us and be a part of exciting new efforts.
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11/06/2012 - Great Lakes; 11/07/2012 - South Central, Quebec, Tri-State, Great Lakes; 11/08/2012 - Arizona; 11/12/2012 - New England; 11/13/2012 - Mid-America, New Jersey, Mid-West, North Central, Wisconsin; 11/15/2012 - Carolinas, New York-InterCounty
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A Maryland man is awaiting sentencing for what may seem an unusual crime: selling bogus renewable energy credits and using the $9.3 million in illicit proceeds to buy jewelry and a fleet of luxury cars. In a similar case in Texas, a man has been indicted for selling a whopping $42 million in counterfeit credits. He bought real estate, a Bentley, and a Gulfstream jet.
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An electric car battery maker that President Obama touted as part of a vanguard of a new American electric car industry has filed for bankruptcy and is selling its major assets, the company announced on October 16.
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Strategists at two of Canada's top independent wealth managers say the time may be right to invest in companies that make cars, consumer durables, and even industrial equipment like rail cars, as aging fleets and inventories spur a replacement cycle. After a long consumer and corporate pullback, spending has begun to bloom again on big-ticket purchases.
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Fuel-conscious FedEx is committed to electric vehicles as part of its strategy to lower costs and decrease reliance on fossil fuel. The company is interested, along with vehicles powered by natural gas as it strives to increase fuel efficiency, but the buying public is not.
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New Hours of Service (HOS) rules from the FMCSA that will significantly affect the time truck drivers can be behind the wheel are coming in the next year. Specifically, new rules affect restart breaks and consecutive driving hours. Failure to comply can come with hefty fines – for companies and for drivers.
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Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. announced on October 11 that Pilot Mountain, NC has become the eleventh jurisdiction in the state of North Carolina to choose their Municipal Lease Program as the financing source to update their police cruiser fleet.
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OSHA brochure on distracted driving; tax extenders on the Congressional Agenda; and Senators challenge battery program.
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Government of Canada invests in clean energy technology in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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Ford Motor Co. says it will recall 154,000 of its Fiesta subcompacts due to a problem with the vehicle’s airbag system. The maker has discovered that if the front passenger seat is empty the Fiesta’s side-impact airbags will not deploy in a collision, even if there are passengers in the rear — potentially leading to increased injuries.
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Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand is undergoing a reinvention, hoping to become a real player in the luxury vehicle market by offering buyers a personalized and premium product lineup.
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The latest iteration of the VW Beetle is far more revolutionary than might initially meet the eye. That’s because the real breakthrough comes in the way it – and virtually everything else that will now be developed by the German automotive giant – is being designed and manufactured.
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Americans will soon get the chance to buy what is generally considered the world’s most inexpensive automobile. But considering the safety problems experienced by the little Tata Nano – which has received only a mixed reception in its home Indian market – it’s anyone’s guess whether U.S. motorists will say yes to the microcar.
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NAFA welcomes new Members and Affiliates into the Association.
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William M. Rustad, Matthew L. Chlebowski, Olin D. Cooper, and Irene M. Grant, CAFM celebrate important anniversaries with NAFA in October.
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Original Post: 10/15 The report, Utilimarc® Light-Duty Pickup, is now online for NAFA Members to view. We hope you find this information useful. In upcoming months look for other such reports to be provided by Utilimarc®.
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Original Post: 10/15 NAFA's 2013 Membership Directory allows members to easily access NAFA colleagues with listings by their last name, by company name, by business category, or by region and chapter. The NAFA Membership Directory also helps individuals network with peers in fleet by offering business and contact information, listings for officers and directors, membership, committees, and more.
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Original Post: 10/15 Please take a moment to log on to the NAFA website at www.nafa.org and click on My Profile to verify your contact information. Now is the time to be sure all your information is correct so that you can stay in touch with your NAFA membership peers, and they can stay in touch with you.
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Mark Fields, Ford President of the Americas, further cemented his chances of becoming Chief Executive of Ford with the announcement of his promotion to the new position of Chief Operating Officer, effective December 1.
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The Environmental Protection Agency's announcement in mid-October that it was awarding $30 million for clean diesel projects is, according to Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, another important step in reducing emissions primarily through the use of clean diesel technology.
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The Environmental Protection Agency will decide this month whether to reduce the amount of corn-based ethanol used in the nation's 240 million gas tanks because of this summer's drought. The governors of eight states and nearly 200 members of Congress asked the EPA to waive requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard signed into law in 2007 by President George W. Bush that mandate the production of a certain quantity annually of the alternative fuel.
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NGVAmerica and Zeus Intelligence announced mid-October a new information service for anyone interested in access to trailer loads of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Zeus has compiled and will regularly update a list of all the LNG facilities around the country that have the capability to offload LNG into trailers for truck delivery to user sites. To date, the company has identified 34 such plants located throughout the country.
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Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. activated a new 1.1-megawatt hydrogen fuel cell generator on the Torrance headquarters campus on October 17. The fuel cell will supply approximately half of the electricity for six headquarters buildings during peak demand, while producing zero emissions.
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In October 2012, the speedometer turned 110 years old. It is considered to have been born in 1902, because October 7 of that year was when engineer Otto Schulze registered the eddy-current speedometer at the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin. The ground-breaking invention quickly spread through the global automotive industry.
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Ford and University of Michigan researchers are experimenting with interior coatings that will combat microbial buildup left by grubby hands on the steering wheel and radio dial. In short, Ford is hoping silver ion additives will keep cars from smelling.
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For the entire month of November Members save twenty-five percent off the price of NAFA's Risk Management Guide.
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Concord, NC; Cambridge, MA; Gainesville, FL; Surrey, BC; Tacoma, WA; Hillsborough County, FL; and Santa Clara, CA.
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Let's face it. If you are an infrequent flyer, the thought of jumping on a plane or hitting the road sounds about as appetizing as a frost mug of dirty dishwater. Here are some ideas that will help make your next business trip a little easier to take.
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NAFA I&E registration with launch this month with special early, early bird savings and a full plan of new announcements! Keep www.nafainstitute.org handy this conference season!

FleetFOCUS Newsletter © 2012 NAFA Fleet Management Association

 

 

General Motors is recalling more than 38,000 Chevrolet Impala police cars in the U.S. and Canada. GM said a part in the front suspension can crack and cause a crash when operated at a high rate of speed. The recall affects police cars from 2008 through 2012 model years, which means the majority of the police department fleets are affected in the Michiana, IN area.
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Congratulations, you just got a promotion! Best wishes on your retirement! Now what do you do?
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Three online, searchable networking databases will put you in easy touch with all your NAFA colleagues.
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These virtual neighborhoods allow members to easily email others within that community with specific fleet questions.
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Designed to help you quickly find references and educational resources.
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NAFA cares about your privacy. If you prefer not to receive email marketing information from NAFA Fleet Management Association, you have the option to request to be removed from our records by emailing info@nafa.org with such a request. NAFA may use the information you provide for additional NAFA programs, services, and products that we see as being beneficial for you. You will have the option of responding to such an email message with a "click here" directed to info@nafa.org, if you so choose to opt out of future email messages. NAFA does not sell or rent email addresses of prospects, nor does NAFA sell or rent email addresses of our Members and Affiliates.
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NAFA's Lifecycle Cost Analysis for Fleets was created to show fleet managers how to implement the use of analytical financial modeling within their vehicle fleets.
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