Tag: fleet management

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Three Fleet Management Challenges

Three Fleet Management Challenges

 

The fleet manager’s job is integral to the profitability of any company. The job is complex, multi-faceted and requires a seamless set of processes and tools to manage the fleet efficiently and safely. Effective use of technology and strategic partnerships with fleet management vendors is integral to the success of any fleet management program.

Every step of the fleet management process presents a unique set of issues – from purchasing to compliance. Once a vehicle is purchased, many challenges await the fleet manager. Here are three:

FUEL COSTS:  Managing fuel costs is essential to maintaining profitability. Most fleets allocate about 35% of their ongoing operating costs to fuel. Increased gas prices have forced drivers and fleet managers to work toward finding the lowest rates and most economical driving options. These options include various purchasing protocols (i.e., purchasing wholesale, using fuel cards, etc.) and developing driving routes that efficiently utilize every drop of fuel.

SAFETY:  Even under the most excellent supervised training, accidents do happen. The fleet manager must have a safety program in place that encompasses many factors from training to maintaining accurate driver files. This not only helps with safety, it ensures that a company meets the next challenge of compliance.

COMPLIANCE:  Compliance is key. Non-compliant assets cannot be on the road. Lost time equals lost profits. The challenges keep growing as local, state, and federal authorities enact legislation and impose additional requirements to keep the company’s assets compliant. This is where strategic partnerships with fleet management vendors can help. They focus on keeping track of all the changes while the fleet manager focuses on the day-to-day operation of the fleet.

Fuel costs, safety, and compliance cover just a fraction of the challenges a fleet manager faces every day. Explore how the ABS Fleet Division can help. Contact us today.

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Women are Making their Mark in Fleet Management

Women In Fleet Management (WIFM) gets much of the credit for the achievements of women in the fleet management industry.  Through the development resources it offers and networking and mentoring opportunities, WIFM members have seen a world of change in the last two or three decades.   Sue Miller remembers her first days in fleet management this way: “It was definitely the good old boys club.  A lot of cigars, martini lunches, and that type of thing.”  Miller went on to direct a 3,500-vehicle fleet for McDonald’s and currently serves as senior fleet account manager of a telematics company, Geotab.  She served as one of the founders of WIFM, whose mission is “To provide a resource for women fleet leaders that encourages personal and career fulfillment through mentoring, fleet expertise sharing, fleet and business community involvement and networking.” (Explore WIFM and the many resources it provides here.)

WIFM will be one of the many representatives in this year’s WBENC Conference (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council), scheduled for March 20-23, 2023, in Nashville, TN.  This conference offers a premier opportunity for women to network with other business owners, receive tools and resources to develop as business-owners, and pitch their businesses to professional and government representatives.  (To find out more about the WBENC and to register for the conference, click here.)

The fight for equality of opportunities and pay among women entrepreneurs is not over.  Bernadette Milito, co-chair of this year’s WBENC Conference, puts it very directly, “The answers are simple.  It’s the work that’s hard.”  Milito sees the conference as a unique opportunity to connect business owners and corporate executives.  She is also dedicated to sharing her vast expertise in all aspects of the hard work it has taken for her to become CEO of CSS Building Services.

For decades women have been fighting for equal job opportunities, and it looks like that incredibly hard work is paying off.  The WBENC Conference will be an exciting celebration of the achievements of women business owners while providing resources for continued success for years to come!

The WBENC conference will be held March 20-23, 2023, at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville.  Onsite registration will remain available throughout the conference.

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Preparing Your Fleet for Summer Heat

Prepare your fleet vehicles for the heat of summer.

You would never think of running five miles in 100-degree heat without taking a water bottle and extra precautions to fight the summer temps. Your fleet is no different!

From top to bottom, front to back, it needs extra care to beat the heat.

In order to prevent overheating, it’s essential that all fluids are topped off before you start off on these long driving days. Radiator, antifreeze, transmission, brakes, even windshield wiper fluid will need special attention in order to keep your fleet healthy in this heat. As you’re driving, keep an eye on the water temperature or coolant temperature gauge. If it goes above a safe temp, you’re at risk of engine failure and need to get off the road immediately.

