Attendees of the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) conference in New Orleans had the chance not only to experience great music and sample great food, but they also gained insights about new paradigms and how to adopt these in their fleet operation.

The NAFA Fleet Management Institute took place May 2-5 at the Ernst Morial Convention Center. The conference boasted record-breaking attendance with 2,500 attendees.

New NAFA President Sal Giacchi Outlines Agenda

Sal Giacchi (in photo, right), director - corporate support services for Loews Corp., was named the new NAFA president. In his first speech to the association, Giacchi proposed four ideas:

1.      A concerted effort to assist NAFA chapters in increasing attendance and participation of members.

2.      Provide members a greater ability to network among themselves. By the end of 1999, NAFA hopes to have all directories online.

3.      Increase the effectiveness of the NAFA website.

4.      Ask members whether they want to broaden NAFA's horizons beyond the U.S. and Canada.

Should You Own, Lease, or Reimburse?

One of the most highly attended meetings was the Lease vs. Buy vs. Reimbursement presentation. This was the culmination of a project by the NAFA Foundation to develop a computerized Lease vs. Buy vs. Reimbursement analysis program. The seminar was presented by Jim Anselmi, directory, fleet operations and travel for Lorillard Tobacco Co. Anselmi is also president of the NAFA Foundation.

The Foundation program is an Excel spreadsheet that will give fleet managers the ability to be proactive and answer the question before it is asked by his or her management.

How to Do Business with the Federal Fleet

William Rivers of the General Services Administration gave a seminar on how to do business with the federal fleet. In his presentation, Rivers discussed the composition and management of the federal fleet, along with its acquisition practices. For instance, Rivers cited three reasons why the federal government prefers to buy vehicles rather than lease them.

1.      The government has honed its purchasing skills and is one of the best purchasers of vehicles in the industry.

2.      The government is tax-exempt and doesn't have the same tax liabilities as commercial fleets.

3.      The federal government issues its budgets annually so it is difficult for it to commit to multi-year lease contracts.

Designing a Maintenance Facility That Works

Support from the community, adequate staffing, and input from peers are three vital elements a fleet manager needs in overseeing the design of a maintenance facility. Those views were discussed at a seminar titled "Designing a Maintenance Facility That Works"

Don Leidy, principal, Maintenance Group in Denver, gave some reasons for having a maintenance facility. "More space is the No. 1 reason we hear," he said. Another reason is that current facilities are outdated and don't meet fire code and other government requirements.

Upfitting Vehicles for the 21^st Century

More than 7 million people use their vehicles as mobile offices, according to Charles Lippert, president and CEO for GOoffice.com. "As we move into the 21^st Century, the use of professional vehicles will become an important consideration for company fleets," he said. New products that enhance productivity include organizers and files, portable desks, and mobile desks.

Among those in attendance at the conference were four men who among them have 200 years of fleet industry experience. They are, from left, Jack Oliver, 84, 48 years in fleet; Bob Soell, 82, 52 years in fleet; Jack Evans, 77, 52 years in fleet; and John Sohl, 72, 48 years in fleet.

Latest Products & Services Exhibited at FMI Exposition

About 127 companies displayed their newest products and services during

the Fleet Institute Exposition held May 2-3, 1999 at the Ernst Morial Convention Center. Here is some of the latest news from the exhibitors:

ACDelco was promoting to attending fleet managers that it provides parts for all vehicles regardless of make, training for in-house technicians and a technical assistance line. The company is focusing on the fleet aftermarket and the servicing of out-of-warranty company vehicles.

ARI displayed its new Internet-based fleet management system - Inside ARI - which provides its clients with access to data specific to their fleets through the use of a data warehouse. Another product displayed was Intellifleet, which is a Windows-based software system used by its maintenance technicians to manage its clients' vehicle maintenance costs. The system also allows ARI technicians to rate vendors on a 1-5 scale.

CrownDivisions, focusing on its new "Speed Counts" theme, introduced a guaranteed delivery of upfitted vehicles that provides for a monetary penalty if a certain number of vehicles are not delivered within a specified period.

EarlScheib painted 30 vehicles, mostly cars, in May for Ugly Duckling in Phoenix, said Earl Scheib Fleet Accounts Manager Robert Miller.

The Texaco fuel management card's new features include Level III data exception reporting and a 10-percent discount if used at a Texaco Express Lube.

FleetLeaseRemarketingServices has unveiled a secure website for its clients, who can now check the status of any vehicle, and has started doing Internet auctions for commercial businesses and municipalities.

GECapitalFleetServices displayed its Web Ordering product, which provides fleet managers with the ability to order new vehicles via the Internet. The system is designed to prevent fleet managers from ordering unbuildable vehicles. The system provides information on option availability, pricing, and provides confirmation of order. Another feature of Web Ordering is the Rapid Factory Order. This is a streamlined version of Web Ordering designed for factory orders.

KelleyBlueBook showed its remarketing information services. Fleet managers were shown the company's new website and offered a 60-day, free-trial use of the site.

LeasePlan is set to unveil ePlan this summer, which allows fleet managers and drivers real-time access to comprehensive fleet data over the Internet. An IBM AS400e server runs ePlan 24 hours a day, 365 days a year providing 99.999 percent availability. This server features built-in encryption capabilities to keep valuable fleet information out of the wrong hands. With ePlan, the user has access to a standardized vehicle ordering process on the Internet.

MonroeModifications, a division of Monroe Equipment, introduced a new GPS-based system called TRAKIT. The system can be used to track vehicle in snow belt states to monitor and track the amount of gravel and chemical that is spread on the road to ensure that the appropriate amount is used.

PHHVehicleManagementServices introduced Interactive Platinum, a premium version of version 4 of its Internet-enabled fleet management system. A central feature of Interactive Platinum is a Custom Fleet Event Monitor. Using this feature, a fleet manager identifies exceptions for the system to monitor, which can be presented in a graphics or text format.