Each year CRA hosts a fundraising golf tournament for the benefit of its foundation, RSIF (Rental Services Industry Foundation), whose primary purpose is to provide college scholarships to young students interested in the rental industry. RSIF is a non-profit organization. This year will be the fourth tournament. The tournament continues to grow each year. Isn't it time for you to join in the fun and play? If you don't play, how about rewarding your golfing employees with a day of golf? You don't need to send a team of four golfers; we will pair singles up with other golfers. Equipment vendors and their distributors will display their equipment onsite and, of course, offer refreshments and snacks.

All Star Rents, a premier family-owned equipment rental company with 13 locations in Northern California and Nevada, recently announced the appointment of Kathryn deVries Mitchell as CEO. Mitchell, CFO since 2008 and a third-generation rental owner of the company started in 1962 by her grandfather, Ted deVries, replaces former CEO John Wooten. "We’d like to acknowledge the great work done by John Wooten for the past 17 years," said Mitchell. "He led us out of the recession and established All Star as one of the leaders in the region. I worked with Wooten and my father, Ken deVries, for the last 10 years and the tough decisions to bring a company of our size out of such a downturn will stay with me the rest of my career."

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is sending this courtesy information to fleets that have reported to CARB under the "Regulation for In-Use Off-Road Diesel-Fueled Fleets" (Off-Road Regulation). Included in this notification are upcoming deadlines and action items to assist with compliance of the Off-Road Regulation. CARB is anticipating high correspondence volumes during the 2019 reporting period (January 1 through March 1). A high volume of calls and emails will result in a longer waiting period for return calls and emails, and longer form processing times. We strongly encourage you to contact us before December 14, 2018, for help with accessing your account or questions regarding reporting and compliance requirements.

The ARA Show™ returns to Anaheim in February 2019. Registration is now open, so take advantage of the $119 full registration, which includes access to the trade show floor with more than 700 exhibitors, a full day of education on Feb. 17, the Keynote Session featuring "Shark Tank" fan favorite, Kevin O’Leary, and numerous networking opportunities. Register now at ARAshow.org!

Only a small percentage of workers’ comp claims are fraudulent but letting them go undetected can cost a lot. A woman in Minnesota was suspected of workers’ comp fraud when she showed no signs of injury even though the police report she submitted to substantiate her claim said she had sustained six broken ribs in a car accident that occurred while driving to the airport for a business trip. The employer’s and employees’ suspicions were confirmed and she was arrested for fraud after it was discovered she had used her computer to research accident reports written by the local sheriff’s department, according to a report in the Mankoto Free Press. For the most part, the woman successfully avoided committing five of the six following warning signs of workers’ comp fraud.

Aquajet Systems AB, a global leader in hydrodemolition machine manufacturing, offers the Rotolance attachments. The powerful tool works in conjunction with Aquajet’s Aqua Cutter 710 hydrodemolition robots as well as the Aqua Spine and Aqua Frame to deliver water pressures in excess of 36,000 psi through a specially designed pattern of nozzles. This effectively cleans, removes and roughens concrete surfaces, leaving a better bonding surface for new concrete or alternative materials. Contractors also can use the Rotolance to remove rubber coatings, paint, rust, plastic and other various materials. The tool serves as a light-removal alternative to Aqua Cutter robots meant to remove deeper sections of concrete.

JCB North America recently announced that it has acquired the business and goodwill of west coast dealer, JCB of Southern California (SoCal) from its current owner, Yale/Chase Equipment and Service, Inc. In the coming weeks, JCB North America will assume responsibility for dealership operations, including the sales and support of JCB construction equipment, to customers throughout the greater Los Angeles area and neighboring counties. The business will continue to operate under the trading name, JCB of Southern California.

360 Payment Solutions recently announced that they have expanded to Oklahoma. In August 2018, they opened the doors to their Tulsa office and welcomed three new members to their team. 360 Payments is now better prepared than ever to support business owners on a national scale. The Oklahoma team will be instrumental in expanding 360’s nationwide network of business owners and partners. This is a new era of growth at 360!

Solesbee’s, a premier equipment and attachments manufacturer, offers its excavator Stump Puller for efficient stump removal and land clearing. Solesbee’s manufactures the attachment with high-strength alloy steel and replaceable wear tips for extended service life. The powerful attachment, known as the "Stumper," fits 15- to 40-ton excavators and can increase production by as much as 30 percent compared to other land-clearing methods, such as bucket attachments, bulldozing and forestry mowing. This speed allows contractors to complete jobs in less time and generate fast ROI.

Iranian Sanctions Contribute to Supply Uncertainty
In the October 2018 update of its Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) increased the forecast spot price for Brent crude oil to $74 per barrel (b) in 2018 and to $75/b in 2019, up by $2/b and $1/b, respectively, from last month's forecast. EIA expects West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices will average about $68/b in 2018 and $70/b in 2019. The October STEO forecast reflects market responses to significant uncertainty about the effects of sanctions on Iran and the response members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other countries might have.

The following list summarizes the final status of California Chamber of Commerce priority bills that were sent to the Governor this year. The CalChamber will publish a record of legislators’ votes on key bills affecting the California business climate on October 19. Generally, the bills selected for the vote record have appeared in one of the status reports. Bills signed by the Governor will become law on January 1, 2019 unless otherwise stated. Urgency, tax and budget-related measures go into effect immediately upon being signed, so the date the bill was signed is noted.

Chris Micheli, an attorney and lobbyist for the Sacramento governmental relations firm of Aprea & Micheli, Inc., summarized Governor Jerry Brown's actions on bills submitted to his desk in 2018. The 2018 Legislative Session concludes sine die on November 30, but for practical purposes the session ended on September 30, the last day for Governor Jerry Brown to have acted upon bills sent to his desk during the final weeks of Session. Each month during 2018, from January through September, there were gubernatorial bill actions, with over 900 bills acted upon during the month of September alone.

John Kabateck, NFIB State Director in California, reflected on 2018 legislative victories and the challenges ahead for small business owners. With Governor Jerry Brown’s final bill signature/veto deadline in our rear-view mirror, and the upcoming election of a new Governor and legislature just around the corner, now is an important time for small business owners—and all California taxpayers—to reflect on some of the greatest victories from this past session and important challenges ahead in the coming new year.

Thank you to all those who take time to participate in our surveys. CRA utilizes the information we gather to better serve you. If you have an idea for a survey for CRA members, please send your request to CRA at Info@CalRental.org. This month, we surveyed members about their drivers and Bit Pull programs.