Summer heat is brutal to the life of batteries. They run excessively to maintain HVAC systems and other hot weather accessories, causing an increase in corrosion. Unfortunately, this quick aging may not be noticed until the cooler months arrive and your fleet doesn’t start up. Steven Keuss of Associated Equipment Corp says that for every 10 degree increase in temperature, the battery’s life is reduced by 50%.

Tires are especially at risk in hot weather, as there is always a risk of a tire blowing up or even catching on fire. Switch out your winter tires and check summer ones closely and regularly, making sure that they maintain proper tread and wear evenly. The pressure in your tires will increase with the temperature, and it’s recommended that you check them every two hours or 100 miles to maintain safety on the road.

Manually check your engine belts by pressing on them to make sure they are tight. If not, the water pump and fan will not run properly and result in overheating. Visually check for signs of wear and replace at the first sign of aging.

If your engine does overheat, immediately pull over, set your vehicle or rig in neutral and set the brakes, but do NOT shut down your engine. Keep the engine revved to 1500 RPMs to allow the fan to cool your engine. This will take at least 15 minutes, so be patient! Never open the radiator cap or any other pressurized system, as steam can cause severe burns. Once your engine has cooled, head to the service station.

Extra time and care of your fleet now will help to limit these service stops and get you back on the road quickly. We at ABS Tag & Title wish you a safe and healthy summer!

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Choosing the Service that’s BEST for Locating your Out of Stock Vehicle

Choosing the services that's best for your out of stock vehicle locating needs.

Let someone else handle this time-consuming task for you.

You know down to the square inch exactly what you need in a cargo transport vehicle, only to find that the rig or vehicle you need isn’t in stock anywhere close to your location! The right vehicle locating service will be able to find it for you and deliver it to you when you need!

Here are some essentials that will save you considerable time in locating process:

Their inventory:  When investigating vehicle location services, first make sure yours has a network of dealerships that is large enough to get you exactly what you want. Your first question when researching should be whether the company works within certain states or has a network of dealerships nationwide.

Your needs:  When discussing your vehicle needs with a locating service provider, have a list of the specific criteria that the vehicle must fulfill, and don’t budge from that list. It is the service provider’s job to meet the needs of your company; not the other way around! If they can’t find what you need, move on to the one that can.

The Negotiation:  No one likes to haggle on prices, so don’t! When you’re needing an out-of-stock vehicle, let the locator do the dirty work for you. An effective service will not only find what you need but negotiate price for you! This saves your company endless time and money as you acquire your fleet and get it on the road.

The Team:  You should consider your out-of-stock vehicle service a part of your commercial team. This means you need to be able trust its representatives for quick turnaround, and clear and dependable communication. Inquire with the service whether you will have a specific representative assigned to your fleet and how accessible that person will be.

Having an effective vehicle locating service in place before you have a specific need will ensure that your rigs will be where they need to be at the time they need to be. And we all know that on-time shipments are the key to success in this business!

ABS will not only locate out-of-stock vehicles for your company; it will transport those vehicles for you and provide tag and title services as well. Trust our representatives to meet all the needs of your commercial fleet. (ABS Tag & Title Out of Stock Vehicle Locating)

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Make Sure You’re Legal on the Road!

Two necessary documents every driver MUST have with them at all times.

Many people don’t know that a vehicle registration is NOT the same as the title. Here are the basics to understanding the two separate documents you need before you can legally drive your vehicle:

Car Title

The title is a legal document that declares you (or the company / individual you owe) is the legal owner of a vehicle. Once a title is obtained, it is valid in every state, despite the owner’s residence.

To receive a title of a vehicle, an owner must have:

  • Bill of sale
  • Proof of insurance
  • Proof of residency (most DMV offices require two verified bills or official mail
  • Current odometer reading of vehicle
Registration

The registration is a legal document that states you have paid essential taxes and are in the state’s cataloguing system. Each state has individual requirements for this registration, and a vehicle owner must have one that is valid in his state of residence in order to legally operate the vehicle.

Once a vehicle’s title is obtained, a registration is necessary as well. Although states differ on the requirements for this document, each requires the following:

  • Title
  • Current insurance (minimum; higher in some states)
  • Tax or registration fees
  • Vehicle inspection report

Over half of the United States requires emission testing. Emissions, as well as many other safety inspections, vary considerably from state to state. You can find a list of your state’s requirements through the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

The process of obtaining a title and registration for your vehicle is sometimes complicated and always time-consuming. Entrusting that process to ABS ensures a smooth and carefree transition to getting your entire fleet on the road efficiently and legally!

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What is a Toll Management System?

And why would you need one?

For companies with fleets, the need to manage the cost liability of unpaid tolls and violations, as well as increase their fleet driver’s mobility, toll management services may be something to investigate.

There are 6,200+ miles of U.S. tollways, 50+ toll authorities requiring individual account management, and toll coverage and toll device confusion. All of this can impact fleets due to overspending with little visibility of real costs.

Toll management acts kind of like a fuel card. It consolidates all toll spend under one account and there are no prefunding requirements. Fleet owners gain detailed visibility into all tolling activity, while administrative duties are reduced significantly.

When looking for a toll management program, here are some key elements to look for:

  1. Account and payment consolidation
  2. Fine and penalty avoidance
  3. Eliminates payment by mail / web
  4. Transponder device fulfillment direct to drivers
  5. Vehicle Level Reporting
  6. Customer Service with Dispute Resolution

Considerations

Fleet management companies that operate in multiple tolling regions should consider a managed toll system. Why? When you consider your current toll volume, the number of admin hours spent managing tolls, the number of toll accounts, and the operation area of your fleet vehicles, the benefits to the bottom line can be considerable. Even though all-electronic toll roads and cashless lanes have enabled speed and convenience, there is still a lack of interoperability among toll authorities. The result is a complicated and arduous task for fleet companies.

Value Add

Toll management can offer fleet companies real value too. A comprehensive program can provide:

  • New source of revenue from existing fleet customers
  • Valuable program to attract new fleet customers
  • No capital expenditures required
  • Aligns with current selling practice

For the fleet customer and driver the value includes:

  • Consolidation of toll accounts into one centralized, national program
  • Reduction of toll violation risk for covered vehicles
  • Elimination of ballooning costs of late payment penalties
  • Ability to track toll activity and proactively manage toll spend
  • Increase mobility by enabling drivers to use cashless toll lanes and all-electronic toll roads

If you’re looking for comprehensive toll management services, ABS Tag & Title provides ABS Shield Toll Management services that meet your fleet’s needs with tailor made solutions. Learn more.

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Complete Fleet Compliance Management

ABS has three divisions to meet all your tag & title needs.

Fleet Management

No business can afford to ever take a loss. Sloppy management of your fleet titles, registration, and licenses can cost your company hefty financial penalties and serious delays. It’s essential for you to rely on your Tag & Title company to handle every detail flawlessly. Our team of Fleet Compliance Managers is committed to your success.

Dealership Management

Obtaining titles and registrations can significantly slow down the purchase of a new vehicle.  Repo titles and lien perfections are OUR business, so they don’t need to be a business manager’s nightmare. We have a Dealership Division devoted specifically to YOU, so that our contacts and our expertise will be a quick solution to your business needs.

Leasing Management

Tags and titles, registration and liens, renewals and state transfers can cause unnecessary delays, and you need to get your fleet on the road. Obtaining and maintaining is our specialty. Our Leasing Division team is committed to providing clear communication and is always accessible to you with helpful resources and contacts. 

  • Need a title transfer, correction, name change, fuel and trip permits? Selling a rig and need the lien and title in your hands in the next 24 hours? Rest assured, your documents are safe, and your fleet is covered.
  • Have a small fleet and need a more efficient office with fewer administrative bodies? Have a large fleet and need more efficient technical tools to manage it? Rest assured,  your rigs will be compliant, and your fleet is covered.

Covering all 50 states and 1400 jurisdictions, you can leave the details to us. Rest assured…with ABS, your fleet, your dealership, and your leasing needs are covered. 

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Rest Easy with ABS Secure Title Storage

Check one item off your to-do list: safe storage of your company’s titles

As fleet managers, we’ve all been there; the case of the lost file. Lost and/or ruined titles need to be replaced and that’s a situation you don’t want happening over and over. Hopefully your business hasn’t dealt with a flood or fire, but if you have, you know first-hand how stressful it is to have to build from ground zero. At ABS Tag and Title, we see this time and time again.

Far too often our customers are in need of replacing titles that have been lost or ruined. To alleviate this recurring problem, we provide safe title storage services in our securely constructed facility. When you are ready to sell the vehicle and need your title, we can have it to you in 24 hours. That fast turnaround time is what we pride ourselves on and how we provide superior services to fleet managers across the USA.

What makes our storage facility secure:

  • Halon Protected Title Room: According to fireprotection.org, Halon is a liquefied, compressed gas that stops the spread of fire by chemically disrupting combustion. It adds an extra layer of fire protection to titles and tags – breaking the chain reaction and protecting them from any damage.
  • Limited Secure Access: Not just anyone can have access to our facility, only approved and cleared staff will be able to get in and out to retrieve information for our clients! We always have the facility under security.
  • Fire Resistant Safes: Your documents, titles and tags will be locked away safely in our secure, fire-resistant safes until you need them.
  • 24/7 Access to ABS Customer Portal: Need some quick information? Can’t remember the last 4-digits of the tag? View your titles, tags and documents immediately by using your customer portal online! You’ll have access to your portal anytime you need it.
  • 24-Hour Turnaround Guarantee: Team members are dedicated to ensuring you receive a title within 24 hours of any request, so your business keeps moving without delay and without hassle.

Our #1 priority is to fully remove the burden from fleet managers and operators and save you valuable time and numerous headaches. We want you to focus on running your business, keeping your fleets on the road, and the money coming in. With a complete line of fleet management solutions, we oversee all the details from vehicle title and registration, renewals, duplicate titles, out of stock vehicle locating and so much more. Request a quote here to get started with us and learn how we can partner with you.

Learn more about of complete line of fleet and title registration services here.

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Grow in Your Career with ABS

ABS Tag & Title is looking for qualified candidates to help us as we continue to grow.

ABS has had a solid reputation for 30 years, and we look expectantly toward the future, as our business continues to grow! As nationwide Tag and Title experts:

  • We partner with small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies. No matter the scale or complexity, we provide the staff and expertise to improve productivity and optimize performance of any fleet. When businesses are moving, the money is coming in. That’s ABS.
  • We pride ourselves in providing exceptional customer service. Our 125+ team members supply highly accurate vehicle license and title services….motor carrier services….out of stock vehicle locating services….and so much more….nationwide….every time.
  • We diligently uphold our WBENC certification (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council). Its members represent the nation’s largest and most successful corporations, dedicated to creating an environment of opportunity for women-owned businesses. ABS Owner, Sherry Shields, sets the bar high for women who achieve great success in business.

Our top-notch executive team ensures that ABS not only meets the demands of its customers, but also offers its employees the opportunity to thrive in a positive, innovative and exciting working environment. Click here to find current ABS job openings on our Facebook page:

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ABS Temporary Fuel and Trip Permits

Let us Handle Your Permits to Keep Your Fleet Compliant & On the Road

You’re on a tight deadline, and every mile is an investment. We won’t let you waste time or pay unnecessary fines along the way! Knowing the facts about required permits is essential, and our mission is to help your fleet stay compliant and on the road.  Obtaining temporary fuel and temporary trip permits for our clients means faster turnaround, no hassles and accuracy from start to finish.

The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) covers 48 U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Essentially, when your vehicle is IFTA-registered, you record the distance traveled in each state or province and pay the appropriate fuel taxes.

Temporary Fuel Permit

This permit is required for freight motor vehicles operated on an occasional or infrequent basis. It may be issued for a maximum of seven consecutive days and is valid only for the vehicle for which it has been issued.

A Fuel Permit is required if your vehicle is traveling out of state and any of these apply:

  • Your vehicle does not have a current IFTA decal assigned and displayed as part of the International Fuel Tax Agreement
  • Your power unit has 3 or more axles regardless of weight if you cross state lines
  • Your tow vehicle and trailer have a combined gross vehicle or registered weight over 26,000 lbs

Temporary Trip Permit

This permit allows interstate travel for commercial motor vehicles that are not registered under the International Registration Plan (IRP). It allows for the movement of a laden truck, truck-tractor, trailer, semitrailer, or a motor bus on the state’s highways.  These permits are available in increments of 72- or 144-hours, One-trip, or 30-days.

Every day ABS is entrusted with the job of transporting other people’s property. We consider it a privilege to help our customers do that as efficiently as possible! Learn more about our services, and how we can save your company valuable time and money.